University Times

Elaine Rooney, assistant professor of nursing at the Bradford campus, was one of 12 nurses selected nationwide to compose questions for the National Council Licensure Examination. The exam is a requirement for attaining a nursing license in the United States.

Rooney, who has taught at UPB since 1991, holds a B.S.N. from Carlow College and an M.S.N. from the State University of New York-Buffalo. She is certified to practice nursing in Pennsylvania and New York. Her areas of specialization include traumatic brain injury, pediatrics, diabetes and cancer treatment.

Rooney was nominated by the Pennsylvania Board of Nursing.

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Dennis P. Curran, distinguished service professor of chemistry and Bayer Professor of Chemistry, will be awarded the Dr. Paul Janssen Prize for Creativity in Organic Synthesis at the seventh Belgian Organic Synthesis Symposium to be held at the Universit catholique de Louvain in Belgium, July 5-9. This international prize is awarded bi-annually in conjunction with the symposium to an organic chemist under 50 who has contributed original ideas to organic synthesis. The prize consists of a medal, a citation and a cash award.

Curran is recognized for his seminal contributions to the design and application of free-radical reactions to organic synthesis. In a 1997 paper in the journal Science Curran introduced a new field: fluorous synthesis.

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John W. Mellors, director of HIV/AIDS programs at UPMC Health System and staff physician at the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, was awarded the 1998 Outstanding Contribution to Science Gold Award. This regional award is sponsored by the Pittsburgh Federal Executive Board.

Mellors and colleagues at UPMC and the Pitt Men's Study provided crucial insights into the importance of viral load, a measurement that determines the amount of HIV circulating in the body, as a determinant of prognosis for infected individuals. Viral load measurements have supplied clinicians with a better, more accurate way to monitor disease progression and evaluate a patient's response to treatment.

Mellors directs the UPMC Health System's clinical research unit and primary care center for patients with HIV/AIDS. He is the author of many scientific papers, book chapters and articles and is a member of the United States Public Health and Human Services Panel.