December 29, 2000

Murray Celebrates 50 Years of Teaching, Research

- from NC State University News Services

December 18, 2000

NC State, NC A&TSU Partnership to Increase Minority Presence in Nuclear Engineering

- from NC State University News Services

December 18, 2000

College of Engineering Faculty Honored by Academy of Outstanding Faculty Engaged in Extension

Twenty-one faculty members of the College of Engineering were honored in an October 12, 2000, ceremony at NC State University celebrating the activities of the Academy of Outstanding Faculty Engaged in Extension. The individuals honored for being charter members of the Academy were Dr. Larry H. Royster, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering; Dr. Rooney Malcom, professor of civil engineering; Mr. Robert L. Edwards, retired senior engineering extension specialist, Industrial Extension Service (IES); Dr. Herbert M. Eckerlin, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering; Mr. Albert S. Boyers, lecturer in mechanical and aerospace engineering; Dr. N. Paul Khosla, professor of civil engineering and director of the Center for Transportation Engineering Studies (CTES) and the Transportation Materials Research Center (TMRC); Mr. Jack N. Weaver, head of nuclear services, Department of Nuclear Engineering; Mr. Clarence L. Smith, assistant head, Department of Industrial Engineering; Mr. Wayne Friedrich, senior engineering extension specialist, IES; Dr. William A. Smith, professor emeritus of industrial engineering; Mr. Ronald Simpson, head of the Technical Information Center, IES; Dr. Mohamed M. Fikry, manager of Graduate Engineering Extension Education (VBEE); Dr. Jaime Trevino, adjunct assistant professor of industrial engineering; Dr. Charles T. Culbreth, professor of industrial engineering; Dr. Roy H. Borden, professor of civil engineering; Mr. Gene F. Fornaro, senior engineering extension specialist and manager of business development, IES; Mr. James A. Daggerhart, senior engineering extension specialist and manager of business development, IES; Dr. Charles W. Mayo, professor of nuclear engineering and director of the Nuclear Reactor Program; Dr. James W. Leach, associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering; Dr. Joseph R. Davis, industrial engineering specialist, IES; and Dr. Joseph E. Hummer, associate professor of civil engineering.

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December 15, 2000

Rajala Elected Fellow of Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Dr. Rajala

Dr. Sarah A. Rajala, associate dean of academic affairs and professor of electrical and computer engineering at North Carolina State University, has been elected a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). At its December 3, 2000, meeting the IEEE Board of Directors acknowledged Rajala's appointment with the citation, "For contributions to engineering education." The appointment is effective January 1, 2001.

Rajala is an internationally recognized expert in image and video processing. Her research interests include engineering education, the analysis and processing of images and image sequences with application to the areas of color imaging, image coding/compression, motion estimation and target acquisition and tracking.

In addition to being the chief academic officer for undergraduate students in engineering, Rajala is the NC State Southeastern University and College Coalition for Engineering Education (SUCCEED) site coordinator.

Rajala received her B.S. in electrical engineering from Michigan Technological University in 1974, and her M.S. and Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Rice University in 1977 and 1979, respectively.

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December 15, 2000

Genzer Publishes Polymer Research Results in Science

Dr. Jan Genzer, assistant professor of chemical engineering at North Carolina State University, published his polymer research in the December 15, 2000, issue of Science. The title of the paper is "Creating long-lived superhydrophobic polymer surfaces through mechanically assembled monolayers." NC State post-doctoral research associate Dr. Kirill Efimenko is co-author on the paper. Support for this research comes from the National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER grant and Genzer's start-up funding from the College of Engineering at NC State.

The research conducted by Genzer and Efimenko aims at controlling materials' surface properties through the tailored assembly of molecules. Specifically, they show that the combination of the self-assembly with mechanical manipulation of semifluorinated molecules grafted onto flexible supports provides a means of fabricating "mechanically assembled monolayers" that form superhydrophobic surfaces with superior long-lasting barrier properties.

Prior to joining the NC State faculty in 1998, Genzer completed postdoctoral appointments at Cornell University and the University of California at Santa Barbara. He was awarded the NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award in 1999.

Genzer received his diploma in materials science and chemical engineering from the Prague Institute of Chemical Technology, Czech Republic, in 1989 and his doctorate in materials science and chemical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania in 1996.

