Faculty and Staff Notes

NC State’s Engineering Online Tops Public Grad Programs

NC State’s Engineering Online is the nation’s largest public distance-education engineering graduate program, according to a survey published this month by U.S. News & World Report.

Engineering Online, which allows students to earn master’s degrees in engineering without coming to campus, enrolled 660 students in fall 2008, more than any other public engineering school. NC State was tied for third with Columbia University on the overall program list behind the University of Southern California and the Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey, all private schools.

Engineering Online fared well in a 2008 national survey of 216 online engineering programs. GetEducated.com recognized NC State as offering an the top educational value, naming its online master’s degrees the “best buy.”

Tolson New NC State Trustee

E. Norris Tolson, president and CEO of the N.C. Biotechnology Center in Research Triangle Park, has been appointed to NC State’s Board of Trustees by Gov. Bev Perdue.

Tolson has served the citizens of North Carolina as a business and policy leader for more than four decades. He graduated from NC State with a bachelor's degree in crop science and agribusiness in 1962. After a stint in the U.S. Army Counter Intelligence Corps from 1963 to 1965, he joined Dupont, where he held various research, marketing and sales assignments in the company's agricultural products and electronics business for 28 years. He was assigned both domestic and international business responsibilities and lived in Europe for several years before retiring in 1993. He then served in some of the top policy positions in the state. He was a two-term legislator (1994-1997), secretary of commerce (1997-1998), secretary of transportation (1998) and secretary of revenue (2001-2007).

Tolson, of Pinetops, N.C., serves on the NC State Board of Visitors and the Alumni Association board, as well as the College of Education Foundation. He also is a member of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Alumni Society.

Furloughs Added to Leave System

Furlough leave has been added to the online leave system for full- and part-time employees except faculty with nine-month appointments.

Full-time employees may select the furlough leave option for up to 10 hours between May 15 and Dec. 31. Amounts are prorated for part-time workers. Leave administrators will need to adjust the leave records of anyone who has already used furlough leave that was recorded as “Other” leave. Any remaining furlough leave balances as of Dec. 31 will be forfeited.

The amount granted and taken will appear on the monthly breakdown report similar to bonus leave and in the transaction list under “furlough.” A column for furlough leave has been added to the monthly Excel time sheet at http://www.fis.ncsu.edu/hr/forms/hrim/timesheet.xls.

Have questions or need assistance with furlough leave reporting? Contact Debra Harrison at debra_harrison@ncsu.edu or 515-4272.

Reductions in pay during the furlough program won’t affect retirement pay calculations under updated furlough procedures. An employee’s retirement pay will be calculated based on regular monthly salary, even when a paycheck is less because of the furlough program. Employee and employer contributions to the retirement system will be based on regular salary. To track the changes, look at the boxes on the pay stub labeled “Before Tax Deductions” and “Employer Paid Benefits,” to see that a retirement adjustment has been made.

• Budget Central: http://www.fis.ncsu.edu/rm/budget_central/
• Budget News: http://www.ncsu.edu/budget/

Administrative Changes Announced

Dr. Warwick A. Arden, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, is serving as interim provost and executive vice chancellor. A search will be conducted to fill the position.

Dr. David Bristol, senior associate dean and director of academic affairs, is the interim dean for the College of Veterinary Medicine.

Dr. Jose Picart, vice provost for diversity and inclusion, is serving as interim dean for the College of Education. A search will be conducted to fill the permanent position.

Dr. Marcia L. Gumpertz, assistant vice provost for diversity and inclusion, will serve as interim vice provost for diversity and inclusion.

Pride of the Wolfpack Nominations

Recognize an outstanding employee by completing the Pride of the Wolfpack nomination form at: http://www.ncsu.edu/hr/benefits/pwa.asp. These “on the spot” awards recognize NC State employees for contributions to their college, unit or NC State.

The program recognizes SPA and EPA employees at the college or unit level. Each unit gives a limited number of awards based on its own criteria, which may include leadership, customer focus, business results, quality of service, quantity and quality of work and working relationships fostered. Temporary employees and student employees are not eligible.

