Elizabeth Asiedu, associate professor of economics
Annual Report
Faculty
Diverse magazine Emerging Scholar
Elizabeth Asiedu, associate professor of economics, was among a group of 10 researchers and educators chosen by Diverse magazine as Emerging Scholars for 2007. Asiedu was recognized for her research into the role of foreign nations' direct investments on Africa's economy.
Botanical Society of America Merit Award
Edith Taylor, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology and senior curator of paleobotany, received a prestigious Merit Award, the highest honor bestowed by the Botanical Society of America. Taylor was honored for her work studying fossil plants in Antarctica, which may lead to greater understanding of climate change.
David Darwin, Deane E. Ackers Distinguished Professor of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering
President, Concrete Institute
David Darwin, Deane E. Ackers Distinguished Professor of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering, was elected president of the American Concrete Institute. One of the most influential groups in the concrete industry, the institute studies, oversees, and seeks to improve the work of structural engineers, contractors, material synthesists, and bridge builders.
Distinguished Contribution to Practice in Community Psychology award
Jerry A. Schultz, associate director of KU's Work Group for Community Health and Development at the Life Span Institute, was the 2007 recipient of the Distinguished Contribution to Practice in Community Psychology award, given by the American Psychological Association's Division of Community Psychology.
Fulbright Senior Scholar Awards
Three faculty members won Fulbright Senior Scholar Awards for the 2007-08 academic year, allowing them to teach or do research in other countries.
- Gregory Cushman, assistant professor of history, taught in the Georgikon Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Pannonia in Hungary.
- Erik Herron, associate professor of political science and director of the Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies, taught and conducted research in Ukraine.
- Mashasweta Banerjee, associate professor of social welfare, conducted research in India.
Worldwide Books Award for Electronic Resources
Susan Craig, head of the Murphy Art and Architecture Library, won the Worldwide Books Award for Electronic Resources, presented by the Art Libraries Society of North America. Craig was awarded for her decade-long effort to develop "The Biographical Dictionary of Kansas Artists (Active before 1945)," which was published on KU ScholarWorks, a digital repository for scholarly work.
The Arc of the United States Distinguished Research Award
Wayne Sailor, associate director of the Beach Center on Disability and a professor of special education, won a national award for his work to improve quality of life for people with intellectual disabilities and their families. The Arc of the United States Ñ the world's largest community-based organization for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities Ñ honored Sailor with its 2007 Distinguished Research Award.
American Association for the Advancement of Science fellows
Two KU researchers were named fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science for breakthroughs that have pushed forward scientific understanding.
- Jerome E. Dobson, professor of geography, won the distinction for his work on geographic information systems, advanced remote sensing, and large-area change analysis.
- Adrian L. Melott, professor of physics and astronomy, was recognized for his contributions to cosmological large-scale structure, for organizing public support for teaching evolution, and for interdisciplinary research on astrophysical impacts on the biosphere.
Twenty faculty members were honored with $5,000 Kemper awards, which reward teaching excellence. Recipients of 2007 W.T. Kemper Fellowships: FIRST ROW (from left): Leonie Pallikkathayil, associate professor of nursing; Ellen Sward, professor of law; Yan Bing Zhang, assistant professor of communication studies; Bryan Young, associate professor of civil, environmental, and architectural engineering; Victoria Corbin, associate professor of molecular biosciences; and Krzysztof Kuczera, professor of chemistry. MIDDLE ROW: Anthony Walton, associate professor of geology; Patricia Hawley, assistant professor of psychology; Charles Epp, associate professor of public administration; Gustavo Blanco, assistant professor of molecular and integrative physiology; David Bergeron, professor of English; and Holly Storkel, associate professor of speech-language-hearing. BACK ROW: Mark Mort, associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology; Thomas Pazdernik, professor of pharmacology; George Enders associate professor of anatomy and cell biology; Paul Johnson, professor of political science; Michael Roberts, professor of applied behavioral science; and James Stiles, associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science. Not pictured are Marsha Haufler, professor of history of art, and Lee Skinner, associate professor of Spanish and Portuguese.
Alfred P. Sloan fellowship
Wonpil Im, assistant professor of molecular biosciences, received a 2007 Alfred P. Sloan fellowship. The prestigious fellowships are designed to boost the careers of the most promising university faculty members involved in scientific investigation.
Associate Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies Appointment
Sara Thomas Rosen, professor and chair of the Department of Linguistics, was named associate vice provost and dean of graduate studies. Her appointment follows the reorganization of the Lawrence campus Office of Research and the Graduate School. Rosen will report to the vice provost for research, and serve alongside two existing associate vice provosts, George Wilson and Joshua Rosenbloom.
Joel Polsky Prize
Keith Diaz Moore, associate professor and chair of architecture at KU, won the 2007 Joel Polsky Prize for a book encouraging better design of adult and dementia day care centers. Diaz shared the prize, given by the American Society of Interior Design educational foundation, with co-authors Lyn Geboy and Gerald Weisman of Milwaukee, Wis.
Grammy Award Nomination
Robert Koenig, associate professor of piano and chamber music, was nominated for a Grammy Award for his recording of "Viola Transcriptions" by William Primrose.
Geological Society of America fellow
Marios Sophocleous, senior scientist at the Kansas Geological Survey, was elected a fellow of the Geological Society of America, an association of nearly 20,000 members in 85 countries that promotes the geosciences and provides a forum for diverse ideas.
