ask | Major Faculty and Student Honors
Major Faculty and Student Honors 2009-2010
Faculty
Dr. Rachel R. Reynolds, associate professor of communication, will be spending a 2010-2011 sabbatical year as a Fulbright scholar in Cameroon. While in the capital, Reynolds will be teaching graduate courses in discourse analysis and sociolinguistics at the University of Yaounde, and conducting research on language learning and migration in a society undergoing long-term brain drain.
Dr. Susan Kilham, professor of biology, was elected Chair of the Science and Technical Advisory Committee for the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary. This group of scientists from academia, government, NGOs and industry oversees and assesses the scientific work taking place in the Delaware Estuary region and reports regularly on the state of the estuary. Dr. James D. Herbert, professor of psychology and associate dean, was elected Fellow of the Institute for Science in Medicine. This prestigious body is a policy institute made up of leading scientists, physicians, and public health experts devoted to the application of science as the basis for healthcare.
Dr. Mimi Sheller, professor of sociology and director of the Center for Mobilities Research and Policy, was awarded a Penn Humanities Forum Regional Faculty Fellowship for 2010-2011. Sheller will be presenting her project on “Virtual Caribbeans: Inventing Island Edens, Economies, and Elsewheres.”
Dr. R. Andrew Hicks, professor of mathematics, was the recipient of the Drexel University Research Achievement Award, which recognizes one faculty member annually who exemplifies excellence in research and scholarship.
Susan Spaid, adjunct professor of philosophy, is a recipient of a 2010 National Endowment for the Arts Grant Award for a project proposed for the Abington Art Center in Jenkintown. Dr. Jeffery Twiss, professor and department head of biology, was invited to join the editorial board of the Molecular and Cellular Proteomics Journal.
Dr. John Kounios, professor of psychology, was elected Fellow by the Association for Psychological Science (APA). Fellow status is awarded to APS members who have made sustained outstanding contributions to the science of psychology.
CoAS Annual Faculty Awards
Dr. Julie Mostov, professor of political science, received the Bronze Award for the Association of Borderland Studies Book Award 2010 for her book, Soft Borders: Rethinking Sovereignty and Democracy.
Dr. David Ambrose, assistant professor of mathematics, and Dr. Mary Ebeling, assistant professor of sociology, were the recipients of the Antelo Devereux Award for Young Faculty. The awards will support the research projects of both faculty members: Ambrose will continue his work in theoretical fluid mechanics on the project, “Simulation and Mathematical Analysis of Water Waves,” while Ebeling will continue her fieldwork on nanomanufacturing and workforce development with her project, “Translational Machines: Nanobiotechnologies in Two Postindustrial Regions: Philadelphia and Milan.”
Dr. Donna Murasko, professor of biology and dean, was elected Fellow by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Murasko was elected for her distinguished contributions to molecular biology, particularly for her studies on influenza and the elderly, and for her contributions to education as dean.
Dr. Susan Stein, assistant professor of communication, was the recipient of the Teaching Excellence Award, which recognizes one faculty member annually who demonstrates excellence and innovation in teaching.
Dr. Erik P. Rau, assistant teaching professor of history, was appointed Vice Chairman of the Delaware Humanities Council. Rau helped secure and will oversee a $90,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to support state-wide programs exploring Delaware’s industrial heritage and legacy.
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Students
Gabriela Blanco, Ph.D. candidate in biology under Dr. James Spotila, received a research fellowship award from the Wildlife Conservation Society. Chris Coughenour, Ph.D. candidate in biology under Dr. Kenneth Lacovara, received the Geological Society of America research and travel award. The Drexel Chapter of the Sigma Pi Sigma National Physics Honor Society received its second consecutive national Chapter Project Award from the American Institute of Physics. These annual awards recognize chapter efforts to raise public awareness of the honor society, build Sigma Pi Sigma’s student/alumni community, and promote inter-chapter activities. The project was spearheaded by Jerome Mlack and Vede Ramdass, senior physics majors. The chapter is mentored by Dr. Roberto Ramos. The Drexel Chapter of the Society of Physics Students (SPS) received their fourth consecutive National Marsh White Outreach Award from the American Institute of Physics for their proposal, “Hollywood Physics: An Outreach Event.” The group visited local high school classes to view and critique Hollywood movie clips using physics principles, discussing the “good” and “bad” physics in each film. The project was led by undergraduates Wendy Harris, Amanda White, Nick Kruczek and Jerome Mlack. The SPS also received its second Undergraduate Research Award, for a proposal written by Kenneth Mui, Amanda White, Jerome Mlack and Sajjan Mehta. Dr. Roberto Ramos is the faculty advisor for the SPS.
Pubudu Galwaduge, senior physics major, won the Best Physics Poster Award at the 2010 March Meeting of the American Physical Society in Portland for his poster “Laser Induced Structural Modification in Single-layer and Bilayer Graphene.” The work was done under the direction of Dr. Roberto Ramos. Sarrina Shraga and Harrison Clark, seniors in chemistry, were awarded Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) fellowships from the NSF to work with Dr. Alan Bandy, R.S. Hanson Professor of Chemistry. Dan Tedesco, junior international area studies major, was selected from a competitive pool of nationwide applicants to be a Student Ambassador at the United States Pavilion of the Shanghai World Expo 2010. Tedesco has studied abroad at Peking University and is fluent in Mandarin Chinese. Paul Ullmann, Ph.D. candidate in biology under Dr. Kenneth Lacovara, received the Drexel Provost Fellowship, which is awarded annually to top graduate student recruits. Amanda White, junior in physics, and Daniel Verbaro, junior in the accelerated BS/MS program in biology & chemistry, achieved national distinction as the recipients of the prestigious Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship.