Inside Iowa State

Sept. 8, 2006

2006 Fall University

Convocation & Awards Ceremony

The faculty and staff recognized on these pages will be honored by the university community during Iowa State's fall convocation, "Pursuing Excellence," Monday, Sept. 11. The program begins at 3:15 p.m. in the Memorial Union Sun Room and the public is invited. Following remarks on the academic year ahead by President Gregory Geoffroy and the award presentations, refreshments will be served.

Distinguished Professor

The title of Distinguished Professor, first awarded in 1956, is the highest academic honor bestowed by Iowa State University. It recognizes a faculty member for exemplary performance in at least two of the following areas: teaching and advising; research, scholarship or artistic creativity; and extension, university service or professional practice. A $3,000 increment in base salary is granted, and the awardee retains the title the rest of his or her career at the university.

Distinguished Professor in Liberal Arts and Sciences

Paul Canfield, professor of physics and astronomy

Canfield has established a world-renowned crystal growth and characterization research laboratory and program. He is considered one of the world's leading synthetic materials physicists, with many pioneering contributions to the physics of new and exotic materials with electronic and magnetic phase transitions, including superconductors, heavy fermion compounds and spin glasses. He has published more than 500 research papers, and his work is highly cited in scientific literature. In addition, he has given more than 90 invited lectures on his work around the world. He is acclaimed as a classroom teacher and has won two university awards for exceptional mentoring of undergraduate students.

Charles F. Curtiss Distinguished Professor in Agriculture

Robert Horton Jr., professor of agronomy

Horton is recognized nationally and internationally as the world's foremost scientist on coupled heat mass transfer in soil. His fundamental work in this area has contributed significantly to the understanding of climatology, water quality and agricultural production, and has resulted in significant enhancements and improvements in ecosystem products and services, environmental investigations, and building heating and cooling systems. His extensive publication record includes nearly 150 refereed journal articles, a book on soil physics, 23 book chapters and 136 abstracts. He holds three patents, and he has presented more than 100 invited lectures and seminars, including 70 in other nations.

Anson Marston Distinguished Professor in Engineering

Vitalij Pecharsky, professor of materials science and engineering

Pecharsky has led a research effort that has taken magnetocaloric refrigeration from a laboratory curiosity to the threshold of global implementation. His research in this area and in crystallography and hydrogen storage has resulted in 25 grant-funded projects totaling more than $15 million since 2000, as well as 11 patents. He has published more than 250 refereed papers and authored the best-selling textbook on X-ray powder diffraction. His co-authorship, in 1997, of two seminal papers on the discovery of the giant magnetocaloric effect have been cited in more than 700 subsequent publications.

University Professor

The title of University Professor is bestowed on a senior faculty member who has had a significant impact on his or her department and the university in the areas of teaching, research and professional service. The awardee receives a base salary addition of $2,500 and retains the title for the remainder of his or her career at the university.

Steve Martin, professor of materials science and engineering

Martin has made significant contributions to all three areas of Iowa State's land-grant mission. His research on glasses has resulted in more than $9 million in grant funding, more than 130 refereed publications, two book chapters, 175 technical papers and presentations, an R&D 100 Award and several patents, including fiber-optic glasses for laser surgery that are widely used by physicians. His efforts to involve large numbers of high school and undergraduate students in his research group, with a special focus on women and underrepresented-groups of students, enhance the university's recruitment and retention efforts. And he has made a significant commitment to outreach, through leadership in professional activities and technology development for dozens of companies.

Mack Shelley II, professor of statistics, professor of educational leadership and policy studies, and professor of political science

Shelley is known throughout the university, the state and the nation for his collaborative, consultative work style and his extensive expertise in research design and data analysis, especially in the area of human development and education. He has served on more than 600 graduate student committees, including 75 that he has chaired or co-chaired. He is the author or co-author of nine books, 12 book chapters and nearly 200 journal articles, and he has made more than 225 presentations at scholarly and professional conferences. In addition, he has been involved in nearly 150 grant-funded research projects, many as principal investigator or co-principal investigator.

