PACK POINTS
Faculty highlights
Baugh named Japan Center director
Dr. John Baugh, professor of civil engineering and operations research, has been named director of the North Carolina Japan Center at NC State.
Founded in July 1980 by Gov. James B. Hunt, the Japan Center continues to strengthen the state’s academic, economic, scientific and cultural ties with Japan. It functions as a statewide resource, promoting business and trade with Japan, fostering academic collaboration and student exchange, and serving the general public by offering language classes for pre-college students and adults, hosting a variety of cultural events, and working with Japan-related community groups.
Baugh’s scientific and technical areas of interest overlap with
issues of national importance to the country of Japan in areas such
as computational and decision support for natural hazard mitigation
and active seismic protection of building structures. He has traveled
throughout Japan’s cities and more remote areas. 
Brenner receives R.J. Reynolds Award
Dr. Donald W. Brenner, Kobe Steel Distinguished Professor and associate department head in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, was named the 25th recipient of the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company Award for Excellence in Teaching, Research and Extension in November.
The award was established in 1981 within the College of Engineering to honor a member of the engineering faculty who has demonstrated superiority in several areas of activity that relate to the University’s three-fold mission of teaching, research and extension. The annual award is supported by the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company through the North Carolina Engineering Foundation Inc. to bring recognition to scientific and educational achievements in fields of engineering. The recipient is given a $25,000 prize distributed over five years.
Brenner has been one of the world’s leading innovators in research
and education in computational materials science for more than 20 years.