Spectrum - Volume 19 Issue 21 February 20, 1997 - ACHIEVERS

A non-profit publication of the Office of the University Relations of Virginia Tech,
including The Conductor , a special section of the Spectrum printed 4 times a year

ACHIEVERS

Spectrum Volume 19 Issue 21 - February 20, 1997

Rosemary Blieszner , faculty member in the department of Family and Child Development in the College of Human Resources and Education, has been elected a fellow of the American Psychological Association, effective Jan. 1,1997. Fellow status is awarded on the basis of evaluated evidence of unusual and outstanding contribution to the field of psychology. Additionally, Blieszner's paper "An integrative conceptual framework for friendship research," co-authored with Rebecca Adams, was selected one of five finalists for the 1996 New Contribution Award of the International Society for the Study of Personal Relationships. The award was established to "recognize new work that makes a significant and original contribution to the study of personal relationships, work that provides important new insights and has had, or holds promise of having, a substantial impact on the scholarly activity of others in the field."

Eric Wiedegreen and Anna Marshall-Baker , faculty members in the department of Housing, Interior Design and Resource Management in the College of Human Resources and Education, were invited presenters at the Design History Symposium at Cornell University. They also presented a joint paper at the South Regional Conference of the Interior Design Educators Council in Arlington, entitled "Universal Design in an Interdisciplinary Setting."

Eugenie Ranck , a graduate student in clothing and textiles, presented a paper on "A comparison of the degradation of cotton-based nonwovens by composting and heat-moisture treatments" at the 1997 Cotton Textile Chemistry Symposium, part of the 1997 Beltwide Cotton Conferences, held January 6-10, in New Orleans, Louisiana. The paper was co-authored by Marjorie J.T. Norton , a faculty member in the College of Human Resources and Education at Virginia Tech, and Rinn Cloud, FSU. Ranck's research had been supported by Cotton Incorporated, Raleigh, NC and Kappler Safety Group, Guntersville, Ala. The research examines a potential solution for the disposal of non-woven barrier-type protective garments that are worn in many areas such as pesticide application, medical applications, etc. One means may be composting or a form of composting.

Mahmood A. Khan , professor and head, Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management, has received the Cesar Ritz Award. This award, which honors outstanding contribution to the field of hospitality education, was presented at a ceremony in Le Bouveret, Switzerland. Cesar Ritz, a world-famous hotelier, was born in this region of Switzerland and is regarded as a father and founder of hospitality industry. Several hotel chains under the name of "Ritz" are currently in operation world-wide. Present at the ceremony was Monique Ritz, heiress and daughter-in-law of Cesar Ritz. Khan also serves as an advisory board member for the Institute Hotelier Cesar Ritz in Switzerland.

Ann Hertzler , faculty member in the Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise Science, was a keynote speaker at the 79th meeting of the American Dietetic Association in San Antonio. She spoke in a session on the ADA Child Nutrition and Health Campaign. Her topic was a theoretical approach to solving children's eating problems.

E. Thomas Garman , professor in the department of Housing, Interior Design, and Resource Management, received the "Excellence in Journalism Award" from the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education at its annual meeting in Grand Rapids, Mich., for his book Ripoffs and Frauds: How to Avoid and How to Get Away .

David Hutchins and Claire Cole Vaught , faculty members in the department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, are co-authors of Helping Relationships and Strategies , published by Brooks/Cole Publishing Company. The book, now in its third edition, explores cross-cultural aspects of helping clients, and shows the importance of the interaction of thoughts, feelings, and actions in approaching practical problems such as domestic violence and interpersonal social skills.

Connie Wallace , executive secretary to the department head in the Horticulture Department, has been named the January recipient of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences' Employee Recognition Award. Wallace has served the college for nearly 20 years.

The award is part of CALS's ongoing program to recognize the contributions of classified staff employees to the college's success. It is presented to a college staff member who has made exceptional contributions to his or her department and to the college.

In addition to supervising the other secretaries in the department, Wallace is responsible for a wide array of activities: administrative assistant to the department head, personnel transactions, wage payroll, accounting for departmental foundation accounts and some grants, and physical plant contacts for repairs and service, among others.

She is credited with fostering the excellent morale of the department through her interaction with the faculty, staff and students in a calm and friendly manner. To assist her in efficiently running the office, she periodically enrolls in classes and seminars to improve her skills with computers and other administrative responsibilities. Secretaries from other departments call her for advice and assistance with new procedures and challenges.

Wallace's supervisor describes her attitude toward her work as total dedication and loyalty. Within the department, Wallace's work ethic is outstanding and sets an example for others to follow.