Lester Wilson, professor of food science and human nutrition

Wilson is a driving force in high-quality curriculum development and advising excellence, and a leading international researcher in the development of soy foods. His eight years as chair of the University Advising Committee resulted in increased collaboration among advisers university-wide and new professional development programs for advisers. He has made significant contributions to the Center for Crops Utilization Research and the former NASA Food Technology Commercial Space Center at Iowa State. He has an extensive record of publications and presentations on soy and other foods.

International Service Award

This award recognizes a faculty member for outstanding international service in teaching, research or administration, within the United States or abroad. A $2,500 grant for carrying out an internationally related activity is awarded.

Jay-lin Jane, professor of food science and human nutrition

Jane has devoted her career to improving starch structure, functionality and use. Her research has resulted in more than $6 million in grant funding, 120 scientific publications, 10 patents and 275 invited lectures and scientific presentations. Among her invited lectures are presentations and keynote addresses at 60 conferences in 20 other nations. She has trained 30 postdoctoral research associates and scientists from other nations, and has hosted 25 international students. She has worked with 80 international companies, including 30 based in other nations, and she has been a leader in developing international collaborations with China, Russia, Sweden, South Korea and Thailand for economic, cultural and scientific advancement.

Paul Shao, professor of architecture

Shao has had a profound impact on international relations between China and Iowa. Through his classes, student advising, many study-abroad programs and exchange trips, and international development initiatives, he has connected students, educators and leaders from both countries in cultural interactions, educational programs and business partnerships. Initiatives he has led include bringing the Chinese National Orchestra to Iowa and construction of the Robert D. Ray Asian Gardens in Des Moines. He is chairman and president of the Chinese Cultural Center of America, and past chairman of the Iowa Asian Alliance.

Louis Thompson Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award

This award recognizes an outstanding teacher who is dedicated to helping undergraduate students. Thompson, emeritus associate dean of Agriculture, established the award to support his belief that a strong undergraduate teaching program should be one of the primary goals of the university. A $1,500 award is granted.

Jean Parsons, associate professor of apparel, educational studies and hospitality management

Parsons is an inspirational and innovative teacher and scholar whose students consistently excel in national and international apparel design competitions (two have won top prizes in the most prestigious competitions in the field). She also is an award-winning designer, and she has made significant contributions to restructuring the textiles and clothing curriculum to emphasize creativity and critical thinking. She has developed numerous courses that respond to the changing needs of the apparel industry.

Michael Pate, professor of mechanical engineering

Pate is active in campus programs to improve learning, including the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching and Project LEA/RN, and is involved nationally in similar efforts. He consistently receives top evaluations by students who take his courses, including two elective courses he developed that are among the most popular courses in the department. He also is known for bringing his experiences from more than 50 grant-funded research projects on heat transfer and energy systems into his classes.

Margaret Ellen White Graduate Faculty Award

This award recognizes superior performance by a member of the graduate faculty who serves as a mentor and who enriches the student-professor relationship through support and attention to detail, enabling students to finish their work in a timely and scholarly manner. This award was established in 1985 by White to show her appreciation to graduate faculty for their guidance and encouragement of graduate students. A graduate of Iowa State's former College of Home Economics, White served as an administrative assistant in the Graduate College for 37 years. A $1,500 award is granted.

Kenneth Bryden, associate professor of mechanical engineering

Bryden has served as major professor for 27 graduate students in his eight years at Iowa State, including 19 who have graduated and five who will graduate in the next year. He also is a faculty mentor for doctoral students in the "Preparing Future Faculty" program, and is a research adviser and mentor for undergraduate minority students through the Minority Engineering Apprenticeship program. He is a member of Engineers Without Borders and president of Engineers in Technical Humanitarian Opportunity of Service, and he encourages his students to use their skills to help the less fortunate in the world. His research in complex systems has led to 35 grant-funded projects, nearly 150 publications, proceedings and invited presentations, and two patents.

Jill Pruetz, assistant professor of anthropology

Pruetz has two priorities for her graduate students: finish their degrees on a timely basis and have a challenging and rewarding educational experience. Her record shows that she is successful in both. She is involved in primate and tropical ecology studies across the globe, including Senegal, Costa Rica, Morocco, Nicaragua, Kenya and Peru, and involves her graduate students in her research in these countries. She is assistant director of the Association for the Conservation of the Tropics and a member of the advisory board of the Great Ape Trust of Iowa in Des Moines. She also excels as an educator, winning the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Master Teacher Award in 2004.

