Faculty and Staff Notes

Waschka Premieres New Works

A new piece for orchestra composed by NC State's Dr. Rodney Waschka II was given its premiere performance at the 17th International Review of Composers in Belgrade. The Radio Television Symphony Orchestra of Serbia performed Waschka's piece, Belgrade Overture, in the Kolarac Foundation Hall on Nov. 22. Bojan Sudji, chief conductor and artistic director of the symphony, conducted the performance.

Waschka, an internationally recognized expert on algorithmic composition – the use of a sequence of finite instructions usually encoded in a computer program to help compose music – created Belgrade Overture with the aid of a computer program he wrote. The program employed genetic algorithms, which are procedures that model some aspects of genetic processes.

Known for his theatrical works, including two operas, Waschka contributed a chapter called, "Composing with Genetic Algorithms" to the book Evolutionary Computer Music published in London in 2007.

Bracken Earns Two Awards

Dr. Susan J. Bracken, an adult and higher education faculty member, recently received two national awards for excellence in research and scholarship. The American Association of Adult and Continuing Education Commission for Professors of Adult Education awarded her the 2008 National Early Career Achievement Award.  She also received the 2008 Cunningham Award for her research.

Marshall Honored for Wheat Disease Research

Dr. David Marshall, research leader for the USDA's Agriculture Research Service in Plant Science and a faculty member in plant pathology, has received a USDA Secretary's Honor Award for his research on a virulent stem rust attacking the world's wheat crop. Marshall was recently recognized for his work along with research plant pathologist Yue Jin of the ARS Cereal Disease Research Laboratory in St. Paul, Minn. Marshall's work was featured recently in an article in Perspectives magazine.

Nichols Wins Bronze Medal

Chef de Cuisine Kevin Nichols of University Dining received a bronze medal at the 14th Annual "Tastes of the World" Chef Culinary Conference. The competition, sanctioned by the American Culinary Federation, was open to all culinary professionals registered for the conference. The conference highlighted the advancement of great-tasting and healthier food choices for the campus food-service segment. The theme, "Small Plate, Big Flavor," focused on three initiatives: flavor, wellness, and sustainability.

Nichols' winning meal included a scallop and mussel bisque, seared duck salad with fruit compote, spiced snapper with cheese polenta and garlic green beans, and walnut-crusted pork loin stuffed with cranberries.

Shelton Honored by Board of Governors

NC State alumnus Gen. Hugh Shelton and retired UNC administrator Roy Carroll are the 2008 recipients of the University Award, the highest honor given by the UNC Board of Governors. The men were honored at a banquet Nov. 13.

Born and raised in Tarboro, Shelton graduated from NC State in 1963 with a bachelor's degree in textiles and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the infantry through the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps. He spent the next 38 years in a variety of military command and staff positions, culminating in 1997 with his appointment as the 14th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He retired in 2001.

He conceived and serves as executive director of the General Hugh Shelton Leadership Center at NC State, which offers targeted scholarship programs, executive forums, and youth outreach and service programs. He also established the General Hugh Shelton Leadership Fellows Scholarship Endowment, the Annual Hugh Shelton Leadership Forum, the Shelton Leadership Program Endowment, and a series of summer Youth Leadership Institutes, which have been expanded to other UNC campuses.

Harmon Designs Green Building for Duke

Duke University's decision to hire NC State professor in practice Frank Harmon to design its Ocean Conservation Center has paid off. The facility has been awarded the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED Gold certification. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the national benchmark for high performance green buildings.

The 5,600-square-foot Center in Beaufort is Duke's only LEED Gold certified building. Harmon was able to design it to that standard of environmental responsibility and conservation thanks to a grant from the Wallace Genetic Foundation.

Completed in 2006, the Ocean Conservation Center uses geothermal pumps for heating and cooling, solar panels for hot water, and photovoltaic rooftop panels for converting sunlight into electricity. Harmon used local building materials (yellow southern pine and Atlantic white cedar) and recycled wood throughout the structure.

Harmon's next project is the design of UNC Asheville's Craft Campus. The site, just four miles from the main campus, encompasses a former landfill. It will be transformed into a complex of environmentally friendly classrooms and studios for the teaching and learning of the region's renowned studio craft traditions. Methane and other alternative fuels generated on-site will serve as green energy sources to power kilns, furnaces, forges and other critical infrastructure.

Holcomb new Park Scholarships Director

Eva Holcomb has been named the new director of the Park Scholarships. She joined the Park Scholarships office as assistant director in 2004, and was promoted to associate director in 2007 and interim director this year. She will oversee new scholar selection and provide enrichment opportunities for the Park Scholars.

As associate director, Holcomb was responsible for a $4 million program budget. She also supervised the online application and selection process, including management of 200 volunteers on the Regional Selection Committee, which annually receives more than 1,000 applications.  She organized interviews for hundreds of candidates at sites across North Carolina and the United States, and for finalists on campus.

Holcomb is an alumna of NC State and the Park Scholarships program, receiving her bachelor's degrees in chemistry and science education in 2002.  She is currently pursuing her master's degree in Higher Education at NC State.

In Print...

Tom Feeny's translations of Spanish poetry and short stories are included in the latest issues of Blue Unicorn, Timber Creek Review and Third Wednesday. His own poetry appears in RE:AL and The Journal (England).