University Times

Lauren Resnick, director of the Learning Research and Development Center (LRDC) since 1977, will resign her post in summer 2008. Resnick, University Professor of Psychology and Cognitive Science, will focus on her internationally renowned research and will continue in her role as director of Pitt’s Institute for Learning.

Promoted to the rank of University Professor in January 2006, Resnick is the founder and director of the Institute for Learning, which provides organizational design, professional training services and research on learning and teaching advances to urban school districts across the nation.

She also was the co-founder and co-director of the New Standards Project, which developed educational standards and assessments for school districts and governments.

Among Resnick’s many honors are the European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction Oeuvre Award for outstanding contributions to the science of learning and instruction, the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Edward L. Thorndike Award for distinguished contributions to psychology of education and APA’s 2007 Distinguished Contribution of Applications of Psychology to Education and Training Award.

She is a lifetime national associate of the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine; a member since 1981 of the National Academy of Education; a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and a fellow of the American Psychological Association.

Resnick was founding editor of Cognition and Instruction and, more recently, of Research Points. She is past president of the American Educational Research Association.

A search committee, chaired by Vice Provost George E. Klinzing, will be formed to identify a new director of LRDC.

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Dennis Curran, Distinguished Service Professor of Chemistry and Bayer Professor, has won the 2007 Harry and Carol Mosher Award. The Mosher award is given annually by the Santa Clara Valley section of the American Chemical Society (ACS). The award is given to those who recognize and encourage outstanding work in chemistry, advance chemistry as a profession and provide service to ACS.

Curran’s research focuses on natural products total synthesis, new synthetic methods and stereochemistry.

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Anthony Delitto, professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, has been selected as a 2007 recipient of the Lucy Blair Service Award by the American Physical Therapy Association.

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Jaime B. Talkowski, instructor in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, recently was awarded the Promotion of Doctoral Studies II Award from the Foundation of Physical Therapy, which is a scholarship for outstanding research potential and academic performance.

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Joseph T. Hanlon, professor of geriatric medicine and pharmacy at the schools of medicine and pharmacy and the Institute on Aging, and research health scientist at the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, was the 2007 recipient of the Edward Henderson Award.

The award is presented to an individual whose research and publications help shed light on and improve problems inherent in elder care.

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Judith Gavaler, professor emeritus of pharmaceutical sciences at the School of Pharmacy, received the Distinguished Alumni Award at Hood University last month in Frederick, Md.

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Susan Whitney, professor, Department of Physical Therapy, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, recently was named a Catherine Worthingham fellow of the American Physical Therapy Association. There are fewer than 100 APTA fellows in the United States.

Catherine Worthingham fellows of the APTA are recognized as those persons whose work has resulted in lasting and significant advances in the science, education and practice of the profession of physical therapy.

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The School of Nursing has announced the following faculty awards: Sigma Theta Tau International Honors Society of Nursing Awards to Ann Mitchell for leadership, to Eileen Chasens for education, to Gail Woomer for fostering professional standards and to Elizabeth Schlenk for research.

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

The action team works to guide the future direction of WEDnetPA, an alliance of educational providers with a mission to make Pennsylvania more competitive by updating and improving skills of employees to meet the specific needs of companies.

Robinson’s appointment runs through June 2008.

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Jean Ferguson Carr, associate professor of English, has been named director of the women’s studies program, effective Aug. 1. Carr teaches composition, women’s studies and literary studies, focusing on 19th-century American constructions of literacy and letters. She is co-editor of the Pittsburgh Series in Composition, Literacy and Culture and has edited two volumes of the works of Emerson.

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Pittsburgh native Paul Klaczak has been named the associate athletics director for business development, facilities and special projects.

Klaczak comes to Pitt from the University of Cincinnati where he was an associate director of athletics for nine years, overseeing operations, facilities and other areas within athletics.

He was project leader for Cincinnati’s $112 million Varsity Village, including its construction projects and all facility renovations. He assisted in raising more than $40 million.

At Cincinnati, Klaczak’s responsibilities included assisting with the daily operation of the department, oversight of all athletics facility construction and renovation, assisting with athletics facility fundraising and financing, sports oversight and supervision of facilities and event operations. His duties also included oversight of strength and conditioning, equipment operations and information technology.

In his capacity at Pitt, Klaczak will be responsible for the operations and management of all athletics facilities in coordination with Facilities Management. He also will serve as liaison for the construction of new athletics facilities and oversee all game/event management.

“Paul’s extensive background and success in athletics, particularly in the areas of facility construction and renovation, will be a great asset to us in the near future,” said Jeff Long, director of Athletics. “A focus of the Pitt athletic department is to provide the best facilities, equipment, training and health care to ensure our student-athletes have the opportunity to excel. The addition of Paul to our staff continues to move us in that direction.”

Plans for Pitt’s new facilities already have begun with new soccer, track, baseball and softball facilities expected in the near future, while other updates and facility expansions are in the early stages.

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Lynn M. Martire, associate professor of psychiatry and associate director of gerontology at the School of Medicine, has received the Margret M. and Paul B. Baltes Foundation Award from the Gerontological Society of America (GSA). This award acknowledges outstanding early career contributions in behavioral and social gerontology.

Martire will receive a plaque and a $1,000 cash award.

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Barbara Epstein, director of the Health Sciences Library System, was elected chair of the leadership and management section of the Medical Library Association for 2007-08.

Epstein is a member of the Academy of Health Information Professionals of the Medical Library Association.

She has authored more than 20 publications, focusing on the role of the academic medical center library in training public librarians, designing curricula, Internet health resources, management challenges in health science librarianship and mental health information resources.

Epstein was instrumental in the development of the Health Sciences library and bioinformatics traineeship program funded by the National Library of Medicine.

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Center for Instructional Development and Distance Education photographer Mike Drazdzinski won the Blue Ribbon award in a Triangle Photographers Association of Pennsylvania competition. Drazdzinski’s entry featured his photographs from Pitt basketball games.

Triangle Photographers Association is a professional association and is an affiliate of Professional Photographers of America and Professional Photographers of Pennsylvania.

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