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December 15, 2000

Helmlinger Named to Office

Teresa (Terri) Helmlinger, executive director, Industrial Extension Service, was recently installed as vice president of the Southeast Region of the National Society of Professional Engineers, effective through July 2002.

December 14, 2000

Lazzi Awarded Whitaker Foundation Research Grant

Dr. Lazzi

Dr. Gianluca Lazzi, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at NC State University, has been awarded a biomedical engineering research grant from the Whitaker Foundation to pursue his research in biomedical engineering. The grant was awarded for Lazzi's investigation of the use of a high data rate telemetry link for a new generation of retinal prosthesis to restore sight in the blind affected by Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) and Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD). The three-year period for the $232,578 grant begins on January 1, 2001.

According to the Whitaker Foundation website, the Whitaker Foundation is a private, nonprofit foundation dedicated to improving human health through the support of biomedical engineering. Since its inception in 1975, the foundation has awarded more than $524 million to colleges and universities for faculty research, graduate fellowships and program development. The Biomedical Engineering Research Grants program supports research projects that enable young investigators to establish academic careers in biomedical engineering.

Lazzi is a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). In 1996 he was awarded an International Union of Radio Science (URSI) Young Scientist Award. He is author or co-author of more than 50 international journal articles or conference presentations on FDTD modeling, wireless antennas, dosimetry and bioelectromagnetics.

Lazzi's research interests include antennas for wireless communication, safety assessment for human exposure to electromagnetic fields, medical applications of electromagnetic energy and numerical techniques for the solution of electromagnetic problems.

Lazzi received his Dr.Eng. in electrical engineering from the University of Rome "La Sapienza," Rome, Italy, in 1994 and his Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of Utah in 1998.

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December 7, 2000

Lazzi Cited in IEEE Transactions

Dr. Gianluca Lazzi, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at NC State University, had his publications cited 15 times in the November 2000 issue of IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, a special issue entitled "Medical Applications and Biological Effects of RF/Microwaves." Of the 29 papers in the issue, 9 contained references to papers Lazzi either authored or co-authored. Lazzi's research is in computational electromagnetics and bioelectromagnetics.

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December 6, 2000

Vouk Elected Fellow of Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Dr. Vouk

Dr. Mladen A. Vouk, professor of computer science, has been elected a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). At its December 3, 2000, meeting the IEEE Board of Directors acknowledged Vouk's appointment with the citation, "For contributions to engineering of reliable software-based systems." The appointment is effective January 1, 2001.

Vouk, along with Dr. Sarah B. Berenson, professor of mathematics education and director of the Center for Research in Math and Science Education at NC State, is working with the Girls on Track Project to design computers to be used as tools in the project.

Vouk's research interests include software engineering, scientific computing, computer-based education and high-speed networks.

Vouk received his B.S. in physics and his Ph.D. in solid state physics and scientific computing from the University of London, Kings College, in 1972 and 1976, respectively.

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December 5, 2000

Engineering Faculty Receive Holladay Medal

Two faculty members from the College of Engineering, along with three other NC State faculty members, were awarded the Alexander Quarles Holladay Medal for Excellence for 2000. The Holladay Medal, the highest honor bestowed on a faculty member by the Board of Trustees, recognizes faculty contributions in teaching, research and service. The 2000 Holladay Medal recipients will be honored at the NC State Honors Convocation in May 2001.

College of Engineering recipients are Dr. John A. Bailey, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, and Dr. Salah E. Elmaghraby, professor of industrial engineering.

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December 4, 2000

NC State Students Receive Nuclear Engineering Awards

NC State nuclear engineering graduates Stacy Parker and Jon Earnhardt were recognized at the American Nuclear Society (ANS) awards banquet at the ANS winter meeting. Parker (B.S. NE 2000) won the undergraduate design competition, which is intended to promote excellence in the design aspect of nuclear engineering education. Earnhardt (Ph.D. NE 1999) received the Mark Mills Award for the best original technical paper contributing to the advancement of science and engineering related to the atomic nucleus by a graduate student.

According to Dr. Paul J. Turinksy, head of the department of nuclear engineering, the Mark Mills Award is the highest recognition given by ANS to a graduate student, and NC State students have won this award three of the past four years.

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December 1, 2000

Strenkowski Named Interim Assistant Dean for Research

Dr. John S. Strenkowski has been named interim assistant dean for research at North Carolina State University effective December 1, 2000. Strenkowski replaces Dr. Gordon Lee, who has been named associate dean for research in the College of Engineering at San Diego State University.

