Pell Will Receive Faculty's Highest Honor

Sen. Claiborne Pell, the longest-serving U.S. senator in Rhode Island history, will accept the Susan Colver Rosenberger Medal during Commencement exercises on Sunday, May 28. The award, the highest honor the Brown faculty can bestow, is voted by the University faculty in executive session.

Robert Pelcovits, professor of physics and chair of the Faculty Executive Committee, called the senator "a man whose great vision and legislative skill broke new ground in many areas of public policy, particularly in the arts and in higher education. One measure of Senator Pell's accomplishments during his decades of public service is that many members of the Brown faculty who now present this award - as well as many of this year's graduates and their parents - were eligible for the educational grants that now bear the senator's name."

A Democrat from Newport, R.I., Pell served in the U.S. Senate from 1961-1997. He was chairman of the Committee for Foreign Relations; chairman of the Subcommittee on Education, Arts and Humanities; member of the Committee on Labor and Human Resources; chairman of the Committee on Rules and Administrations; member of the Democratic Policy Committee; and served on the Executive Committee of the Environmental and Energy Study conference.

During his political career, Pell took a leading role in eliminating financial barriers to higher education. He authored legislation that created the Basic Educational Opportunity Grants, which Congress named Pell Grants in 1980. He was also the principal sponsor of a 1965 law establishing the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

The Rosenberger Medal is awarded through the Susan Colver Rosenberger Fund, established by Jesse L. Rosenberger in 1919 as a memorial to his wife, the daughter of Charles K. Colver, Class of 1842. His gift provided that from time to time a medal should be awarded for what was termed "specially notable or beneficial achievement."

University Announces New Provost, VP-Research

Professor David I. Kertzer will become the University's 10th provost, and Dean of Engineering Clyde L. Briant will become the new vice president for research, both on July 1. President Ruth J. Simmons announced the appointments on May 8.

Kertzer succeeds Robert J. Zimmer, who has been named president of the University of Chicago.

The provost is the University's chief academic officer, second in rank to the president, and serves as deputy to the president in a range of University matters. When the president is away from campus, the provost is the officer in charge.

Kertzer joined the Brown faculty in 1992 as the Paul Dupee Jr. University Professor of Social Science. He is professor of anthropology and Italian studies and serves as chair of the Department of Anthropology. He developed and now directs the Anthropological Demography program and was founding director of the Politics, Culture, and Identity research program of the Watson Institute for International Studies.

Briant, the Otis E. Randall University Professor, succeeds Professor Andries van Dam, who is returning to teaching and research.

The vice president for research has senior responsibility for all aspects of research at Brown. Briant will work closely with faculty and the academic administration to foster internal and external academic centers, groupings and relationships which will enhance and extend the University's research efforts. He will oversee the University's intellectual property policies, its efforts to identify transferable intellectual property, and its Office of Sponsored Projects. The vice president for research is also a strong advocate for the University's research community on and off campus.

Before joining the Brown faculty in 1994, Briant worked at the GE Research and Development Center. His primary research interest has been in the area of structural materials.

Geologist James W. Head III, playwright Paula Vogel, and poet Rosmarie Waldrop recently were elected fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAAS).

The honorary society includes the world's leading thinkers in scholarship and science, public affairs and business, and the arts and humanities. It selects its members through a highly competitive process that recognizes individuals who have made preeminent contributions to their disciplines and to society at large.

Head is a professor of geological sciences and the Louis and Elizabeth Scherck Distinguished Professor of Geological Sciences at Brown. His work is instrumental in the transformation of planets from astronomical objects to geological objects and in documentation and understanding of planetary volcanism, tectonism, climate change, and the role of those forces in planetary history.

Vogel is a professor of English in the Literary Arts Program and the Adele Kellenberg Seaver '49 Professor of Creative Writing. Her play How I Learned to Drive won the 1998 Pulitzer Prize for drama. Her other plays include the Obie-winning The Baltimore Waltz, as well as Desdemona, The Mineola Twins and The Oldest Profession.

Waldrop is a philosophical poet and visiting scholar in the Literary Arts Program. She works in avant-garde poetry and has produced more than thirty books of poetry. She is also an acclaimed translator, and co-editor and publisher of Burning Deck Press, one of the most influential small press publishers of innovative poetry in the United States.

The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) has named Don Forsyth, the James L. Manning Professor of Geological Sciences, one of seventy-two new members. The selections are made in recognition of distinguished and continuing achievements in original research. "Election to the Academy is considered one of the highest honors in American science and engineering," said Ralph Cicerone, president of NAS.

Seven Brown faculty members were honored at the annual Awards Ceremony sponsored by the Dean of the Faculty, the Dean of the Graduate School, and the Harriet W. Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning at Brown.

Recipients of the Faculty Teaching Excellence Award, given annually to current faculty who are recognized as exceptional undergraduate teachers, are:

Dedda DeAngelis, senior lecturer in Italian studies; Rachel Morello-Frosch, assistant professor of environmental studies and community health; and Michael Paradiso, professor of neuroscience.