Each winner receives an award certificate and wooden diploma frame from the NC State Bookstore. For more information, please contact the NC State Benefits Office at 515-2151.

The Pack N Go sale raised $1,500 for waste reduction programs on campus.

Pack N Go a Success

Waste Reduction & Recycling (WRR), in collaboration with University Housing, held the 4th annual Wolf Pack N Go Sale on May 15 in the E.S. King Village Community Center, featuring items donated by NC State students.

During a time when donations are declining and needed more than ever, NC State Students gave freely. In fact students donated just as much as they did in previous years.

Students donated more than 1000 lbs. of food, 9,300 lbs. of clothing and supplies, and 3,000 lbs. of electronics and furniture. All food has been donated to the Interfaith Food Shuttle and all unsold items were donated to several non-profit organizations in North Carolina. Not only were students ready to donate, they also may have been more conscious of producing less waste.

“We noticed that in general during the moving out process less waste was produced this year versus last year, which is NC State’s goal,” said Nessa Stone, operations manager for WRR.

The sale raised $1,500 for sustainable education programs on campus.

Spires Wins A Gertrude M. Cox Award

Dr. Hiller Spires, senior research fellow at the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation, has been awarded a 2008-09 Gertrude M. Cox Award for Innovative Excellence in Teaching and Learning with Technology. The honorable mention award in Transformative Large Scale Projects was for the project New Literacies and Design Studio: Teachers Experiencing the Power of Learning Through Technology, ECI 546 – Literacy, Technology, and Media.

History Lecturer Lead Editor of Genocide Book

Nicolas A. Robins, lecturer in history, is lead editor of the book “Genocides by the Oppressed: Subaltern Genocide in Theory and Practice,” published by Indiana University Press. The book examines how victimized groups can become killers. It contains Robins’ work on three Indian uprisings: the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, the Great Rebellion of 1780-82 in Peru and Upper Peru, and the Caste War of Yucatan, Mexico, from 1847 to 1900.

Robins collaborated with Adam Jones, associate professor of political science at the University of British Columbia Okanagan in Kelowna. Robins’ previous book, Native Insurgencies and the Genocidal Impulse in the Americas, was released in 2005.

Chemical Engineering Prof Wins Diversity Award

Dr. Christine Grant, professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, received the 2009 Council for Chemical Research Diversity Award.

Grant, associate dean for faculty development and special initiatives in the College of Engineering, was recognized for her positive impact on the advancement of minorities, women and underrepresented groups within chemistry based-sciences and engineering. The award was presented during the council’s 30th anniversary meeting in Salt Lake City last month.

Grant joined the NC State faculty in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering in1989, becoming the first African-American woman faculty member in the College of Engineering. She is founder and director of the Promoting Underrepresented Presence On Science and Engineering Faculties (PURPOSE) Institute, an organization dedicated to increasing the number and success of engineering faculty members from underrepresented groups.

Miller, Heber Speak at Life Sciences Symposium

Two professors in the College of Engineering spoke at the Symposium on Life Science Education in Research Triangle Park.

Dr. Tom Miller and Dr. Steffen Heber spoke at the May 26 symposium at the North Carolina Biotechnology Center. Participants learned about educational technology and resources for biology, biochemistry, bioinformatics, genetic and functional genomics. Miller is vice provost for distance education and learning technology applications, professor of electrical and computer engineering, and executive director of the NC State Entrepreneurship Initiative. Heber is an assistant professor of computer science.

Stimulus Fund Proposals

NC State researchers and proposal development professionals have submitted more than 105 full proposals requesting more than $73 million since stimulus legislation became law in mid-February. Check out NC State's Stimulus Central for a breakdown of proposals by agency and college:
http://ncsu.edu/research/stimulus/report-submissions.php.

To date, NC State has been awarded two Recovery Act awards, one from the National Institutes of Health and one from the U.S. Department of Labor. A list of awards by sponsoring agency and college receiving the award is posted on the stimulus site: http://ncsu.edu/research/stimulus/report-award.php.