Since 1978 Strenkowski has been a faculty member in mechanical and aerospace engineering at NC State, where he is now a professor; from 1995 to 1997 he was also associate department head of mechanical and aerospace engineering. In 1998 he received the ASME Blackall Machine Tool and Gage Award.

Strenkowski received his B.S. in aerospace engineering from the University of Virginia in 1972, his M.S. in aeronautics and astronautics from M.I.T. in 1973 and his Ph.D. in aerospace engineering from the University of Virginia in 1977.

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November 29, 2000

MEDIA ADVISORY

NC State College of Engineering to Hold First Annual Freshman Engineering Design Day

The College of Engineering at North Carolina State University announces the First Freshman Engineering Design Day to be held Wednesday, December 6, 2000, in the Talley Student Center Ballroom on the NC State campus from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Freshmen Engineering Design Day provides a venue for the Fall 2000 entering class in the College of Engineering to present the results of their semester-long project from the Introduction to Engineering and Problem Solving course. Each student team in the course has designed, built and tested a simple engineering project. Examples of projects include a balsa-wood bridge, a web page, a catapult and a miniature electronic robot. Student teams will be presenting their designs in a "trade show" format, and a design contest will be held.

The public and the media are invited to attend. Members of the media planning to attend may call Jerome Lavelle for directions or more information.

Media Contact: Jerome P. Lavelle, 919/515-2315 or jerome_lavelle@ncsu.edu

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November 29, 2000

Fulp Selected Outstanding Earth Science Educator

Mr. William L. "Rocky" Fulp has been selected as the Outstanding Earth Science Educator in a Non-traditional Setting by the SE-Section of the National Association of Geology Teachers. The award, which recognizes excellence in earth science education, is supported by the NC Mining Commission, the Carolinas Section of the Society of Mining Engineers, and the NC Aggregates Association.

Fulp directs the "Down-to-Earth" educational program, which is supported by the NC State Minerals Research Laboratory.

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November 20, 2000

Engineering Faculty Inducted into AOFEE

Two faculty members from the College of Engineering were inducted into the Academy of Outstanding Faculty Engaged in Extension (AOFEE) recently. This newly established honor recognizes outstanding work in extension and outreach activities throughout the State of North Carolina. Such activities help the University live up to its mission as a land-grant institution.

College of Engineering inaugural inductees, along with six other NC State faculty members, are Dr. Joseph Davis, industrial engineering specialist, and Dr. Joseph Hummer, associate professor of civil engineering.

November 14, 2000

Gubbins Wins William H. Walker Award for Chemical Engineers

Dr. Keith E. Gubbins, W. H. Clark Distinguished University Professor of Chemical Engineering at North Carolina State University, has been awarded the William H. Walker Award for Excellence in Contributions to Chemical Engineering Literature from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. He is the T.R. Briggs Emeritus Professor at Cornell University.

The award, sponsored by Celanese Chemicals, is presented to honor one outstanding contribution to the chemical engineering literature each year. Gubbins will be recognized for his seminal contributions to the chemical engineering literature in the field of molecular modeling and simulation properties of liquid mixtures and nano-porous materials. The award-winning paper was published in Reports on Progress in Physics in 1999 and is entitled "Phase separation in confined systems." Gubbins will receive a plaque and $5,000 at an awards ceremony in Los Angeles during the annual meeting of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

Gubbins, who joined the NC State faculty in 1998, received his B.Sc. in chemistry from the University of London in 1958 and his Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of London in 1962. His research interest is the behavior of non-dimensional fluids and solids at the molecular level.

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November 9, 2000

Liu to Present Artificial Retina Research at NSF Seminar

Dr. Wentai Liu, professor of electrical and computer engineering at NC State, will give an invited presentation at an upcoming seminar, "Research to Develop an Artificial Retina," on November 22, 2000, at the National Science Foundation (NSF) in Washington, D.C. Liu will share experiences about research he has conducted to develop an artificial retina prosthesis.

The purposes of the seminar are to inform NSF personnel and officials from other funding agencies about research and development being conducted worldwide to perfect a chronic retinal prosthesis and to discuss the context in which NSF provides support for this research.