James Huntington Ellis Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Introductory Teaching

This award recognizes a faculty member who, in teaching introductory courses, demonstrates creativity in improving its quality, excites interest and involvement without compromising scholarship, and enhances student performance in future courses. Ellis, '28 industrial science, established this award to honor professors like his "who made their courses interesting." A $1,500 award is granted.

Alan Russell, professor of materials science and engineering

Russell has demonstrated superior performance in teaching introductory undergraduate engineering courses for nearly 30 years, reaching 2,500 students during this time. He is consistently rated as the top faculty member in the department in student evaluations, beginning with his earliest years of teaching freshman engineering and engineering fundamentals and multidisciplinary design. He is the senior author of a new textbook that is used for materials science and engineering majors who declare metals as their area of specialization. He also is widely published in metals research.

Iowa State University Award for Outstanding Achievement in Teaching

This award recognizes a tenured faculty member for outstanding teaching performance over an extended period of time. A $1,500 award is granted.

James Andrews, associate professor of history

Andrews is an award-winning faculty member and teacher whose student evaluations are consistently among the highest in the department. And among undergraduate and graduate students in the courses he teaches in his area of specialization -- Russian history -- they consistently are at or near perfection on the scale of 5.0. He is co-director of the graduate Ph.D. program and Center for Historical Studies of Technology and Science, and former director of Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies in the history department. He has supervised 20 graduate students in his eight years at Iowa State, and his scholarly contributions include two books, seven articles, 51 papers and several book contributions and reviews.

Iowa State University Award for Early Achievement in Teaching

This award recognizes a tenured or tenure-track faculty member who has demonstrated outstanding teaching performance unusually early in his or her career. A $1,500 award is granted.

Amy Kaleita-Forbes, assistant professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering

Kaleita-Forbes has been described as a "manager of learning." She guides students to seek knowledge and helps them apply the knowledge they have gained to solve real problems. She also is an active mentor in the department of agricultural and biosystems engineering (ABE) and the colleges of Agriculture and Engineering. She is the founder of AlumNet, a national electronic mentoring program through Tau Beta Pi engineering honor society and is adviser to the American Society of ABE student club which has received national honors. She encourages young women to pursue careers in science and technology and is active in the Taking the Road Less Traveled program.

Monica Lamm, assistant professor of chemical and biological engineering

Lamm has distinguished herself as a teacher, displaying genuine desire to help students succeed, trying new approaches as well as embracing proven techniques, and using a creative approach to student assignments. She teaches introductory through graduate-level courses and receives consistently high evaluations from students at all levels. She has been an instructor for several campus programs that encourage young men and women to pursue careers in engineering. She is active with the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and American Chemical Society and has chaired numerous national conference sessions for those organizations.

Laura Mielke, assistant professor of English

Mielke is regarded by students and colleagues as a knowledgeable scholar of American literature whose passion for literature, teaching and learning are evident in all of her classes and educational activities. She uses innovative and flexible teaching methods to make learning rigorous, challenging and enjoyable. She is supportive, approachable and organized, and students consider her a model for their own development as teachers. She teaches all levels of courses for the English department, and consistently receives high evaluations from students. She was a teaching fellow at the University of North Carolina for three years and has received several awards for her graduate work and teaching.

Iowa State University Award for Outstanding Achievement in Research

This award recognizes a faculty member who has a national or international reputation for contributions in research, and who has influenced the research activities of students. A $1,500 award is granted.

Lynn Clark, professor of ecology, evolution and organismal biology

Clark is known throughout the world as the top expert in New World bamboos. She has collected and named more than 75 new bamboo species from North, Central and South America, and has obtained more than $1 million to support her research. Her publications include 60 articles in reviewed journals and three books authored or co-authored. One of her books has been described as a "modern classic" by peers, and one of her articles resulted in a redirection of all subsequent work on the phylogeny of the grass family. She has made nearly 80 presentations at conferences and seminars throughout the Americas, Europe and Pacific Rim. She also is director of Iowa State's Ada Hayden Herbarium.

