August 19, 2003

Dr. Rada Y. Chirkova, assistant professor of computer science, received a Faculty Award for $40,000 through the IBM University Partnership Program. The IBM Faculty Awards are competitive, cash-only awards that are intended to foster collaboration between researchers at leading universities worldwide and those in IBM research, development and services organizations and to promote courseware and curriculum development to stimulate growth in disciplines and geographies that are strategic to IBM. Faculty Awards are granted annually on a global basis. Candidates must have an outstanding reputation for contributions in their field or, in the case of junior faculty, show unusual promise. Chirkova received a matched award, in which corporate University Relations provided $20,000, and Research Triangle Park Center for Advanced Studies (http://cas.ibm.com/raleigh/) provided the other $20,000.

August 8, 2003

Dr. Veena Misra, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at NC State, has been selected to participate in the National Academy of Engineering's Frontiers of Engineering program September 18 through 20 in Irvine, California. The program brings together 83 of the nation's top young engineers for discussions on topics including environmental engineering, nanotechnology, counterterrorism technologies and biomolecular computing.

August 7, 2003

June "Pride of Wolfpack Award" winners in the College of Engineering are Christine L. Cerny, William G. Scott Jr. and Krista M. Hutchinson. Cerny, who is the director of development for the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, through the NC State Engineering Foundation, was responsible for an initiative that resulted in a critical database that integrates information from alumni records, career planning and placement, and contracts and grants. Scott, director of Information Technology and Engineering Computer Services (ITECS), has brought about many improvements during his three-year tenure, including increasing IT positions and fostering coordinated effects in IT among university, college and department services. Hutchinson, Peoplesoft specialist in the Department of Computer Science, helps make her department run smoothly because of her wide knowledge and proactive leadership.

July 22, 2003

The Industrial Extension Service (IES) in the College of Engineering at North Carolina State University has won a silver award in the Raleigh Public Relations Society’s 2003 Sir Walter Raleigh Award competition for their public relations plan entitled “Uncovering the ‘Best Kept Secret.’” The plan included the IES 2002 advertising campaign, which highlighted success stories in each product line, and IES’ community profiling activities, newsletter publications and political outreach efforts. IES staff members Ruthann Cage, director of marketing and public affairs; Jane E. Albright, extension specialist; Amoret W. Dunlap, information and communication specialist; and Bonita A. Apperson, information and communication specialist, worked together on the plan.

July 2, 2003

A student design team in the Department of Computer Science at North Carolina State University placed third in the Fourth Annual IEEE Computer Society International Design Competition. The four seniors on the team were Nathan Green, Jeremy Maness, Buck Webb and J.R. Wilson. Dr. Robert J. Fornaro, professor of computer science, and Margaret R. Heil, assistant director of the Senior Design Center in the Department of Computer Science, were the team's advisors. The NC State team was the only finalist from the United States. As third place winners, the team will receive $6,000, and the University also will receive $6,000 to establish an IEEE Computer Society Financial Aid Fund for computer science and engineering students. The University has filed for a patent for the student's invention of "Diet Download," a system that uses a bar code scanner coupled with a PDA to help a person follow a diet plan.

July 2, 2003

Teresa A. Helmlinger, P.E., assistant vice chancellor for extension and engagement and executive director of the Industrial Extension Service at North Carolina State University, was named Fellow of the Professional Engineers of North Carolina (PENC) at their meeting June 20 in Williamsburg, Virginia. For more information please visit http://www.penc.org.

July 1, 2003

Dr. Jerome P. Lavelle, associate professor of industrial engineering and assistant dean of academic affairs in the College of Engineering at North Carolina State University, was awarded the Bernard R. Sarchet Award by the Engineering Management Division of the American Society for Engineering Education at the recent annual conference in Nashville, Tenn., June 22-25, 2003.

June 25, 2003

May Pride of Wolfpack Award winners in the College of Engineering are Marhn H. Fullmer, Cynthia K. Lundblad and Natalie J. Worth. Fullmer, who is the manager of the College's Graduate Networking Laboratories, has put in place a number of improvements in the labs. Lundblad, who is secretary to the department head of mechanical and aerospace engineering, has improved department operations during her short tenure. Worth, who is the administrative manager in the Department of Chemical Engineering, has served on the Staff Senate for several years and is currently the chairperson. The Pride award is given to NC State employees to recognize their contributions of leadership, university community service and exceptional service to the college or unit.

June 17, 2003

Dr. John R. Stone, associate professor of civil engineering at North Carolina State University, has received the 2003 Frank M. Masters Transportation Engineering Award. For more information about this award, visit http://www.asce.org/pressroom/honors/honors_details.cfm?hdlid=42.