The Harriet W. Sheridan Awards for Distinguished Contribution to Teaching and Learning recognize Brown faculty who, as excellent teachers, support their colleagues, including graduate students, in ongoing professional development that integrates reflective teaching and research. The recipients are:

Mari Jo Buhle, professor of American civilization and history; Anne Fausto-Sterling, professor of molecular and cell biology and biochemistry; and Leonard Tennenhouse, professor of English, comparative literature, and modern culture and media.

The Wriston Fellowship, one of the highest awards Brown bestows upon its teaching faculty, was presented to Esther Whitfield, assistant professor of comparative literature. The fellowship is awarded annually to a junior member of the faculty to recognize significant accomplishments in teaching and to allow for scholarly research and preparation of new contributions to the undergraduate curriculum.

Patrick Mooney, a carpenter who this September will celebrate his twenty-ninth year at Brown University, is the winner of the 2005 Gaspar/Arzoomanian Outstanding Employee Award.

Mooney "received many nominations, all of which testified to his diligence in performing his job and dedication to the University, traits which have been synonymous throughout his career" at Brown, according to Stephen Maiorisi, vice president of Facilities Management. Throughout his time at Brown, Mooney "has received numerous accolades for his work and has consistently performed in an exemplary manner," Maiorisi said.

The annual award, named for retired Facilities Management employees Raul Gaspar and the late Leonard Arzoomanian, is given to the Facilities Management union employee who has been nominated by faculty, staff, students, or peers in recognition of his or her job performance and commitment to the University.

Mooney received the award during a March 9 ceremony held at the Faculty Club.

Dean of the College Paul Armstrong has announced that Cynthia Garcia Coll, professor of education, psychology and pediatrics, and Gregory Elliott, associate professor of sociology, are the recipients of an advising prize established by a gift from the family of former Trustee Martin Granoff.

Two Karen T. Romer Awards for Undergraduate Advising and Mentoring are presented each year to faculty or administrative staff who have demonstrated commitment to students' academic and personal concerns beyond the formal requirements of teaching and advising. The prize is named in recognition of a former associate dean of the College who was known for her dedication to supporting the academic needs of students. Each winner receives an award of $5,000.

Nominations were solicited broadly from faculty and students. Nominators for Garcia Coll spoke of her dedication to students: "Professor Garcia Coll finds, indeed, insists on finding, time to advise and mentor her students. And she does this as a matter of principle and with her heart." "Professor Garcia Coll is an amazing teacher, advisor, and friend and I can't think of any other professor who seems as dedicated to each and every one of his/her students." "Through her own interests in the smallest nuances that may influence development, she opened my eyes to a wider range of aspects within child development and education." "I view Professor Garcia Coll as a role model whom I have great admiration for on both a personal and professional level and can only hope that someday I can become half as wonderful as she."

Elliott's nomination similarly praised his unusual devotion to the needs of his students: "I have been very fortunate to have Professor Elliott as an advisor, and feel as though no one could top his dedication and commitment to the students he advises." "He was unflappable in his constant support of my decisions and direction, and always helped me think through every aspect to each possible avenue I might take." "More than any professor I know, Gregory Elliott cares. He looks at his students as more than that, he looks at them as people, and is thus understanding and compassionate in all areas." "He has made Brown more intriguing for me, pushing me to take classes outside my comfort zone, and encouraging me every step of the way."

Juniors Kartik Pattabiraman, left, and Brenda Rubenstein have received Barry Goldwater Scholarships for excellence in science, math, and engineering. The students were among 323 sophomores and juniors selected from a field of 1,081 nominees on the basis of academic merit.

Pattabiraman, from Maryland, is concentrating in neuroscience and plans to pursue work in the field of developmental neurobiology. His research activities include working with Dr. David Berson, professor of medical science, and working at the National Institute of Neurological Disorder and Stroke. In addition to his study of neuroscience, Pattabiraman teaches at Hari Vidya Bhavan in Rhode Island.

Rubenstein, from New Jersey, is a dual concentrator in chemical physics and applied mathematics. She intends to pursue both of these fields in graduate school and ultimately plans to work in academia or the government. Rubenstein has held research positions in the chemistry department at Brown and in the molecular virology department at the Lindsley Kimball Laboratory. In addition to her scientific pursuits, she is an executive board member of the Bruin Club and coordinates Brown's Talent Quest Program.

The scholarship program honoring Sen. Barry M. Goldwater was established in 1986.

Brown medical student Beth Toste has been chosen to participate in the Howard Hughes Medical Institute-National Institutes of Health Research Scholar Program.

The program was established in 1985 to give outstanding students at U.S. medical schools the opportunity to receive research training at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md. Toste will spend a year conducting research under the mentorship of an NIH senior investigator or preceptor.

Juniors Te-Ping Chen and Geoffrey Gusoff are among the seventy-five students nationwide to receive the Harry S. Truman Scholarship. Independent panels selected the scholars on the basis of leadership potential, commitment to public service, intellectual ability, and likelihood of making a difference in the world. The scholarship awards up to $30,000 in funding to students pursuing graduate degrees and assists them with career development.