M. Ali Tabatabai, professor of agronomy

Tabatabai leads a world-class research program aimed at improving the understanding of chemical and biochemical reactions and processes in soils. In his 40-year career at Iowa State, he has produced more than 300 publications, including 185 in refereed journals, 40 chapters in scientific monographs, 92 abstracts and proceedings, 17 book reviews; edited four books; been an invited lecturer for more than 30 conferences and symposia around the world; and supervised 38 graduate students. He has held leadership positions in the American Society of Agronomy and the Soil Science Society of America, and is a fellow of those two organizations as well as the American Association for the Advancement of Science and American Institute of Chemists.

Iowa State University Award for Mid-Career Achievement in Research

This award recognizes a faculty member who has demonstrated exemplary research performance or scholarship accomplishments as documented by peers and experts in the field. A $1,500 award is granted.

Srinivas Aluru, professor of electrical and computer engineering

Aluru is internationally recognized for his research in high-performance parallel computing, bioinformatics and computational biology, scientific computing and applied algorithms, and his use of these technologies to answer highly complex and large-scale questions at the frontiers of science and engineering. He led the multidisciplinary effort to acquire an IBM BlueGene/L, one of the fastest supercomputers in the world, to support research in bioinformatics and genome mapping. He is considered a superb teacher and mentor to students, and among his many awards is a National Science Foundation CAREER Award.

Iowa State University Award for Early Achievement in Research

This award recognizes a faculty member who has demonstrated outstanding accomplishments unusually early in his or her professional career. A $1,500 award is granted.

Panteleimon (Paddy) Ekkekakis, associate professor of health and human performance

Since he arrived at Iowa State in 2000, Ekkekakis' development of a dual-mode theory (incorporating cognitive and peripheral physiological factors in the genesis of affective responses) has made him one of the top exercise physiologists in the nation. He has published 27 refereed journal articles (15 of which are first-authored), eight book chapters and co-edited one book. Citations of his work have appeared in every textbook on exercise and sport psychology published since 2000. He received the prestigious Biddle Young Scholar Award from the European Federation of Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity and was elected a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine.

Iowa State University Award for Early Achievement in Extension or Professional Practice

This award recognizes a faculty or staff member who has demonstrated outstanding accomplishments in extension or professional practice unusually early in his or her career. A $1,500 grant is awarded.

Ruth Litchfield, assistant professor of food science and human nutrition and state nutrition extension specialist

Litchfield has made significant contributions to Iowa State's well recognized extension food and nutrition programs, including Team Nutrition, Lighten Up Iowa and Fitness Craze. She has provided tools for Iowans to learn the new MyPyramid food guidance and food portion size control. She is co-chair of the Iowa Partners: Action for Healthy Kids program, and has established wellness programs for school districts and training school employees through the Iowa Communications Network. She has made nearly 40 presentations to state, regional and national conferences, and is the author of 11 refereed publications and 38 extension publications.

Iowa State University Award for Outstanding Achievement in Extension or Professional Practice

This award recognizes a faculty or staff member who has demonstrated outstanding performance in statewide leadership in extension or professional practice and achieved national recognition for outreach activities. A $1,500 award is granted.

Joseph Cordray, professor of animal science and extension meat specialist

Cordray has been making significant contributions to meat science and the meat industry for more than 30 years. He has been the leader of Iowa State's meat science extension program since 1995, leading the program to national and international prominence. In 2004, Meat and Poultry Magazine ranked Iowa State's meat science extension program No. 1 in the nation. He has developed several courses for meat processors in the United States and abroad, and he has given more than 100 presentations at courses in 22 states and six other nations. He has partnered with several industry groups and businesses to provide programming, and he has obtained more than $1.2 million in grants.

Iowa State University Award for Distinguished Service in Extension

This award is the highest career award bestowed on an extension professional. It recognizes sustained distinguished performance and educational contributions to Iowa State's clientele through extension programs. A $1,500 award is granted.