June 17, 2003

Jeff Jepson, master's candidate in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at North Carolina State University, has been awarded the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Foundation's John Leland Atwood Graduate Studies Award. This award will be presented to Jepson during an awards luncheon at the AIAA Reno conference in January 2004. He will receive a $5,000 check as well as an opportunity to present his research at the conference. Jepson is working towards defending his master's thesis on inverse airfoil design methods by the end of summer and will start his doctorial program in adaptive aerodynamics in the fall.

June 3, 2003

Dr. Salah E. Elmaghraby, Alumni Distinguished Professor of Operations Research, has established the Elmaghraby Award for Distinguished Achievement to honor an outstanding operations research student. Master’s student Alex Gose is the 2003 recipient.

May 28, 2003

Dr. Gary A. Mirka, associate professor of industrial engineering, received the 2003 Clifton A. Anderson Outstanding Faculty Award from the Department of Industrial Engineering at NC State.

May 27, 2003

Dr. Hans H. Stadelmaier, professor emeritus of materials science and engineering at North Carolina State University, has been named Distinguished Fellow of the German Materials Society.

May 26, 2003

At the May 14 spring faculty meeting, faculty awards were announced. The Alcoa Foundation Engineering Research Awards went to Dr. Jan Genzer, assistant professor of chemical engineering; Dr. Michael Steer, professor of electrical and computer engineering; and Dr. Gianluca Lazzi, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering (http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/news/awards/alcoa03.html). The George H. Blessis Outstanding Undergraduate Advisor Awards went to Dr. Richard Spontak, professor of chemical engineering and materials science and engineering, and Dr. Mohamed Bourham, professor of nuclear engineering (http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/news/awards/blessis03.html). The Outstanding Teacher Awards went to Dr. Chris Healey, assistant professor of computer science, and Dr. Gianluca Lazzi, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering. The Outstanding Extension Awards went to James Parker, IES director of facilities and energy management programs, and Dr. Paul Keller, research associate for nuclear engineering.

May 26, 2003

Dr. David W. Johnston, professor, associate head and director of graduate programs in civil engineering at North Carolina State University, received the 2003 American Concrete Institute Delmar L. Bloem Award for Distinguished Service. For more information about the American Concrete Institute, visit http://www.aci-int.org.

May 22, 2003

Jacqueline Cox, Gary Gatling and Kimberly Pettaway are the April Pride of the Wolfpack Award winners in the College of Engineering. Cox is a faculty secretary in the Department of Computer Science, Gatling is the computer system administrator in Information Technology and Engineering Computer Services and Pettaway is the receptionist and student coordinator in the Department of Nuclear Engineering. The Pride award is given to NC State employees to recognize their contributions of leadership, university community service and exceptional service to the college or unit.

May 21, 2003

The NC State Computer Science Design Team in the Department of Computer Science at North Carolina State University has been named a finalist in the Fourth Annual IEEE Computer Society International Design Competition (CSIDC) and is the only finalist from the United States. The theme of this year's CSIDC is "Added Value: Turning Computers Into Systems." More than 300 schools began the competition; 80 teams were named semi-finalists. The team members are Nathan Green, Jeremy Maness, Buck Webb and J.R. Wilson. The team's sponsors are Dr. Robert Fornaro, professor of computer science, and Ms. Margaret Heil, assistant director of the senior design center.

May 15, 2003

Dr. Clement Kleinstreuer, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, recently received an award for a paper published in a special issue of Computer Methods and Applied Mechanics and Engineering Journal on "Computational Biomechanics."

May 8, 2003

Dr. Sarah A. Rajala, professor of electrical and computer engineering and associate dean for research and graduate programs in the College of Engineering at NC State University, was recently elected to be the next president of NC State's Phi Kappa Phi chapter. For more information about the chapter, visit http://www.ncsu.edu/phi_kappa_phi/.

May 7, 2003

Alumnus Dr. John Turner Whitted, senior researcher for Microsoft Research in Redmond, Washington, was elected into the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) on February 14 "for contributions to computer graphics, notably recursive ray-tracing." Whitted received his doctorate in electrical engineering from North Carolina State University in 1978. For more information, visit the NAE web site at http://www.nae.edu/.

April 7, 2003

The College of Engineering 2003 Awards for Excellence presentation was held April 7 in Mann Hall. This year’s winners are Carol Holloman, computer science, and Charles Hunt, Information Technology & Engineering Computer Services (ITECS).