--rudd--

November 9, 2000

Haugh Wins Camille and Henry Dreyfus New Faculty Award

Dr. Jason M. Haugh, assistant professor of chemical engineering at North Carolina State University, has been awarded a Camille and Henry Dreyfus New Faculty Award for 2000. This award gives an unrestricted research grant of $40,000 to new faculty at the beginning of their research and teaching careers.

Dr. Peter K. Kilpatrick, head of the Department of Chemical Engineering, noted that this is a very prestigious award, with only 15 recipients nationwide for 2000.

Haugh received his B.S. in chemical engineering from NC State in 1994 and his Ph.D. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1999. His research interests include biomedical and biochemical engineering, signal transduction networks and mammalian cell engineering.

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November 6, 2000

Lee Named Fellowship Recipient by NCNI and Aprisma Management Technologies

FROM APRISMA MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGIES

Dr. Wenke Lee, assistant professor of computer science at NC State, has been named one of this year's North Carolina Networking Initiative (NCNI) Graduate Fellowship recipients by NCNI and Aprisma Management Technologies. This scholarship will foster the development of next-generation applications to deploy into NCNI's high-speed network and support Internet2.

Aprisma Management Technologies, a pioneer in e-business infrastructure management solutions, has donated to the NCNI Fellowship Program for the second consecutive year. This program provides annual support to graduate students and researchers at UNC-CH, Duke, and NC State exploring advanced networking technologies.

"We are very pleased to award these fellowships to the professors and students in North Carolina," said Dr. Lundy Lewis, director of research at Aprisma.

Lee's project, Integrating Network Management and Intrusion Detection, focuses on the study of how network management information can be used by an intrusion detection system to detect early indicators of Denial-of-Service attacks before they disrupt network services. Lee will use the fellowship to support a graduate student working on this project.

"Resource allocation is critical to the continued development and early deployment of next-generation Internet technologies. The fellowship has enabled the researchers at Aprisma and NCSU to collaborate closely on research projects," said Lee.

November 3, 2000

Mitchell Elected to IEEE Education Society Administrative Committee

Dr. Mitchell

Dr. Tony L. Mitchell, assistant dean of engineering student services and director of minority programs in the College of Engineering at NC State University, has been elected to serve a three-year term on the administrative committee of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Education Society.

Mitchell has more than 20 years of experience in university-level teaching and administration. He has been director of minority programs in the College of Engineering since 1995. While director he has increased the number of scholarships available to attract top minority students and implemented programs to increase minority retention.

Mitchell received his B.S. in mathematics from NC Agricultural and Technical State University in 1970, his M.S. in information and computer science from Georgia Institute of Technology in 1975 and his Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering at NC State University in 1987. He has been a senior member of IEEE since 1989.

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November 2, 2000

NC State Engineering Professor Receives R.J. Reynolds Award

Dr. Baliga

Dr. B. Jayant Baliga, Distinguished University Professor of Electrical Engineering at North Carolina State University, received the 16th R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company Award for Excellence in Teaching, Research and Extension in a ceremony held at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 1, in 216 Mann Hall at NC State. The award presentation was followed by Baliga's lecture, "Trends in Power Discrete Devices."

The award, established in 1981 by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. of Winston-Salem through the N.C. State Engineering Foundation, honors an engineering faculty member who has demonstrated superiority in activities that relate to the university's three-fold mission of teaching, research and extension. The recipient is given a $25,000 prize distributed over five years.

An internationally recognized leader in power semiconductors and high voltage integrated circuits, Baliga owns over 100 patents, including his recent invention of an electric switch that can significantly improve the energy efficiency of appliances and vehicles. His research interests focus on various aspects of power devices. Baliga has published over 550 scientific papers.

Baliga has been a member of the College of Engineering faculty since 1988. He is the founding director of the Power Semiconductor Research Center (PSRC), an international, industry-supported center established in 1991 that is recognized as the premier research organization for power semiconductor technology in the world. The PSRC provides a unique learning environment for students as well as state-of-the-art research and development in the area of power semiconductors. Baliga has graduated 25 master's and 23 doctoral students who are now working in the semiconductor industry.

Baliga is a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE). His awards include his 1993 election to the National Academy of Engineering, the highest distinction bestowed on engineers. In 1997 Scientific American magazine named him one of the eight heroes of the semiconductor revolution.