Susan Klein, nutrition and health field specialist - Central Iowa

Klein has devoted 25 years to helping Iowans live healthier lives. She is an outstanding leader and promoter of healthier lifestyles, not only in central Iowa but throughout Iowa and the nation. She is able to identify external funding sources to support local programs, such as obtaining nearly $900,000 from the Polk County Board of Supervisors for the Des Moines Area Religious Council's 11 food pantries, for which she serves as nutrition counselor. She served on the Iowa Department of Public Health's Preventative Health Care Advisory Committee, is a reviewer for the publication Food Protection Trends, and chairs the Healthy Iowans 2010 nutrition division.

Iowa State University R. K. Bliss Extension Award

This award recognizes outstanding achievement of an ISU Extension staff member for developing an overall or continuing extension education program. The award was established in 1971 by donations from the family and friends of Mr. Bliss, director of extension from 1912 to 1946. A $500 award is granted.

Barbara Anderson, nutrition and health field specialist - Southeast Iowa

Anderson's work in food safety, nutrition and health, childhood obesity prevention and training for employers and employees in the food service and meat processing industries has had a significant impact on the economy of Iowa and the well-being of Iowa's communities and families. One of her most successful efforts was developing a food safety training program for employees at Mount Pleasant Foods. She obtained a $600,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to develop a model training project for meat processing plants and employees throughout the United States.

Gregory Brenneman, extension agricultural engineering field specialist - Southeast Iowa

Brenneman is widely known and respected by his clients and colleagues for his breadth of knowledge and dedication to helping others. He has provided innovative educational programs in soil conservation practices, water quality, waste management and treatment, grain handling systems, drainage, CRP land management and building ventilation design. He has the ability to address complex concepts in ways that are easily understood, and his clients especially appreciate his relaxed and practical teaching style. He also is active in his community of Swisher, serving five years on the city council and as mayor in 1997.

Iowa State University Award for Departmental Leadership

This award recognizes outstanding departmental leadership that helps faculty members meet their complex obligations to undergraduate teaching, graduate mentoring, research and service. A $1,500 award is granted.

Dawn Bratsch-Prince, professor and chair, department of world languages and cultures

Bratsch-Prince has demonstrated a commitment to advancing the careers of faculty members at all levels and to quality educational programs for students in her department. She maintains an "open door" policy, promoting collegial atmosphere, and she has worked with the faculty to reorganize the department's curriculum to meet changing student interests and professional needs, such as through the Languages and Cultures in the Professions initiative. She continues an active scholarship program in medieval literature, including two books published and one forthcoming, and several grant-funded projects and educational collaborations.

Iowa State University Alumni Association Award for Superior Service to Alumni

This award recognizes an Iowa State faculty or staff member who has demonstrated a commitment to establishing or furthering alumni relationships with the university. A $500 award is granted.

Carl Jacobson, professor and chair, department of geological and atmospheric sciences

Jacobson heads one of the university's most successful academic department alumni relations programs. Activities include campus reunions for department alumni every two years, alumni meetings in major cities, meetings for meteorology alumni in conjunction with an annual National Weather Service conference in Des Moines, and alumni involvement in the department's geology field camp in Shell, Wyo., each summer. In 2003, he organized a special reunion at the camp and more than 100 alumni participated. He also arranges for alumni to return to campus as guest speakers in class.

Iowa State University Award for Excellence in Academic Advising

This award recognizes outstanding performance by an academic adviser over an extended period of time. A $1,500 award is granted.

C. Lee Burras, associate professor and Pioneer Hi-Bred Professor of Agronomy

Burras is in high demand by students. So many students in agronomy and environmental science ask him to be their adviser that his advising load typically is 50 to 100 percent higher than average. He has been adviser to the Agriculture Student Council, Soil and Water Conservation Club and Agronomy Club, and he has been adviser to the agronomy freshman learning community and College of Agriculture learning community. In addition, he has developed and taught many of the courses in the environmental science major. Students express their appreciation by giving him their highest marks as an adviser and instructor.

