GRANTS

Ikramuddin Ahmed, associate professor, mechanical engineering, was awarded $15,000 by the Aircraft Design and Manufacturing Research Center for the project “Project #32, Thermal Spray Coatings for Composite Structures in Aviation.”

Behnam Bahr, chair and professor, mechanical engineering, was awarded $25,000 by the Aircraft Design and Manufacturing Research Center for the project “Project #33, Drilling of Composite Materials.”

Seyed Hossein Cheraghi, chair and professor, industrial and manufacturing engineering, was awarded $50,000 by the Aircraft Design and Manufacturing Research Center for the project “Project #36, Application of Virtual Reality and Simulation for Assembly Planning and Coating.”

H. Edward Flentje, professor and former director, Hugo Wall School of Urban and Public Affairs, was awarded $83,030 by the Regional Economic Area Partnership for the project “Staffing Regional Economic Area Partnership.”

Ward Jewell, professor, electrical and computer engineering, was awarded $6,250 by the Power Systems Engineering Research Center for the project “Power Quality Lab.”

Amy Mattson Lauters, assistant professor, communication, was awarded $250,000 by the U.S. Department of Education for the project “Upward Bound Program – Communication.”

Viswanatha Madhavan, associate professor, industrial and manufacturing engineering, was awarded $30,000 by the Georgia Institute of Technology for the project “Friction and Wear Under Very High Electromagnetic Stress.”

Denise Maseman, chair and professor, dental hygiene, was awarded $11,500 by the United Methodist Ministry Fund for the project “Dental Hygiene Clinic Renovation/Expansion.”

Greg Meissen, director of the Center for Community Support and Research and professor of psychology, was awarded $150,000 by the William T. Grant Foundation for the project “Intervention RFP: Phase One Project Examining Setting-Level Capacity Building on After-School Program”; $225,000 by the Department of Health and Human Services for the project “Communities Empowerment Youth Program (CEY)”; and $11,500 by Senior Services Inc. of Wichita for the project “Senior Services Training Grant.”

Babak Minaie, associate professor, mechanical engineering, was awarded $50,000 by the Aircraft Design and Manufacturing Research Center for the project “Project #35, Correlation of Key Variables in the Composite Cure Process.”

Larry Paarman, associate professor, electrical and computer engineering, was awarded $14,278 by Flint Hill Solutions LLC for the project “Advanced Avionics Miniaturization Program (AAMP).”

Kathleen Perez, associate professor, sociology, was awarded $9,553 by the United Way of the Plains for the project “Community Indicators Database.”

Paul Rillema, professor, chemistry, was awarded $5,000 by The Center for the Improvement of Human Functioning” for the project “Stem Cells in the Combat Against Brain Tumors.”

Mark Schneegurt, associate professor, biological sciences, was awarded $263,259 by the National Science Foundation for the project “GK-12: Pass Me the Salt: Extending the Research
Training Tower to Pre-College Students.”

Bin Shuai, assistant professor, biological sciences, was awarded $27,700 by the University of Kansas Medical Center for the project “Understanding the Role of Small RNA’s in Arabidopsis Pollen Development.”

Marcia Stevens, director, WSU Small Business Development Center, was awarded $28,000 by Cloud County Community College for the project “KSBDC Outreach Center in Concordia, KS 2008.”

Jorge Talia, professor, mechanical engineering, was awarded $100,000 by the Aircraft Design and Manufacturing Research Center for the project “Project #40, Portable High Rotational Speed-Friction Sir Welding (HRS-FSW) Technology and Prototypes for Fabrication and ‘IN SITU’ Repair.”

Mehmet Yildirim, assistant professor, industrial and manufacturing engineering, was awarded $4,750 by Oklahoma State University for the project “DOE Industrial Assessment Center Program.”

HONORS & AWARDS

Deltha Q. Colvin, assistant vice president for campus life and director of TRIO programs, received a 2008 Day at the Capitol Governor's Distinguished Community Service Award from the Kansas Hispanic & Latino American Affairs Commission, the Kansas African American Affairs Commission and the Office of the Governor. Colvin was also chosen by a committee of the WSU Community Council Advisory Board as a Heroine for Women's History Month.

Mary Herrin, vice president, administration and finance, will continue to serve as secretary for the board of directors of the Central Association of College and University Business Officers.

Jay Mandt, director of the Emory Lindquist Honors Program and associate professor, has been elected to a three-year term on the board of directors of the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC), the national umbrella organization for honors programs. Mandt is also senior co-chair of NCHC's Teaching and Learning Committee.

Gary L. Miller, provost and vice president for academic affairs and research, has been invited to join the Educational Testing Service (ETS) North Central Regional College and University Advisory Council (CUAC). The new small advisory council is intended to provide a forum for dialogue on issues related to the role of assessment in increasing institutional effectiveness and student success.

PUBLICATIONS

Andrea Campbell, academic advisor and scholarship coordinator, College of Education, and Janet Jensen, senior academic advisor, Barton School of Business, were published in Academic Advising Today with “Defeating Dr. No: How Advisors can be Positive Change Agents.”

Charles Fox, associate dean, College of Health Professions, was published in the Journal of Allied Health with “What Health Care Providers Know (and need to know) about Palliative Care.”

Charles Fox, associate dean; David Day, assistant professor and assistant director, physicians assistant; Audrey Griffin, assistant professor and clinical supervisor, physicians assistant; and Alicia Huckstadt, professor and director of graduate curriculum, nursing, all in the College of Health Professions, were published in the Journal of Allied Health with “Capturing Patient Encounters During Health Care Provider Training Using Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs).”

IN MEMORIAM

Michael A. James, 68, professor emeritus, College of Education, died Feb. 10 in Wichita. Survivors include a sister, Patricia Simpson, a niece and a nephew, and several cousins. Funeral services have been held. Memorials can be made to Music Theatre of Wichita, Butterfly Habitat at Botanica and Positive Directions.

Judith Rhodes, 63, retired student records supervisor, died Feb. 3 in Wichita. Rhodes is the mother of WSU staff Ellen (Stan) Abbey and Julie (Tim) Shaughnessy. Other survivors include another daughter, Trish (Brian) Foster of Denver; grandchildren Andrew Abbey, Steven Foster, Lauren Foster; siblings Chuck Downing, Terry Bennette, Wilma Sword, Becky Suter; stepmother Alice Downing of Wichita. Funeral services have been held. Memorials can be made to Immanuel Baptist Church.