Faculty and Staff Notes

Three Selected for Fulbright Study

Three NC State faculty members will teach and study abroad as Fulbright scholars during the 2009-10 academic year.

Dr. Bronson Bullock, associate professor in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, will perform research and lecture at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Umeå. He will collaborate on forest biometrics research and work on refining current forest growth models used to estimate growth in Swedish forests and make natural resource management decisions. Bullock will also co-teach two graduate level courses and one undergraduate course.

Dr. Nora Haenn, associate professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, will research the effects of international migration alongside Mexican colleagues at El Colegio de la Frontera Sur. She will study how women in rural, tropical southern communities take on full household responsibility once their husbands migrate. Haenn will document farm families’ spending to determine whether it becomes an investment in new kinds of land use that change tropical ecologies. She will also examine how local governments plan for social and economic changes associated with migration.

Dr. William J. Kinsella, associate professor in the Department of Communication, will study in Germany at the University of Stuttgart from March to June of 2010. His research project is titled “Nuclear Energy in Germany: Institutional, Political, and Public Communication in a Changing Social Context.” He will also lecture on communication perspectives on energy and environmental issues.

Ramsey and Tolson Appointed to BOT

Randall C. “Randy” Ramsey of Beaufort, N.C., founder, president and CEO of Jarrett Bay Yacht Sales, has been appointed to the NC State Board of Trustees by Gov. Bev Perdue. Perdue also reappointed Norris Tolson to the board.

An active member of numerous local and regional boards, Ramsey has served on the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament's Board since 1983, serving as president in 2003 and 2004. He also serves on the board of the North Carolina Manufacturer’s Association. Ramsey serves as vice president of the NC State Student Aid Association, is a current member of the NC State Alumni Association, the State Club and the NC State Council on Athletics.

Plant Breeder Honored

Dr. Tom Ranney, horticultural science professor at the Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center near Asheville, won the American Horticulture Society’s Marc Cathey Award for outstanding scientific research. Ranney has released hybrids such as the flowering shrub Calycanthus ‘Venus’ and created two new bigeneric genera xSchimlinia floribunda (Schima x Franklinia) and xGordlinia (Gordonia x Franklinia).

Libraries Receive Grant for Plantation Home Movies

The Special Collections Research Center at NC State libraries received a grant from the National Film Preservation Foundation (NFPF) to restore and share home movies created in the early 20th century by the owners of the Chinqua-Penn Plantation.

Built beginning in 1923 and featured on A&E's “America's Castles,” the Chinqua-Penn Plantation in Rockingham County is a 27-room mansion. Owners Thomas Jefferson “Jeff” Penn and Betsy Penn amassed a now-famous collection of paintings, furniture, and other decorative arts. The mansion is now a museum open to the public.

At a time when motion picture technology was rare and far too costly for most citizens, the Penns used it to document their world travels, their family and social life in rural Reidsville. Katherine Charron, assistant professor of history, says the films provide a glimpse of what daily life was like in a rural southern community during the 1930s.

The restored movies will enhance NC State’s Chinqua-Penn Collection. Clips will be available on the libraries’ Web site once restoration is completed.

Ross Named Smithsonian Collaborator

Dr. Ann Ross, associate professor of sociology and anthropology, has been named a research collaborator at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. The title is awarded to individuals who maintain a formal scholarly affiliation and research relationship with the museum. The appointment will be effective for three years.

Chancellor Jim Woodward congratulates the five employees to represent NC State in the Governor's Award for Excellence program. From left, they are Sheila Hays, Mary Lee Marazick, Earnest Yeager, Barbara C. Hegarty and Dick Parham.

Employees Compete for Governor's Award

Five employees won University Awards for Excellence for outstanding state government service, innovations, public service, human relations, and safety and heroism. They will represent NC State at the Governor’s Award for Excellence program later this year.
 
Honorees were:

• Earnest Yaeger, facilities maintenance supervisor, Center for Marine Science and Technology
• Sheila Hayes, environmental health and safety technician, Chemical and Bimolecular Engineering
• Mary Lee Marazick, pharmacist, Student Health Services
• Dick Parham, executive assistant, Department of Sociology and Anthropology
• Barbara C. Hegarty, research associate, Center for Comparative Medicine and Translational Research

Perdue Supports United We Serve

Gov. Beverly Perdue invites state employees to participate in United We Serve, a national effort launched by President Obama to engage more Americans in serving their communities this summer.

Perdue noted that state employees receive 24 hours of paid community service leave, which many use to volunteer at their children’s schools, a church or a community organization. Another way to find local volunteer opportunities is to search at http:// www.serve.gov.

Perdue, a former teacher, will focus on mentoring in education and literacy. The North Carolina kickoff June 22 featured Bob Perdue reading to children and discussing volunteerism with them at Heritage Park Community Center.

Patisaul Named Science Communication Fellow

Dr. Heather Patisaul, assistant professor of biology, is among 10 scientists who will work to increase public awareness and understanding of environmental health science as science communication fellows. The program trains junior scientists to communicate and promote new research findings to the public and the media.

The program is sponsored by Environmental Health Sciences, publisher of Environmental Health News and The Daily Climate. Each Fellow will receive a $5,000 stipend for the year-long appointment.

Ag and Extension Education Honored

The Department of Agricultural and Extension Education was recently rated No. 7 among U.S. departments of its type. Ohio State University conducted the study, which relied on department heads' opinions of which programs were among the top 10 in the nation.

Xie Honored

Dr. Tao Xie has been awarded a prestigious Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award by the National Science Foundation, valued at $425,000. He becomes the 19th NSF CAREER Award winner for the Department of Computer Science at NC State.

Staff Senate Results

The Staff Senate election has been completed and the results are below. Congratulations to all incoming senators.

District 3

• Heath LaFevers - Senator
• Susan Lankford - Senator
• Para Tollison - Alternate

District 4

• Shane J. Jarvis

District 5

• Lynn Barbour - Senator
• Mark Roberts - Senator
• Judy Cook - Alternate

District 10A

• Jill Guzman - Senator
• Joan Lassiter - Senator
• Jennifer Larkin Rowley - Senator
• Edward Farmer - Alternate
• Julia Quick - Alternate
• Susan Vance - Alternate

District 10B

• Adrienne Allen - Senator
• Nikki Cofield - Senator
• Ricky Hilburn - Senator
• Luke Andrew Hunt - Alternate
• Akilah Nutter - Alternate
• Steve Ratzlaff - Alternate

District 11

• M. Ashley Chadwick - Senator
• Valerie Mirra - Senator
• Heather King - Alternate

District 12 & 13

• Patty Fields - Senator
• Dr. Bernice Campbell - Alternate

District 14A

• Judy Daniels - Senator
• Robert Davis - Senator
• Scott Enroughty - Senator
• Patricia Holoman - Senator
• Suzanne Hugus - Senator
• Claudia Mello - Senator
• Monica Watkins - Senator
• Meg Smigielska - Alternate

District 14B

• Chris Austin - Senator
• Susan Buckley - Alternate

District 15

• Lisa Fiedor - Senator
• Roger Sims - Alternate

District 16

• Tammy Cox - Senator
• Ryan Hancock - Senator
• Roger Winstead - Senator
• Alice Taylor - Alternate

District 17

• Darren Fallis - Senator
• Carrie Levow - Senator
• Gail Rankin - Senator