Howard Tyler, associate professor of animal science

Tyler helps students plan academic careers that meet the rigorous standards they will need in the animal science industry and profession. He advises nearly 50 students per semester and has served as adviser to several student clubs and organizations at Iowa State, regionally and nationally. His highest praise comes from graduating seniors, who rank him among the top faculty members in the department in all areas of teaching and advising. He is active in the Program for Women in Science and Engineering, College of Agriculture Minority Internship Program and Freshman Honors Mentorship Program, and he received the honors program's Award for Excellence in Mentoring and Advising in 2005.

Professional and Scientific Excellence Award

This award recognizes contributions made by a professional and scientific staff member within and beyond the university, and career progress demonstrated by accomplishments at Iowa State. A $1,500 award is granted.

Catherine Brown, campus planner, facilities planning and management

Brown has a distinguished career of serving the university, her profession and her community. As a campus planner, she develops capital projects from the beginning to their completion as a part of the culture and heritage of the institution. A licensed landscape architect, she is active in the Council of Landscape Architects Registration Board, Iowa Board of Landscape Architect Examiners and Association for Higher Education Facilities Officers. She also is a member of the State Capitol Planning Commission and has served on several city and county commissions and boards.

H. Mark Hanna, scientist, department of agricultural and biosystems engineering

Hanna is an outstanding educator and researcher whose 30 years of outreach and applied research efforts with agricultural machinery systems have had a significant impact on protecting Iowa's soil and water resources. "Impellicone," a patented self-powered flow dividing manifold resulting from research by Hanna and his associates, won an AE 50 Award from the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers as one of the top 50 new agricultural products of the year. This year, it earned the society's prestigious Engineering Concept of the Year Award. He is the author or co-author of nearly 70 journal articles and 50 extension publications.

Lisa Orgler, assistant director of planning and programs, Reiman Gardens

Orgler's contributions to the campus and Reiman Gardens have brought recognition for landscape excellence to the university. She combines her love of plants and her skill as a designer to create landscapes that allow people to interact with nature. Her current work integrating Reiman Gardens' theme years into its educational programming in horticulture and entomology has earned the admiration of peers at other botanical and educational gardens throughout the nation and abroad. She has served as an adjunct instructor in landscape architecture and for the University Honors Program. She is the author of several articles and publications on garden and landscape design.

Professional and Scientific Outstanding New Professional Award

This award recognizes a professional and scientific staff member who has demonstrated outstanding accomplishments unusually early in his or her professional career at Iowa State. A $1,500 award is granted.

Nathan Brockman, butterfly wing curator, Reiman Gardens

Brockman has played an integral role in the development of the Reiman Gardens, from streamlining the butterfly rearing process, to cutting costs while maintaining the quality, to creating innovative research and educational programs. In his four years with Reiman Gardens, his innovative program ideas have included the Adopt a Butterfly online game, a Halloween Fear Factor program and night viewings of butterflies. He has led programs involving his own hobbies of origami, kite flying and the importance of insects.

Benjamin Chamberlain, academic adviser, College of Business

Chamberlain has taken a lead role in the development of the College of Business Learning Teams program, providing organization and support for the faculty who direct the teams. He also supports the student Business Week Committee. He is the first graduate of the graduate certification program of the National Academic Advising Association, and he serves as chair of the NACADA membership committee, chair of the regional conference to be held in 2008 at Iowa State, and editor for a NACADA publication for new advising professionals. He has presented at three national NACADA conferences.

Clyciane Michelini, laboratories manager, Center for Technology in Learning and Teaching, department of curriculum and instruction

Michelini's abilities and expertise have been instrumental in advancing the distance education programs in the department, and in the development of the technology skills of its faculty, staff and students. She has redesigned computer laboratories and other learning spaces for improved efficiency, and she leads and assists faculty in developing WebCT courses. She was the project manager for a $1.4 million U.S. Department of Education-funded mentoring project, has made nearly 10 presentations at professional conferences and is co-author of three publications.

Carroll Ringgenberg Award

This award recognizes a professional and scientific staff member who has been employed by the university for at least 10 years and has demonstrated constant and contagious dedication and good will for Iowa State. The award was established in 1995 by colleagues of the late Mr. Ringgenberg to honor his 40 years of service in Iowa State's purchasing and facilities divisions. A $1,500 award is granted.

