University Times

Carol Baker, vice president and dean of academic affairs at the Bradford campus, is leaving her administrative post Jan. 1, 2002.

Baker, who has served as academic dean for 13 years, will be on sabbatical next spring semester and return to teaching biology in fall 2002.

Baker said, "The successes of the dean are really the successes of the faculty. I am proud of our many accomplishments that range from developing new majors, minors and a general education program to establishing a sister college relationship in Japan and a formal honors convocation to recognize our best students." Almost 60 percent of the current full-time UPB faculty have been hired during Baker's tenure.

She also is responsible for UPB's signature project, the Allegheny River Scholars, a summer educational journey by canoe down the Allegheny River.

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Bovey Lee, assistant professor of studio arts, will participate in three New York group shows and two solo exhibitions in Hong Kong this summer.

From May to July, Lee's on-line projects, "Body Diaspora" and "UltimateLife: Internet Life Search Engine," and an interactive project, "Bauhinia: The Official Hong Kong Flag," will be featured at Taipei Gallery and Stephen Gang Gallery in Manhattan. From June to September, Lee's digital print, "Body Garden — Lemons," will be included in the Print National, the first national digital print survey show, organized by the Brooklyn Museum of Art.

In July, Lee will have solo exhibits featuring her digital prints at the Nokia and Montblanc galleries in Hong Kong.

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Jere Gallagher, associate professor in the School of Education, has been named associate dean. She succeeds Rita Bean.

Gallagher has served on the Provost's Advisory Committee on Women's Concerns and the University Senate tenure and academic freedom committee.

Within the school, she has served not only in the health, physical and recreational education department but also in the school's early childhood program, for which she was coordinator for several years. She also runs the Kinder Kinetics program that serves many children in the region.

Gallagher earned her doctorate at Louisiana State University, and her master's and bachelor's degrees at East Carolina University.

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Bruce R. Pitt has been named chair of the Department of environmental and occupational health (EOH) in the Graduate School of Public Health (GSPH).

Pitt will retain his position of professor of pharmacology in the School of Medicine.

In assuming the chairmanship of EOH, Pitt replaces Herbert Rosenkranz, who is serving as interim dean of GSPH.

Pitt's research focus is on the molecular physiology of pulmonary circulation, particularly the ways in which oxygen and nitric oxide affect the endothelial and vascular smooth muscle cells in the lungs.

He also directs research aimed at clarifying the basic mechanisms by which zinc, copper and other metal ions participate in vascular homeostasis, and how these relationships are changed in pathophysiological states associated with acute lung injury and hemorrhagic shock. This work opens doors to various potential therapies for toxin-related lung diseases and multiorgan failure.

Pitt recently received a Method to Extend Research in Time (MERIT) Award from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute for these projects.

Three Greensburg campus faculty members were recognized at UPG's honors convocation last month for distinguished teaching, service and professional development.

Larry J. Whatule, associate professor of communication, won the distinguished teaching award. He has taught at UPG since 1968. He served as public information officer from 1968 to 1976 and as director of admissions and financial aid before returning to teaching in 1995.

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Nancy B. Florez-Estrada, assistant professor of Spanish, won the distinguished service award. She has taught at UPG since 1982. She is director of the Rossetti International House, which she established as an academic village for students interested in international affairs. She is the author of "Video for the Spanish Classroom: Sources and Bibliography." She also is a winner of the University-wide Chan-cellor's Distinguished Teaching Award, as well as the UPG President's Award for Excellence.

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Guy M. Nicoletti, associate professor of engineering, won the award for professional development. He has been teaching courses in electrical and mechanical engineering and engineering analysis for 38 years. He has written several technical and research publication and has been a speaker at national and international conferences and symposia. He is a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, the Society of Manufacturing Engineering and Intelligent Processing and Manufacturing of Materials.

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David C. Whitcomb, associate professor of medicine at the School of Medicine, chief of the division of gastroenterology and hepatology and nutrition, director of the center for genomic sciences, and part-time physician at the VA Pittsburgh Health Care System, was awarded the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research 2001-2002 Research Award.

The research focuses on new ways to detect and classify pancreatic cancer.

Whitcomb joined the UPMC staff in 1991 as an assistant professor of medicine and established one of the leading laboratories investigating the cause of diseases of the pancreas.

The Lustgarten Foundation's Scientific Advisory Board, which is comprised of some of the country's leading pancreatic and other cancer scientists, reviewed more than 60 proposals and awarded grants to researchers from nine national and international cancer centers.

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Jose-Marie Griffiths, chief information officer and professor of information science at the University of Michigan, has been named the first holder of the Doreen E. Boyce Chair in Library and Information Science at the School of Information Sciences here.

Griffiths also has been named the first director of the Sara Fine Institute for Interpersonal Behavior and Technology. Griffiths will be an associate of the Learning Research and Development Center.

Her previous positions include: vice chancellor for Information Infrastructure and director of the School of Information Sciences at the University of Tennessee; vice president of information systems, planning, design & development, for King Research, Inc. of Rockville, Maryland; adjunct professor at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., and visiting professor at UC Berkeley.

Her honors include appointment to the U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science; an award of merit, and a research award from the American Society for Information Science; a Top 25 Women on the Web Award; Special Libraries Association special recognition for research; Outstanding Faculty Member, University of Tennessee, and several National Communicator Awards.

Griffiths holds a B.Sc. in physics and a Ph.D. in information science, both from University College, London. Griffiths has written eight books and has published numerous book chapters, journal articles and technical reports.

The United States Track Coaches Association has named Pitt head track and field coach Steve Lewis, who guided the Panthers to the 2001 ECAC indoor championship, Mid-Atlantic Region Women's Indoor Coach of the Year.

In his 17th year at Pitt and his seventh year as head of both the men's and women's programs, Lewis has coached 57 All-Americans as well as three national champions and 100 Big East champions.

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Susan Lefkowitz has been named executive vice president and chief operating officer of University of Pittsburgh Physicians (UPP), a part of UPMC Health System.

Lefkowitz was vice president in the health care management practice for The Lewin Group.

She will help UPP determine its strategic direction and develop a public identity. In addition, she will work to enhance relationships among the 20 department practice plans to effect improvement in patient care and business efficiency.

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Florence R. Warfel, associate professor emeritus of mathematics at the Johnstown campus, has received the UPJ Advisory Board Service-to-Community Award.

Warfal was cited for her involvement with the Cambria City Mission, the Cambria County Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, New Day, Inc., the Foundation for Campus Ministry at UPJ, the American Association of University Women and others.

Warfal retired in May 1999 after serving on the UPJ faculty for 29 years.

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S. Clifford Schold has been appointed to the newly created position of chief medical officer of UPMC Health System's Pittsburgh Clinical Research Network (PCRN).

PCRN serves as a single point of entry into UPMC Health System for industry sponsors of clinical trials. PCRN focuses on providing a discrete set of management services to facilitate the initiation and conduct of clinical trials, including quality assurance, federal regulatory compliance, patient enrollment and data management.

Schold is nationally renowned for his research and contributions to the treatment of brain tumors as well as for his administrative skills in organizing and conducting clinical research.

Schold, who joined the University last year, is director of the Neuro-Oncology Program at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, and assistant vice chancellor for clinical research at the University. He previously was director for neurosciences at the Duke Clinical Research Institute and chair of neurology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

He will retain his University positions in addition to his new role at PCRN.