History Prof Edits Book on Southern Masculinity

Dr. Craig Friend, director of public history, is editor of Southern Masculinity: Perspectives on Manhood in the South Since Reconstruction, a recent release from the University of Georgia Press. The book analyzes how southern men crafted post-Civil War notions of manhood in opposition to northern ideals of masculinity and as counterpoint to southern womanhood.

The collection examines masculinity in relation to Reconstruction, the New South, racism, southern womanhood, the Sunbelt, gay rights and the rise of the Christian Right. Essays reexamine the impact of familiar figures such as Arthur Ashe. Other essays explore the womanless wedding and Cherokee masculinity. More info at http://www.ugapress.org/0820329509.html.

Communicators Win Gold, Bronze

Three University Communication projects earned gold and bronze medals in the Council for Advancement and Support of Education’s national Circle of Excellence competition.

• The 2008 Chancellor’s Report, “Red Means Go,” won a gold medal in the in-house publications category. It was one of two gold winners among 55 entries.
• The “Red Means Go” campaign received a bronze for individual PR and community relations projects, one of five medals awarded among 40 entries.
• In the individual student recruitment publications category, “school.future.life.09” won one of six bronzes awarded among 175 entries.

GreenTree Awards

The Pathways Leadership Development Program's Esprit de Coeur team has partnered with the Office of Sustainability on the GreenTree Initiative. This is only the second time that a Pathways team project has gone from a proposal to actual implementation.

In conjunction with the Earthwise awards, which recognizes large-scale sustainability commitments at NC State, the GreenTree Initiative seeks to recognize those in the university community who promote small-scale sustainable efforts. GreenTree projects should be easily implemented, cost-saving green initiatives in the workplace. The sustainable efforts may be one-time or ongoing, and must benefit the university community.

The contest will be a year-long event with quarterly winners (July, October, January and April). Nomination forms and additional information on the GreenTree Initiative may be found on the Office of Sustainability website at http://www.ncsu.edu/sustainability. Nominations for July are now being accepted.

Kinsella to Research Nuclear Issues in Germany

Thanks to a Fulbright Scholarship, Dr. Bill Kinsella in the communication department will research nuclear energy in Germany, including the country’s political and institutional issues surrounding nuclear energy, viewed from a communication framework. While conducting his research at the University of Stuttgart in 2010, he will also lecture on communication perspectives on energy and environmental issues.

Governor Names Interns

Gov. Bev Perdue named six CHASS majors among the 100 North Carolina college, graduate, and law students selected to fill 10-week summer internships positions with state agencies. "There is no better way to learn a job than by doing it," Perdue said.

• Kerrie Brackett of Lincolnton, a sophomore criminology and bioarchaeology major, has accepted the Jump Starting Lives internship with the Department of Corrections' Lincoln Correctional Center in Lincolnton.
• Aaron Cusick of Raleigh, a graduate student in public history, has accepted the Special Collections internship with the Department of Cultural Resources State Archives Division in Raleigh.
• Paul Jones of Raleigh, a senior communication major, has accepted the N.C. State Fair Public Relations internship with the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services State Fair Division in Raleigh.
• Joanna McKnight of Greenville, a junior history major, has accepted the Architectural Field Studies and Restoration Services Source Book internship with the Department of Cultural Resources Historical Resources Division in Greenville.
• Kathryn Pennington of Greensboro, a senior history and communications major, has accepted the Historic Site Interpreter and Researcher internship with the Department of Cultural Resources Duke Homestead Historic Site in Durham.
• Mallory Richardson of Raleigh, a senior English and communications major, has accepted the Foster Care and Adoption Task Force internship with the Department of Administration's Commission of Indian Affairs in Raleigh.
  

Alumni Association Launches Blog

The super-cool folks in the NC State Alumni Association have launched a blog with all sorts of interesting articles, photos and news briefs about the world's greatest university and its remarkably talented alumni. You can visit it, as long as you promise to return to the Bulletin, by following this link: www.redandwhiteforlife.com.