Pamela Williams, program coordinator in human resources, University Library

Williams has dedicated herself to making Iowa State a welcoming and supportive place for students, faculty and staff to work and learn. In her 33 years with the library, she has initiated and led numerous professional development training programs to broaden perspectives, improve morale and increase leadership and customer service skills among library staff. She has led improvements in accessibility, sensitivity awareness and diversity for the library, and she is active in university-wide efforts to enhance accessibility and diversity. She founded the Iowa Library Association's support personnel division, serving as chair and in several other leadership roles.

Regents Award for Faculty Excellence

This award recognizes a faculty member who is an outstanding university citizen and who has rendered significant service to Iowa State University and/or the state of Iowa. The Board of Regents, State of Iowa, hosts a dinner for recipients from all of the regents institutions. A $1,000 award is granted.

Frederick (Rick) Dark, associate professor of finance

Dark has spent 20 years serving students and the university with distinction. His research on corporate finance, capital markets, investment banking and organizational structure and franchising has resulted in more than 40 publications and competitive presentations, including one that received the Journal of Financial Economics All Star Paper Award in 2002. His record of service to the university and the College of Business includes the Faculty Senate for 11 years, Athletic Council for six years, University Budget Model Development Committee and faculty mentor for the University Honors Program since 1988. He is a popular teacher and adviser.

Mark Gleason, professor of plant pathology

Gleason's research, teaching and extension activities in integrated pest management have strengthened Iowa's fruit, vegetable, turfgrass and shade tree industries. His research has also contributed to epidemiology and disease ecology, and resulted in more than $5 million in grant funding, 55 refereed journal articles, seven book chapters and more than 200 other articles, proceedings, abstracts and publications. He has developed several new courses, supervised 30 graduate students and presented hundreds of lectures, workshops and conference programs.

D. L. (Hank) Harris, professor of animal science and professor of veterinary diagnostic and production animal medicine

Harris is one of the world's leading authorities on infectious diseases of swine and related pathogens in humans. In 1982, he founded NOBL Laboratories, one of Iowa State's most successful start-up companies. His research has produced many significant breakthroughs in swine diseases, including dysentery, rhinitis, pseudorabies and porcine reproductive respiratory syndrome. He has several patents, more than $3 million in external funding and nearly 150 articles and book chapters. In 2005, he was named one of the top 50 contributors to swine production by National Hog Farmer magazine.

Brenda Jones, associate professor of art and design

Jones has enriched the campus and community with her gifts of teaching, artistry and leadership. Her paintings and artistic creations grace many parts of the campus, as well as several other buildings, museums and private collections, and she has created the artwork for all eight years of Iowa State's Conferences on Race and Ethnicity. She was a keynote speaker at the 2006 conference. She is coordinator of the College of Design's Rome Program, and her knowledge of Italian Renaissance art has enhanced students' educational experiences.

Barbara Licklider, professor of educational leadership and policy studies

Licklider has made many contributions to the university and the broader community, but she is best known for her 10 years of development and leadership for Project LEA/RN (Learning Enhancement Action/Resource Network), the university's program to expand active learning. It has grown from 18 faculty members at Iowa State to more than 1,200 educators across several states. She also served as the university's faculty athletics representative and on more than 25 university committees, and on 10 Big 12 Conference committees.

Basil Nikolau, professor of biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology

Nikolau has been one of the leaders in Iowa State's emergence as a national and international center of excellence in metabolic biology. In his own research and as director of the Center for Designer Crops and the W. M. Keck Metabolomics Research Laboratory, he brings together teams of talented faculty in different disciplines to address complex issues in plant biology. His work has generated nearly $19 million in grant funding, 58 refereed journal articles and 14 invited presentations. He was a board member and organizer of three International Plant Metabolomics Congress meetings, including the 2004 congress held at Iowa State.

Regents Award for Staff Excellence

This award recognizes a member of the professional and scientific staff or the supervisory and confidential staff who is an outstanding university citizen and has rendered significant service to the university and/or the state of Iowa. The Board of Regents, State of Iowa, hosts a dinner for recipients from all of the regents institutions. A $1,000 award is granted.