Baliga received his bachelor's degree in 1969 from the Indian Institute of Technology in Madras, India, and both his master's and doctoral degrees from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1971 and 1974, respectively.

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November 2, 2000

Department of Nuclear Engineering Recognized for Service

The Department of Nuclear Engineering has been recognized by the National Organization of Test, Research and Training Reactors (TRTR) for a half-century of service to nuclear reactor research. On October 18 the department was presented with a plaque recognizing the department's 50th anniversary.

October 30, 2000

NC State Engineering Course Ranked Top E-Commerce Course Site

NC State University's course CSC 513, "Electronic Commerce Technology," has been ranked number two in Google's ranking of most valuable e-commerce course sites available on the Web.

Dr. Peter R. Wurman, assistant professor of computer science, is the instructor for this course. Wurman is co-director of E-commerce@NCState, an initiative by the colleges of Engineering and Management that focuses on an interdisciplinary approach to research, teaching and outreach.

NC State also holds the number one spot on the rankings list with
Dr. Michael A. Rappa's course, "Managing the Digital Enterprise." Rappa is a Distinguished University Professor in the business management department of the College of Management.

Other institutions represented in the top ten are Stanford University Graduate School of Business, Carnegie Mellon University, Lehigh University, Pennsylvania State University, University of Michigan Business School, Indiana University School of Library and Information Science, University of California Santa Cruz and Vanderbilt University.

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October 30, 2000

WolfWare Team Wins Outstanding Service Award

The information technology WolfWare team was honored Tuesday, October 24, at the Celebration of Teaching and Learning held in the Talley Student Center Ballroom and Galleries at NC State. The team, together with the Zen 2/NT lab environment team, received the Award for Outstanding Service to Teaching and Learning. The award recognizes support service that makes classroom excellence possible.

WolfWare is a Web-based course management system designed to improve and simplify online course development and delivery. Built within the campus Eos/Unity computing environment, WolfWare uses Registration and Records, TRACS and course-catalog data to create online locations for all courses. It automatically generates rolls and class mailing lists and provides a discussion utility and secure directories for assignment submission and copyrighted materials.

WolfWare team members are Charles J. Brabec, Louis L. Harrison, Tim K. Lowman, Ellen McDaniel and Jeffrey S. Webster.

Provost Kermit L. Hall and Harry M. Nicholos, IT manager of Web services, presented the award, a check for $1,000.

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October 24, 2000

Open Source Media Day Links NC State, Red Hat and IBM

A briefing session to announce a joint initiative among NC State, Red Hat and IBM was held October 18 in the Alumni Building at NC State.

IBM and NC State have worked together recently to develop open source technology using mainframe computers. According to Barry W. Eveland, IBM Vice President and Senior North Carolina Executive, IBM believes strongly in open source, and he is enthusiastic about the platform provided by Red Hat Linux in this initiative.

In conjunction with the Red Hat University Program, Red Hat and NC State will advance the application of open source software by integrating the Red Hat Linux open source operating system into NC State's Eos computing environment. As Matthew J. Szulik, President and Chief Executive Officer of Red Hat, said, "The revolution takes place in academia," and Red Hat therefore values their association with a major university such as NC State as they move forward with their University Program.

Visitors and media representatives were able to view the results of the new initiatives in a demonstration at the College of Engineering's Student Computing Center Laboratory in room 100 Leazar Hall.

Dean Nino A. Masnari of the College of Engineering at NC State commented that this initiative is the "perfect marriage of a long-successful company and a young start-up that will change the world. NC State is pleased to be involved with these companies and delighted to be part of the new initiative."

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October 17, 2000

"This is Engineering at NC State" to be Held November 11, 2000

The College of Engineering at NC State will host a program called "This is Engineering at NC State" on Homecoming morning, Saturday, November 11. The event will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. beginning in the lobby of Mann Hall.

There will be light refreshments followed by a panel of students from each department discussing and answering questions about engineering at NC State. This will be followed by tours of the departments on Main Campus.

If interested in attending, please call the NC State Engineering Foundation office at (919) 515-7458 or e-mail engrfdn@eos.ncsu.edu to make a reservation.

October 9, 2000

Engineering Staff Member Wins State Employee Incentive Bonus

Willie A. "Tony" Pearson, senior producer/director of video communications services in distance education and learning technologies applications at NC State, has won a 1999-2000 State Employee Incentive Bonus Program award. Pearson's idea was to replace a tungsten lighting system with long-life fluorescent fixtures designed for television use. This improvement saved the University money by reducing energy consumption and the need for room cooling.

