University Times

Three School of Pharmacy faculty members recently have received appointments and accolades.

Sandra Kane-Gill, assistant professor of pharmacy and therapeutics, was named chair of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy’s publication committee.

Scott Mark, assistant professor of pharmacy and therapeutics, has been invited to serve on the 2006 Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) Stakeholder Policy Council. PTCB develops, maintains, promotes and administers a certification and re-certification program for pharmacy technicians.

Mark also has been selected to chair the membership development advisory group of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists.

Ty Ridenour, professor and research associate in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, received the 2006 Early Career Award from the Society for Prevention Research/Early Career Prevention Network. The award is given annually to a junior investigator who has demonstrated “commitment to prevention science through outstanding contributions to research, policy or practice.”

The American Psychological Association has selected Lauren Resnick, director of the Learning Research and Development Center, as the recipient of its 2007 Distinguished Contributions of Applications of Psychology to Education and Training Award. The award recognizes a psychologist for evidence-based applications of psychology to education and training.

The award committee highlighted Resnick’s founding of Cognition and Instruction, calling the journal “a model for the world’s educational researchers.”

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Thomas Juring, a former nonprofit executive and entrepreneur, was named director of Pitt’s Small Business Development Center, part of the of the Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence at the Katz Graduate School of Business.

The Small Business Development Center last year provided services to more than 700 businesses in Allegheny, Washington and Greene counties. It also aided entrepreneurs in securing loans and investments totaling more than $26.6 million.

He most recently headed Puzzle Me, a producer of custom jigsaw puzzles. Prior to that, he was executive director of RACORSE Network, a California-based recycler of home health care and medical surplus materials.

Juring succeeds Christine Kush, who will remain as an associate director.

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Stuart W. Shulman, an assistant professor with a joint appointment in Pitt’s School of Information Sciences and Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, was named editor of the new quarterly Journal of Information Technology & Politics (JITP). The journal’s inaugural issue will be published in fall 2007.

JITP will be an outlet for interdisciplinary manuscripts focusing on how information technology is changing politics, a domain “not typically well represented by scholarly articles in leading political science journals,” said Shulman, who also is director of the Qualitative Data Analysis Program in Pitt’s University Center for Social and Urban Research. “We’d like to establish a top-tier interdisciplinary journal, one that brings social scientists together with information and computer scientists in emergent research areas,” he said.

In addition to research papers, review essays, book reviews and policy viewpoints, JITP will feature sections titled “teaching innovations,” which will focus on how people are using IT to improve student learning in political science and related fields, and “workbench notes,” that is, brief evaluations of new IT tools that are being deployed in the study of politics.

Pitt’s African American Alumni Council (AAAC) honored four faculty members with the inaugural Sankofa Award Oct. 20.

The award honors members of the University community who have exhibited outstanding educational support and service to students of African descent.

Honorees were Vernell A. Lillie, associate professor emerita of Africana studies; Nathan Davis, professor of music and director of Pitt’s jazz studies program; Karl Lewis, associate professor emeritus of engineering, and Chenits Pettigrew, director of admissions and student affairs at the School of Social Work.

Also at the reception, Pitt alumnus John Woodruff (CAS ’39), who won the gold medal in the 800-meter race during the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games, was recognized. Reception attendees saw the world premiere of the short film “Footsteps of a Giant: The John Woodruff Story.”

In 1974, Lillie co-founded Kuntu Repertory Theatre to showcase the works of the late Pitt professor Rob Penny and other local African-American playwrights.

Pitt presented Lillie with the Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award in 1986. Former Gov. Tom Ridge named her a Distinguished Daughter of Pennsylvania in 1998, and in 2006 she received the Pennsylvania Creative Community Award.

Jazz musician and educator Davis established the jazz studies program at Pitt in 1969. In 1970, Davis created Pitt’s annual jazz seminar and concert, which continues to bring world-class jazz artists to Pittsburgh to hold free lectures and demonstrations for students and the general public. In addition, he founded the University of Pittsburgh Jazz Ensemble, which has emerged as a proving ground for jazz musicians.