Dianne Anderson, assistant director and proposal development coordinator, Center for Survey Statistics and Methodology

Anderson has provided high-quality support for survey research for 24 years. She has been instrumental in ensuring that the center's research surveys adhere to the highest standards of quality and ethics during a time of significant expansion of the center's services, and has directed more than 110 survey research collaborations and technical reports. She frequently contributes to survey and statistics classes at Iowa State and to professional conferences as a guest lecturer.

Peggy Best, office coordinator, parking division, department of public safety

Best has outstanding office, organizational and people skills, all of which proved valuable when she joined the parking division in 1998 to help lead a reorganization of the division. These skills also are critical in dealing with the challenges faced in managing 120 parking lots and structures and thousands of permits. An ISU employee since 1984, she is active in the Supervisory/Confidential Council, serving as co-chair since 2003. She is a member of the Midwest Campus Parking Association, serving on the executive board, and as vice president in 2003 and president in 2004.

Jack Gallup, assistant scientist, department of veterinary pathology

Gallup is the author or co-author of grant proposals for $3.5 million to support research in cellular immune response to respiratory infections of cattle and sheep. He also has made valuable contributions to that research, which has led to animal models of infection for viral infections affecting preterm human infants. He has produced nearly 30 publications and papers, and has helped many doctoral undergraduate and veterinary medicine students complete their research programs. He also is co-developer of a laser capture kit for microdissected cell samples.

Doug Gruenewald, co-director of learning communities, Office of Vice President for Student Affairs

Gruenewald has played a major role in the success of the learning communities program and the significant improvement in retention rates of Iowa State students. He has been instrumental in building the partnerships between academic units and Student Affairs divisions that form the foundation of the now 57 learning communities serving more than 2,400 students. He has made numerous presentations on learning communities to national and international conferences. He also teaches graduate courses in higher education.

Cynthia Jenks, scientist, materials chemistry and biomolecular materials program, Ames Laboratory

Jenks' contributions to research in quasicrystals have enhanced the university's profile in the scientific community and its reputation as the international leader in quasicrystal research. She collaborates with scientists around the world. One of her research projects revealed important aspects of the surface reactivity of quasicrystals, leading to one of her more than 85 scientific articles. She also has made more than 60 invited presentations and co-chaired the Ninth International Conference on Quasicrystals held at Iowa State in 2005.

Cleve Redmond, scientist and associate director, Partnerships in Prevention Science Institute

Redmond has been instrumental in the institute's success in addressing substance abuse among young people. He has played a lead role in obtaining more than $51 million in external funding for the institute since 1991 and is co-principal investigator on three large-scale research projects funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. His research has led to 26 refereed journal articles and manuscripts.

Named Professorships & Chairs

Chairs, professorships and other endowed faculty positions, created through the generosity of philanthropists, enable the university to recruit, retain and recognize outstanding faculty members. The earnings from the endowments also provide support for their scholarly work. These appointments to endowed positions were made in the 2005-06 academic year:

Litton Industries Professorship

Aleksandar Dogandzic, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering

Martin C. Jischke Professorship in Aerospace Engineering

Paul Durbin, professor of aerospace engineering

Alan and Julie Renken Professorship in Materials Science and Engineering

Brian Gleeson, professor of materials science and engineering

Frances M. Craig Chair

Mark Gordon, Distinguished Professor in LAS and professor of chemistry

Laurence H. Baker Chair in Biological Statistics

Karen Kafadar, professor of statistics

W. E. Lloyd Professorship

Anumantha Kanthasamy, professor of biomedical sciences

Palmer Chair

Chen-Ching Liu, professor of electrical and computer engineering

Leonard Dolezal Professorship in Agricultural Law

Roger McEowen, associate professor of agricultural education and studies

Max S. Wortman Jr. Professorship

Paula Morrow, University Professor of management

Helen LeBaron Hilton Chair

Michael Morris, visiting professor in apparel, educational studies and hospitality management

Roger P. Murphy Professorship in Accounting

Susan Ravenscroft, professor of accounting

Scott and Nancy Armbrust Professorship in Veterinary Medicine

James West, clinician, department of veterinary diagnostic and production animal medicine

Marlin Cole Professorship in International Agricultural Economics

Robert Wisner, University Professor of economics