Chen, of Oakland, Calif., is a sociology and international relations concentrator. Committed to electoral change, she founded the on-campus Democracy Matters Rhode Island group, which is working for statewide campaign finance reform. She has collaborated with the Student Labor Alliance on various campaigns and interned with the Providence Phoenix. Chen has also served on the Brown Daily Herald, assisted with the production of the student-run Strait Talk symposium, and worked to register minority voters in Oakland and South Berkeley, Calif. She currently serves as a writing fellow, and plans to continue pushing for structural electoral changes as both as a writer and an organizer.

Gusoff, of Livingston, N.J., is a public policy concentrator who has worked extensively on issues of housing and homelessness in Providence. He is the co-founder and leader of HOPE (Housing Opportunities for People Everywhere), an organizer with People to End Homelessness, and has co-led the Politics of Homelessness group during a Breaks Project. Gusoff researched the effect of student housing on the local housing market as an intern for Rhode Island's Housing Resources Commission. He is the co-founder and leader of Christian Life Community and the vice president of Interfaith House. Gusoff hopes to pursue a law degree concurrently with a degree in theology.

Congress established the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation in 1975 as the federal memorial to the 33rd U.S. President. All Truman scholars are required to work in public service after completing a graduate degree funded by the Truman Foundation.

Assistant Professor of Computer Science Amy Greenwald has received a Sloan Research Fellowship for her work with "AI agents" - artificially intelligent, programmed decision-makers. Her research in simultaneous and sequential auction environments combines the theoretical and practical, and draws from and contributes to a variety of disciplines including AI, decision theory, game theory, and economics.

Sloan Research Fellowships provide support and recognition to early-career scientists and scholars. Selection procedures are designed to identify those who show the most outstanding promise of making fundamental contributions to new knowledge.

Roy K. Aaron, professor of orthopaedic surgery, will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Rhode Island Arthritis Foundation. As part of the award, Aaron will deliver a talk titled "New Paradigms for the Management of Joint Diseases."

Professor of Neuroscience John Donoghue is among the ninety-eight scientists recently named to the College of Fellows of the American Institute for Medical and Biomedical Engineering. A formal induction ceremony was held in Washington, D.C., on March 2.

Fellows lead the way in technological advancement, advocating for public policies that facilitate progress, and preparing young scientists and engineers to build on that progress.

The Association for Computing Machinery has named as Fellows thirty-four of its members - including Professors of Computer Science Maurice Herlihy and Eli Upfal - for their contributions to both the practical and theoretical aspects of computing and information technology. Herlihy was recognized for his contributions to distributed and parallel systems; Upfal for his contributions to parallel and stochastic networks.

Associate Professor of Pediatrics Judith A. Owens is this year's recipient of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine's Excellence in Education award for 2006.

In a press release announcing the award, Dr. Lawrence J. Epstein, president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, lauded Owens for her commitment "to improving education about the different sleep disorders that exist and increasing public awareness of the help that is available for the millions who suffer unnecessarily from sleep disorders and sleep deprivation."

Owens directs the Pediatric Sleep Disorders Clinic at Hasbro Children's Hospital in Providence. She has developed school curriculum and written continuing medical educational materials on sleep in collaboration with industries, professional organizations and non-profit groups.

The Rhode Island Hospital medical staff presented its annual Milton Hamolsky Outstanding Physician Award to Professor of Orthopedics Michael G. Ehrlich for his contributions to his patients, students, and the hospital. The award is the highest honor the Rhode Island Hospital medical staff bestows on one of its own.

Ehrlich is the surgeon-in-chief of the Department of Orthopedics at Rhode Island Hospital/Hasbro Children's Hospital, as well as The Miriam Hospital. He has received national recognition for his work with handicapped children, performing procedures to help them to walk for the first time. He currently is involved in a research project funded by the Department of Veteran Affairs to restore arm and leg function in amputee soldiers from the Iraq war.

The American Psychiatric Association bestowed its Presidential Commendation upon Peter Kramer, clinical professor of psychiatry and human behavior, at the organization's annual meeting earlier this month.

Martha Amoako is the latest recipient of a United Negro College Fund-Merck Undergraduate Science Research Scholarship Award. The award will support her work at Brown in the laboratory of Professor Wayne Bowen, whose research group focuses on the possible role of sigma-2 receptors in regulation of cell proliferation and survival.

The scholarship provides $25,000 for tuition and about $7,000 a year for two years of summer research. Award recipients may choose from numerous research positions at Merck facilities around the country; Amoako will be working for the next two summers at Merck's New Jersey laboratories.

Farid Azfar, a doctoral candidate in the Department of History, has been awarded a research fellowship by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. Azfar will conduct research at the Columbia University Rare Book and Manuscript Library for a project titled "Scarlet Sugar: Violence, Corruption and Contamination in Atlantic Economic Thought."

Professor Peter Monti, director of Brown's Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, is this year's winner of the Distinguished Researcher Award from the Research Society on Alcoholism.