Faculty and Staff Notes

Education Appropriations Chair to Speak

State Rep. Rick Glazier, chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Education, will be the guest speaker at the next general faculty meeting at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 20, in the Talley Student Center ballroom.

Glazier, an employment and labor law attorney from Fayetteville, is serving a fourth term in the House, representing Cumberland County. He has taught criminal justice as an adjunct professor at NC State.

The Wildlife Society honored Dr. Robert Brown, dean of the College of Natural Resources, for research and service.

Wildlife Society Honors Brown

Dr. Robert D. Brown, dean of the College of Natural Resources, was recognized as a fellow of the Wildlife Society at the 2009 annual meeting in Monterey, Calif. The career award recognizes Brown’s contributions to science and to the organization.

Brown, dean since 2006, serves on the boards of the North Carolina Forestry Association and North Carolina Forestry Council. A past president of the Wildlife Society, he has served in a number of offices and chaired a successful $3 million fundraising campaign.

Brown’s research focused on the development of antler growth in deer as a model for osteoporosis in elderly humans and on comparative wildlife nutrition and physiology. He has published more than 120 articles and edited three books. His experience includes serving as a faculty member at Texas A&I in Kingsville, research scientist for the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, department head for wildlife and fisheries science at Mississippi State University, and wildlife and fisheries department head at Texas A&M University, where he also led a natural resources institute and gulf coast research unit.

Baugh to Direct Japan Center

Dr. John Baugh, professor of civil engineering and operations research, has been named director of the Japan Center at NC State. Baugh’s scientific and technical areas of interest overlap with issues of national importance to the country of Japan in areas such as computational and decision support for natural hazard mitigation and active seismic protection of building structures. He has traveled throughout Japan, visiting cities and remote areas.

Founded in July 1980 by Gov. James B. Hunt, the Japan Center strengthens the state’s academic, economic, scientific and cultural ties with Japan. It functions as a statewide resource, promoting business and trade with Japan, fostering academic collaboration and student exchange, and serving the general public by offering language classes for pre-college students and adults, hosting a variety of cultural events, and working with Japan-related community groups. The center, located in Spring Hill House on Centennial Campus, operates under the Office of International Affairs.

Wysk Named to Endowed Professorship

Dr. Richard A. Wysk has been named the Dopaco Inc. Distinguished Professor in the Edward P. Fitts Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering. Wysk, an expert in computer integrated manufacturing, will join the NC State faculty for the spring semester. He holds the Leonhard Chair in Engineering at Pennsylvania State University.

Wysk’s focus is on developing rapid manufacture processes for biomedical devices and a new generation of technologies designed to make medical implants antibacterial.

The Dopaco Distinguished Professorship is a new professorship established by Edward P. Fitts, chairman and CEO of Dopaco for 27 years and 1961 NC State industrial engineering graduate. His $10 million gift in 2005 to endow the industrial and systems engineering department remains the largest individual gift to the College of Engineering and the largest gift of endowment to support academics at the university.

Kuznetsov named ASME Fellow

Dr. Andrey V. Kuznetsov, professor of mechanical engineering, has been named a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).

ASME recognized Kuznetsov for the substantial impact of his research and for extending mechanical engineering to interdisciplinary domains, along with for his extensive publication record and  involvement in ASME activities. His research interests include transport in porous media, nanofluids biological mass transfer and filtration.

Engineering Faculty Recognized

The American Nuclear Society honored two engineering faculty members.

Dr. Paul J. Turinsky, professor of nuclear engineering, received the ANS Presidential Citation. He was honored for his five years of service as commissioner on the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET Inc.

Dr. Robin P. Gardner, professor of nuclear and chemical engineering, received the 2009 Arthur Holly Compton Award for contributions to education in nuclear science and engineering. Gardner directs the Center for Engineering Applications of Radioisotopes and is an alumni distinguished graduate professor.

Rojas Named Finland Distinguished Professor

Dr. Orlando J. Rojas, associate professor of wood and paper science, has been named a Finland Distinguished Professor by the Academy of Finland and Tekes, a Finnish funding agency for technology and innovation.

The academy supports research institutes and international cooperation. Rojas' Finnish host for the five-year appointment will be Professor Janne Laine, a faculty member in chemistry and materials sciences at the Helsinki University of Technology.

Rojas maintains active research collaborations worldwide and is the current program chair of the Cellulose and Renewable Materials Division of the American Chemical Society. His current research focuses on interfacial and colloid science in new applications for lignocellulose-based materials. Before joining NC State, he was professor of chemical engineering and senior researcher in surface chemistry in Sweden from 2001 to 2003.

Smith Elected Chairman

Clarence L. Smith, assistant head and alumni distinguished undergraduate professor of the Edward P. Fitts Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, was elected to a one-year term as chairman of the North Carolina State Board of Refrigeration Examiners. The board is responsible for licensing, oversight and discipline of refrigeration contractors and transport refrigeration contractors.

Smith serves as a representative of an engineering school in the UNC system. He previously served from 1987 to 1999, including a term as chairman in 1996. His current appointment runs through the end of 2010. 

Seasonal Flu Shots Available

Need a seasonal flu shot? There’s a clinic on campus tomorrow from 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Administrative Services III building, training room 124. Seasonal flu shots are free for members of the State Health Plan. Bring your insurance card.

Busy tomorrow? The last scheduled round of seasonal flu shots will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 12, in the Talley Student Center ballroom. You can register online for either session.

Bowers Medal Nominations Open

Arts NC State is accepting nominations for the Bowers Medal of Arts, which recognizes contributions to the arts at the university and in the larger community. The award is named for Henry Bowers, who championed the visual and performing arts as director of the University Student Center.

Nomination letters will be accepted through the month of November. The medal will be presented during the 13th annual gala on May 8, 2010. For past recipients and nomination guidelines, visit the Bowers Medal of Arts page or contact or contact Amy FitzGerald, director of arts development, at 513-3802 or amy_fitzgerald@ncsu.edu.

Join a Campus Sustainability Working Group

The Campus Environmental Sustainability Team (CEST) invites faculty, staff and students to help plan NC State's sustainable future and reduce our carbon footprint by joining a working group.

CEST will develop two documents in the coming year: a strategic plan for campus sustainability and a climate action plan to reduce campus greenhouse gas emissions. Working group members are needed in the following areas:

• Academics and research
• Buildings
• Energy and water
• Land use
• Materials and purchasing
• Transportation
• Waste reduction and recycling

To join a working group, contact Tracy Dixon, director of the University Sustainability Office, at 513-0211 or tracy_dixon@ncsu.edu.