In addition to a monetary award, Pearson will receive a certificate signed by Governor Hunt.

September 28, 2000

Grainger Named Interim Department Head of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Dr. Grainger

Dr. John J. Grainger has been named interim department head of electrical and computer engineering at North Carolina State University, effective September 16, 2000. Grainger replaces Robert M. Kolbas, who became the department head of electrical and computer engineering on September 15, 1995.

Since 1977 Grainger has served as professor of electrical and computer engineering at NC State. Grainger has also served as director of the Center for Electric Power Systems Research. He is the College of Engineering faculty senator at NC State. In 1984 Grainger received the Edison Electric Institute's Power Engineering Educator Award for teaching excellence.

Grainger received his BE in electrical engineering from National University of Ireland in 1961, his MS in electrical engineering from the University of Wisconsin - Madison in 1964, and his PhD in automatic control theory and electric power systems engineering from the University of Wisconsin - Madison in 1968.

September 21, 2000

Electrical Engineering Student Wins Faculty Scholarship

Christina M. Hammock of Jacksonville, NC, a senior in electrical engineering, has received the Faculty Senior Scholarship for 2000-01. The scholarship recipient is chosen based on "academic excellence, intellectual breadth, and depth of character" and is voted on by College of Engineering faculty. As the winner of this scholarship, Hammock will receive an award of $3,000.

Along with numerous other activities, Hammock participates in the Society of Physics Students and the Society of Women Engineers. She was the 1999 southeast US coordinator of the Day of Silence Project and is active in the Technician's photography department.

Hammock's short-term goals are to serve in the US Peace Corps as an electrical engineer then begin a career in the US as an electrical engineer/physicist in research and development for industry. Her long-term goal is to be involved with the NASA space program or with an aeronautical company that conducts microgravity research.

September 8, 2000

Fedkiw Named Associate Department Head of Chemical Engineering

Dr. Fedkiw

Dr. Peter S. Fedkiw has been named associate department head of chemical engineering at North Carolina State University, effective August 16, 2000. Fedkiw replaces Peter K. Kilpatrick, who became the department head of chemical engineering on January 1, 2000.

Since 1989 Fedkiw has served as professor of chemical engineering at NC State. Fedkiw has helped establish a national reputation for NC State in electrochemical reaction engineering. In 1984 he received the Outstanding Young Researcher Award from Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Society.

He is a member of the American Chemical Society, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the Electrochemical Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science and Sigma Xi.

Fedkiw received his BChE in chemical engineering from the University of Delaware in 1974 and his PhD in chemical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1978.

September 8, 2000

Rizkalla Named Distinguished Professor of Civil Engineering and Construction

Dr. Rizkalla

Dr. Sami H. Rizkalla has been named Distinguished Professor of Civil Engineering and Construction at North Carolina State University. He has also been appointed director of the Constructed Facilities Laboratory (CFL). Both appointments were effective August 16, 2000.

Since1979 Rizkalla has been associated with the University of Manitoba, Canada, as a professor. He is noted for numerous professional achievements, and he has received 25 honors and awards, including the National Transportation Award of Achievement in 1995.

He is a member of Sigma Xi, Tau Beta Pi, Phi Kappa Phi, and numerous other organizations and is a fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering, the Engineering Institute of Canada and the American Concrete Institute. Since 1995 he has also been president of Intelligent Sensing for Innovative Structures (ISIS) Canada.

Rizkalla received his BSc in civil engineering from Alexandria University, Egypt, in 1965 and his master's and PhD degrees from NC State in 1974 and 1976, respectively.

September 8, 2000

Chao Named Co-Director of Operations Research

Dr. Chao

Dr. Xiuli Chao has been named co-director, with acting co-director Dr. Elmor Peterson, of the graduate program in operations research in the College of Engineering at North Carolina State University, effective August 16, 2000.

Since 1989 Chao has served as professor in the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. In 1998 Chao received the Erlang prize from the Applied Probability Society of the Institute For Operations Research and Management Sciences (INFORMS), of which he is a member. His research interests include queing networks, reliability sequencing and scheduling, multi-criteria decision making and manufacturing systems. He is the recent recipient of a three-year NSF grant entitled "Studies of Stochastic Production and Distribution Systems."

