Faculty and Staff Notes

Dr. Robert Beichner, a physics professor known for innovative teaching, has been named North Carolina Professor of the Year.

Beichner Named Prof of the Year

Physics professor Robert Beichner has been named North Carolina Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. Beichner has long been regarded as an expert not only in his field, but also as a teacher and a mentor with an ability to influence the lives and careers of his students and colleagues on campus.

His innovative work with SCALE-UP has caught on around the country, with more than 100 schools, including MIT, Clemson, and the University of Alabama, investing in similar programs. The project borrows methodology and teaching techniques proven to be successful in small class settings, such as hands-on activities, simulations and roundtable discussions, and adapts them for use in larger classrooms.

Beichner was named 2009-10 Outstanding Undergraduate Science Teacher by the Society for College Science Teachers and the National Science Teachers Association on Oct. 15, largely for his work in developing SCALE-UP, which stands for Student-Centered Active Learning Environment for Undergraduate Programs. Read a feature article about Beichner here.

Potts Honored with Servant Leader Award

Lt. Rick Potts with Campus Police received the Servant Leader Award from the Department of Greek Life. Potts was recognized for building partnerships with fraternities and sororities.

Peter Barnes, president of Sigma Pi fraternity, said that Potts took time to get to know the community, set the boundaries and educate fraternity and sorority members on managing the risks of their actions through the Responsible Behavior program. Potts’ efforts to increase positive interaction between the Greek organizations and the police have made him the first person to call if something starts to go wrong, Barnes said. Before joining Campus Police, Potts served in the U.S. Marines and with the New Jersey State Police.

Team Wins Again for Food Processing Technology

Faculty members and graduate students in the Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences have been honored a second time for developing a food processing technology. The team won a 2009 Superior Efforts in Technology Transfer Award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) for a novel continuous flow microwave heating process to produce large containers of aseptic, shelf-stable vegetable and fruit purees. Yamco of Snow Hill, N.C., uses the process for sweet potato puree. Earlier this year, the Institute of Food Technologists honored the team with an Industrial Achievement Award.

Team members are Dr. Van-Den Truong, associate professor and ARS research food technologist; Dr. Josip Simunovic, research associate professor; Dr. Ken Swartzel, William Neal Reynolds Professor and director of the Food Systems Leadership Institute; Dr. K.P. Sandeep, professor; Dr. Pablo Coronel, formerly a doctoral student in the department; Gary Cartwright, Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences pilot plant coordinator; Dr. Prabhat Kumar, formerly a doctoral student; Laurie Steed, doctoral student; and Dr. David Parrott of Industrial Microwave Systems of Morrisville, which was a partner in the project. 

Service Recognition Reception Nov. 24

NC State employees are invited to the 35th Annual Service Recognition Reception at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 24, in Stewart Theatre. Employees with 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 years of service will be recognized during an awards ceremony, which will be followed by a reception in the Talley Student Center Ballroom. Here is the full list of honorees.

Mobile Mammogram Unit on Campus

Friday is the deadline to register for a limited number of appointments with a  mobile mammography unit that will visit Centennial Campus next month. NC State employees, Centennial affiliates and their family members are eligible. Preregistration is required. The mobile coach will be parked on Main Campus Drive at Venture Courtyard on Monday, Dec. 7. Rex Hospital accepts all major medical plans and will handle the filing process. For more information or to register, contact Sue Cross at sue_cross@ncsu.edu or call 515-7036.

Faculty/Staff Ticket Discounts

Take advantage of reduced prices for men’s basketball tickets during Faculty/Staff Appreciation Days. Attend a nonconference game for $10 or an ACC contest for $15 on these home dates:

• Northwestern: 7 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 1
• Elon: 7 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 17
• Virginia Tech: 9 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 10
• Maryland: 9 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 17

Purchase tickets online at http://www.gopack.com/promo, using STAFF as the promotional code. Or avoid the service fee by paying in person with cash at the ticket office (university ID required). 

Shared Leave Requests

Leave donations will be accepted through Tuesday, Dec. 1, for the following individuals who have applied to receive shared leave:

• Shirley Avery, College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences
• Sharon Patton, Environmental Health and Safety
• Ivette Harnett, College of Veterinary Medicine

Those who wish to donate leave should complete Form SL-2, Authorization to Donate Leave. All donations must be from annual or bonus leave unless the donor is an immediate family member of the recipient. Donation forms must be completed and signed by the donor and department leave coordinator before being forwarded to Stacey Davis, HR Benefits, Box 7215. Questions? Contact the leave administration unit at 515-2151.

W-2 Smackdown Standings Updated

You can help NC State make tax time greener. To save paper and time, sign up for an electronic W-2 earnings form. In response to security concerns from employees, now only the last four digits of your social security number are required. And yes, the IRS will accept a copy of the form from your home printer.

To see where your unit ranks in the standings, visit the payroll page. Each Friday through Dec. 18, payroll will update the standings. Units with the highest percentages will be recognized. Questions? Send an e-mail to hr_payroll@ncsu.edu or call Joanie Aitken at 513-3548.

In Memoriam

Dr. Paul Bredenberg

An informal gathering for family, friends, and acquaintances of Dr. Paul Bredenberg, professor emeritus of philosophy, will be held today from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Whitaker Glen Building B Atrium at 501 E. Whitaker Mill Rd. in Raleigh.

Bredenberg died Sunday, Nov. 15, at  86. He had lived in Raleigh since 1950, where he raised a family, taught philosophy for 36 years and spearheaded a youth tennis program that fostered an entire generation of Raleigh tennis players. He was known as a champion of civil rights in North Carolina, helping found a chapter of the American Civil Liberties Association in Wake County and serving several terms as its president.

During World War II, Bredenberg served as an ensign in the U.S. Navy on a destroyer in the South Pacific. At war’s end, he met his wife-to-be, Gladys Ellis, in Charleston, S.C., where he was stationed.

He completed a bachelor’s degree in philosophy at the University of Pennsylvania, skipping his graduation ceremony to get married. After earning a Ph.D. in philosophy from Yale, in 1950 he accepted an appointment at NC State, where he remained a faculty member until retirement in 1986. He studied poetry at Stanford on a Ford Foundation fellowship and obtained a Rockefeller Foundation grant for summer study at Harvard. He chaired the Committee on Academic Freedom of the American Association of University Professors.

He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Gladys; his brother, Willard; sons Alfred and Jeffrey, and six grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to ACLU Wake County Chapter or Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Raleigh.

Dr. Robert Hambourger

Dr. Robert Hambourger, who retired this spring from the Department of Philosophy and Religion, died Sunday, Nov. 15. He was 65.

Hambourger was a faculty member for 27 years. He joined the department in 1982, following 13 years on the philosophy faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and three years at Northwestern.

Over the years, he  taught more than 7,700 NC State students in 129 course sections. A longtime champion of general education, he was known as a man of compassion who was always ready to support struggling students.

He published articles on the philosophy of mathematics, theory of knowledge and philosophy of religion. In addition, he has served on a number of important committees, including the NC State Council of Undergraduate Education and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences Curriculum Committee, which he chaired for three years. Prior to retirement, he gathered information for a history of the department.

He is survived by three children, Elizabeth, Michael  and Timothy; a brother, Paul; two grandchildren and his wife of 37 years, Linda, along with many other relatives, in-laws and friends. Visitation and funeral mass have taken place.