University Times

Kevin Kearns, associate professor in the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, has been tapped to help launch a Pittsburgh Foundation initiative aimed at enhancing efforts to assist regional human and community service organizations.

Kearns will take a leave of absence from GSPIA to become president and CEO of the William J. Copeland Fund, a fund through which the Pittsburgh Foundation aids non-profit organizations. Albert Wishart Jr., foundation president and CEO, said, "Today, a growing need exits to address system-wide challenges and opportunities beyond those facing individual organizations. We want to promote excellence among human and community development organizations through information sharing, conferences on specific topics, targeted grant making and advocacy."

To achieve this, the Pittsburgh Foundation is expanding the Copeland fund. Kearns is founding director of Pitt's nationally recognized program in nonprofit management and the author of books and articles on how to apply state-of-the-art management techniques to nonprofit and governmental organizations.

"Our goal is to create a trusted resource for non-profits, government agencies and even for-profit firms that are providing human and community services to the citizens of our region," Kearns said. "We hope this initiative becomes a national model for promoting excellence in the human services sector."

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Eric J. Beckman, Bayer Professor of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, has been named associate dean for research at the School of Engineering.

"Eric has been one of the leading teachers and researchers in the School during the past 11 years," said Dean Gerald D. Holder. "His drive and passion for his work is contagious, and I'm confident he'll help us maintain the research excellence that has made Pitt one of the top engineering schools in the country."

Beckman earned his undergraduate degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts.

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Laura Palmer and Denise Charron-Prochownik are winners of the 2000 Dean's Distinguished Teaching Award in the School of Nursing.

Charron-Prochownik is assistant professor of both nursing and public health, while Palmer is assistant director and instructor in the nurse anesthesia program. The Dean's Distinguished Teaching Award is presented to faculty members who fulfill the school/University teaching mission of helping students to achieve meaningful goals.

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Anthony Delitto, associate professor and chair of the Department of Physical Therapy in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, has been named a Catherine Worthing-ham Fellow by the American Physical Therapy Association. The fellowship, the highest award the association gives, recognizes individuals whose work has resulted in lasting and significant advances in the sciences, education and practice of the physical therapy profession.

Delitto is an internationally respected researcher in low back pain, and has published more than 50 clinically relevant, peer-reviewed publications. He is an editorial board member of Physical Therapy, the association's scientific journal, as well as a member of the foundation for Physical Therapy's doctoral research awards committee.

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Bovey Lee, assistant professor of studio arts, was one of six artists whose work was exhibited at the Legion of Arts/CSPS in Iowa from May through July. The exhibition, entitled "Crossing the Line," addressed the transitions living across borders and cultural identities of artists of Asian descent.

From August to October, Lee also participated in the exhibition "Beyond Ethnic Stereotype" at the Kennedy Museum of Arts in Athens, Ohio.

This month, Lee will exhibit her digital iris prints at the Gibson Gallery at SUNY Potsdam, New York, in "American Identities: Body, Land, Place, Words, Spirit."

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James Irrgang, assistant professor and vice chair of clinical services in the Department of Physical Therapy in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, has been reappointed to the Pennsylvania State Board of Physical Therapy for his second four-year term.

Irrgang also recently received the University of Pittsburgh Distinguished Teaching Award, only the second SHRS faculty member to win the award.

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Chemistry professor Kenneth Jordan has been named winner of the Pittsburgh Award for 2000. The award, given by the Pittsburgh Section, recognizes leadership in chemical affairs in the community.

The Titusville campus has named five new advisory board members: Emil Spadafore, an attorney form Meadville; Patricia Combine-Simon, president and general manager of WQLN in Erie; Kenneth Winger, superintendent of the Titusville Area School District; Lawrence Fledderman, vice president and market manager at National City Bank in Titusville, and Stephen Coleman, manager of the Northwest Savings Bank office in Titusville.