In 2003, Davis founded Pitt’s Jazz Seminar Outreach Program, which now extends internationally to locations in Dubai, Ghana, Brazil and Paris, the latter through a partnership with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. That same year, the YWCA of Greater Pittsburgh presented him with a Racial Justice Award for using jazz “to break down racial, cultural, social and economic barriers.”

Lewis was appointed to teach civil engineering at Pitt in 1966, later founding the impact program, a pre-college transition program that provides tutoring, study sessions, counseling and financial aid to help blacks and financially and educationally disadvantaged students.

He served as chair for the geotechnical engineering program, the University Senate committee on admissions and student aid and the graduate program standing committee for the School of Engineering. In 2004, African-American engineering alumni recognized his work by establishing the Karl H. Lewis Impact Alumni Endowed Fund. In 2006, the National Society of Black Engineers honored him with the Lifetime Achievement in Academia Award.

During his time at Pitt, Pettigrew became the director of the University challenge for excellence program (UCEP), designed to mentor and increase enrollment of underrepresented students in math and science. He also helped to secure funding for other programs similar to UCEP.

Pettigrew began his career at Pitt in 1969 as assistant to the dean of students, followed by a number of other leadership positions that included assistant dean of the College of Arts and Sciences in 1991 and his current role as director of admissions and student affairs at the School of Social Work.

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Asthma expert Sally Wenzel has been named professor of medicine at Pitt’s School of Medicine and director of the Asthma, Allergy and Airway Research Center. In addition, she has joined the faculty of the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine at UPMC’s Comprehensive Lung Center. Wenzel specializes in treating patients with severe asthma who do not respond to current treatments.

Wenzel’s current research, supported by National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants, focuses on evaluating severe asthmatics and comparing the findings to those of patients with mild to moderate cases. She also is an investigator in the multi-center severe asthma research program funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.

Wenzel formerly was professor of medicine at the National Jewish Medical and Research Center at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver.

Wenzel received both her bachelor of science and medical degrees from the University of Florida and is a member of the American College of Chest Physicians and the American College of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology. She also is a member and fellow of the American Academy of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology.

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Annette De Vito Dabbs, assistant professor in the School of Nursing’s Department of Acute/Tertiary Care, has been named the 2006 Lucie Young Kelly Faculty Leadership awardee.

Dabbs focuses on health-related quality of life after lung transplantation, active partnerships between patients and clinicians, qualitative research and mixed-methods analysis techniques.

She received a K01 Research Scientist Development Award for her study “Promoting Self Care After Lung Transplantation,” and is conducting two pilot studies: “Handheld Computer Programs for Lung Transplant Recipients” and “Adherence and the Process of ‘Striving for Normalcy’ After Lung Transplantation.”

Established in 1997 by Lucie Young Kelly, an alumna of the School of Nursing and a nationally and internationally recognized figure in the nursing profession, the Lucie Young Kelly Leadership Award recognizes and supports School of Nursing faculty who have distinguished themselves as leaders in the discipline of nursing.

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Ann Robinson, coordinator of the Business Resource Center at the Bradford campus, has been named to the action team of the Workforce and Economic Development Network of Pennsylvania (WEDnetPA).

Her appointment runs through June 2008.

WEDnetPA is an alliance of educational providers across the state with a mission to make Pennsylvania more competitive by updating and improving the skills of employees to meet the specific needs of companies.

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The Board of Trustees nominating committee nominated six candidates for election as emeritus trustees. The full board is expected to act on the nominations Oct. 27.

Nominees are: Thomas G. Bigley, retired managing partner, Ernst & Young LLP; Frank V. Cahouet, retired chair, president and chief executive officer of Mellon Financial Corp.; J.W. Connolly, retired senior vice president, H.J. Heinz Co.; E. Jeanne Gleason, retired executive director, Pennsylvania Rural Arts Alliance; Earl F. Hord, retired director, Allegheny County Department of Economic Development, and Alfred L. Moyé, retired senior university affairs consultant, Hewlett-Packard Co.