Chao received his BS in applied mathematics from Shandong University, China, in 1983, his master's in operations research from Columbia University in 1986 and his PhD in operations research from Columbia University in 1989.

September 7, 2000

NC State's College of Engineering Receives NSF Presidential Award for Mentoring

(For more information about this award, see the story below, Minority Programs Win 2000 Presidential Mentoring Award)

From left to right: Dr. Sarah A. Rajala, associate dean of engineering for academic affairs, Dr. Tony L. Mitchell, assistant dean of engineering and director of Minority Engineering Programs and Dr. Laura J. Bottomley, director of the Women in Engineering Program, represented the College of Engineering at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C.

The College of Engineering at North Carolina State University has been selected as one of the institutional recipients of the 2000 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM) to be presented at an awards ceremony Thursday, September 7, in Washington, D.C., by the National Science Foundation (NSF). This prestigious award honors outstanding achievements in and contributions to mentoring in the science, mathematics and engineering fields.

The PAESMEM program, administered by the NSF for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), is designed to demonstrate the Administration's recognition that mentoring and role modeling are important to the development of talent among groups underrepresented in the science, mathematics and engineering fields; namely, minorities, women and people with disabilities. As part of the award, the college will receive a grant of $10,000 for enhancing its mentoring activities.

The ceremonies are held in conjunction with a symposium entitled, "Broadening Participation in the Scientific and Technological Workforce through Mentoring," held at the Westin Fairfax Hotel, Washington, D.C. Symposium attendees include invited leaders of national scientific associations and educational institutions, practioners and policymakers, and government officials. Invited speakers include Dr. Duncan Moore, associate director for technology of the White House OSTP, and Dr. Joseph Bordogna, deputy director of the NSF. Award recipients will participate in special panel sessions to offer their insights about effective mentoring practices.

Representing NC State University's College of Engineering at the events are Dr. Sarah A. Rajala, associate dean of academic affairs, which oversees the college's programs for minorities and women; Dr. Tony L. Mitchell, assistant dean of engineering and director of Minority Engineering Programs; and Dr. Laura J. Bottomley, director of the Women in Engineering program.

Dr. Nino A. Masnari, dean of the College of Engineering, states, "The College of Engineering has, for several decades, kept as one of its top priorities the goal of increasing the number of women and underrepresented minorities and implementing programs that nurture and guide them toward success. We are extremely pleased to receive this prestigious award recognizing these efforts."

Technical contact: Dr. Sarah A. Rajala, sar@eos.ncsu.edu

The NSF news release is on http://www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/news/press/00/pr0059.htm.

September 7, 2000

Minority Programs Win 2000 Presidential Mentoring Award

The NC State University College of Engineering programs for minorities and women were recognized September 7 as one of 10 individuals and 10 institutions to receive the 2000 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM). The award honored individuals and groups that have been confirmed as national leaders in encouraging minorities, women and people with disabilities to pursue careers in scientific, engineering and technical fields. Dr. Tony L. Mitchell, assistant dean and director of Minority Engineering Programs; Dr. Laura J. Bottomley, director of the Women in Engineering Program, and Dr. Sarah A. Rajala, associate dean for academic affairs, traveled to Washington, D.C., for the national recognition ceremony and toured the White House.

In addition to the annual awards ceremony, reception and tour hosted by representatives from the White House and National Science Foundation, awardees receive a commemorative presidential certificate, congratulatory letter from the President and a $10,000 grant to support their mentoring efforts for the next two years. The 2000 mentoring awards activities included a formal symposium consisting of four plenary sessions: three that focused on mentoring at the pre-college, undergraduate and graduate levels and a fourth on ideas for leveraging the award to sustain and expand mentoring efforts.

President Clinton said of the recipients, "We must draw upon our nation's full talent pool to maintain U.S. leadership across the frontiers of scientific knowledge. We honor these individuals and institutions who have contributed so much through their mentoring efforts to achieve greater diversity throughout the ranks of our scientific and engineering workforce."

In 1996 the President, through the National Science and Technology Council, established the PAESMEM program to recognize the critical importance played by visible role models and the power of mentors to affect the development of talent among groups traditionally underrepresented in science, mathematics and engineering. Institutional presidential mentors are organizations that, through their programs, have enabled a substantial number of students to successfully pursue and complete relevant degree programs.