Steve Umberger , professor of animal and poultry sciences, has received the 1996-97 Extension Service Award presented by the Southern Section of the American Society of Animal Science in Birmingham, Ala. He has developed a nationally recognized sheep Extension program and has supported his Extension efforts with important research contributions in the areas of reproduction, lamb feeding, and marketing. He also provides significant leadership to the department's Extension programs as extension project leader.

Allen Harper , assistant professor of animal and poultry sciences, received the 1996 Extension Service Award from the Virginia Agribusiness Council recently in Richmond. Harper is also Extension swine specialist at the Tidewater Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Suffolk. He has provided extensive organizational and technical support to the Virginia Pork Industry Association, county Extension agents, youth swine programs, and Virginia pork producers.

Michael Furey , professor of mechanical engineering, recently made presentations to three California sections of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers as part of the society's Distinguished Lecturers Program. In Los Angeles, he spoke on "Science, Technology, Society, and Interconnectedness"; in San Diego, on "Tribology and Arthritis: Are There Connections?"; and in Santa Clara, on "Tribology is Not the Study of Tribes." The invited lectures by Furey will continue over a two-year period.

Frederick H. Lutze , professor of aerospace and ocean engineering, has been elected national president of the Aerospace Engineering Honor Society, Sigma Gamma Tau. Lutze's three-year term will begin July 1. He currently is completing a three-year term as the society's national vice president.

J. Boyet Stevens , who received his M.S. degree in engineering mechanics fall semester, won the first prize of $1,000 for a paper he co-authored with Romesh C. Batra , the Clifton C. Garvin professor of engineering science and mechanics. Stevens presented the paper, "Adiabatic Shear Banding in Impact and Penetration Problems," during the 33rd annual meeting of the Society of Engineering Science, held recently at Arizona State University.

Wayne C. Durham , associate professor of aerospace and ocean engineering, has been admitted to the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, an international society whose primary purpose is the advancement of air safety. Durham is a graduate of the Empire Test Pilot School in Boscombe Down, U.K., and served several years at the Naval Air Test Center in Patuxent River, Maryland. At Virginia Tech, he conducts research on the problems of flight dynamics and control. Durham also will serve as the technical chair for the 1997 Atmospheric Flight Mechanics Conference to be held in New Orleans this summer.

Durham, John Bolling , an AOE master's degree candidate, and Ken Bordignon , who received his Ph.D. from AOE fall semester, had a paper published in of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics . The paper, "Minimum Drag Control Allocation," was published in the January-February 1997 issue.

Eliza Ching-Yick Tse , associate professor of Hospitality and Tourism Management, visited Hong Kong during the winter break. In a presentation to the dean and the department heads of the Faculty of Business Administration of Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), she provided an overview of hospitality and tourism education programs world-wide and addressed the issues regarding the current status and future of the hospitality and tourism industry. She received funding from CUHK to determine the supply and demand of hospitality graduates in Southeast Asia, and to provide recommendations in developing a hospitality education degree program in the Faculty of Business Administration of CHUK.

Jay H. Williams , associate professor in Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise, recently served on a special study section for the National Institute of Aging, a part of the National Institutes of Health. The study section was charged with reviewing applications for establishing Claude Pepper Older American Independence Centers at various universities. The focus of the Pepper centers is to increase the independence of America's elderly through research, junior faculty training, and public education.

Joan McLain-Kark , associate professor in Housing, Interior Design and Resource Management, was interviewed for an article in the February issue of Current Trends in Geriatric Psychiatry . The article discussed controlling exiting behavior through interior design in dementia care units and featured research results from theses by Virginia Tech master's students, Joan Dickinson and Claire Hamilton.

Carl McDaniels , director of the Virginia VIEW career information center, has just published the third edition of Developing A Professional Vita or Resume . The new edition, published by Ferguson Publishing Company, Chicago, Illinois, contains new chapters on "Building and Maintaining a Professional Portfolio" and "Producing an Electronic Resume." The book is expressly written for graduate students and university faculty members who need several detailed professional statements of their work. Copies are available from the publisher or at the Virginia Tech bookstore.

Tom Bass , a veterinary resident and Ph.D. candidate in the College of Veterinary Medicine's Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, has won first prize in a manuscript contest sponsored by the Chi Chapter of Phi Zeta, a national veterinary medical honor society.

Bass' manuscript, "A laminitis outbreak in a dairy heard striving for increased milk production" will now be entered in the national competition Phi Zeta sponsors.

The objectives of the Society of Phi Zeta are to recognize and promote scholarship and research in matters pertaining to the welfare and diseases of animals, according to Chi Chapter President Marion Ehrich.

Marla Hacker , a research faculty member of industrial and systems engineering, has been elected national president at large of the Institute of Industrial Engineers, the major professional society in the field of industrial engineering.