• Bigley served as an alumni trustee from 1985 to 1988, and for the past 11 years has been a commonwealth trustee. He was elected vice chair of the board in 2003, a position he held for three years. During his most recent tenure, he was a member of the executive, audit, compensation, institutional advancement and nominating committees. In addition, he chaired the athletics committee for four years.

Bigley earned his undergraduate degree at Pitt.

His volunteer activities on behalf of the University include serving on the capital campaign steering committee, as vice chair of Discovery Weekend and as a member of the University’s boards of visitors.

He is a Pitt Alumni Association lifetime member and the recipient of the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business (KGSB), the Pitt Varsity Letter Club Award of Distinction and the Bicentennial Medallion.

• In 1999, Pittsburgh Magazine named Cahouet one of its “Pittsburghers of the Century,” recognizing his business acumen as well as his commitment to and impact on the region.

Cahouet served as a Pitt trustee from 1987 to 2006. He chaired the budget committee for 14 years, and was a member of the executive, academic affairs/libraries, compensation and conflict of interest committees.

He was a member of the boards of visitors for the School of Arts and Sciences and KGSB. He continues to serve Pitt as a community representative to the budget committee and as a member of the KGSB board. He is a member of the Pitt Alumni Association and a campaign volunteer.

• Connolly served as a trustee for 21 years. In 1995 he became board chair, a position he held for six years. As chair of the board, he headed the executive, compensation, conflict of interest and nominating committees. He also served on the audit, budget, health sciences, institutional advancement and investment committees.

He was first vice chair of the UPMC Board of Directors and a member of the UPMC executive committee; second vice chair of the UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside Board of Directors, and a member of the boards of visitors for the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs and KGSB.

He continues to serve as a University director of the UPMC board and executive committee and as a member of the KGSB board.

Connolly earned his JD at Pitt.

He has served as co-vice chair of Pitt’s capital campaign steering committee. He was named a Distinguished Alumni Fellow in 2001 and is the recipient of the Bicentennial Medallion.

• Gleason was a trustee of the University for 12 years. As chair of the Pitt-Johnstown advisory board, she served her first two years on the Pitt board as a representative of the regional campuses.

In 1995, she was appointed a commonwealth trustee, and serveed in that capacity until 2005.

In addition to chairing the student affairs committee, she served on the executive, academic affairs/libraries, audit and property and facilities committees. She also served as a University director of the UPMC board and as a volunteer for Pitt’s capital campaign. She continues to chair the UPJ advisory board and the School of Education board of visitors, and is a community representative to the student affairs committee.

• Hord was a trustee from 1994 to 2005. He chaired the affirmative action committee and was a member of the audit and nominating committees. He also chaired the Graduate School of Public Health board of visitors and served on the College of General Studies, KGSB, School of Social Work and University Center for Social and Urban Research (UCSUR) boards.

He was a University director of the UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside board. He has served as a community representative to the affirmative action committee and as a member of the social work and UCSUR boards of visitors.

Hord earned his MBA at Pitt.

He is a member of the Pitt Alumni Association and the recipient of the KGSB’s Distinguished Alumnus Award and the African American Alumni Council’s Distinguished Alumnus Award.

• Moyé, who was vice chancellor for student affairs and associate professor of chemistry at Pitt, served as a trustee from 1996 to 2006. He was a member of the academic affairs/libraries and institutional advancement committees. He serves on the boards of visitors for the School of Arts and Sciences (A&S) and the School of Information Sciences.

Moyé earned his doctorate in chemistry at Pitt.

He is a lifetime member of the Pitt Alumni Association and a capital campaign volunteer.

He has been awarded the A&S College-Alumni Distinguished Teaching Award, chemistry’s Distinguished Alumnus Award, the African American Alumni Council’s Distinguished Alumnus Award and the San Francisco Bay Area Pitt Club Member of the Year Award.