University Times

Kim Beals (Crawford), faculty member in the Department of Sports Medicine and Nutrition in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences will be awarded the Henry Wellcome Medal and Prize on Nov. 14 for her paper “Less Body Fat Improves Physical and Physiological Performance in Army Soldiers.”

The paper was published in the Journal of Military Medicine, the monthly publication of the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States.

This award was developed to encourage all federal health care personnel to take an active role in biomedical research and development.

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Kevin Conley, assistant dean for undergraduate studies and program director for athletic training education in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, has been appointed medical director for Team USA at the Special Olympics World Winter Games taking place in PyeongChang, South Korea, Jan. 26-Feb. 5, 2013.

Conley will oversee a staff of four providing medical coverage for 151 athletes as well as 62 coaches and management team staff.  He also will be responsible for managing the logistical needs of the medical staff including transportation to competition venues, necessary equipment,  supplies and communications.

Team USA also will participate in a pre-games training camp Dec. 10-14 in Lake Placid.

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The Johnson Institute for Responsible Leadership in the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs will give its 2013 Exemplary Leader Award to Chancellor Mark Nordenberg Nov. 16.

Kevin P. Kearns, Johnson Institute director, said: “Chancellor Nordenberg has provided outstanding leadership and stewardship at the University of Pittsburgh and has done so with the highest standards of professionalism and integrity. As universities around the nation struggle to pursue their missions under increasingly severe fiscal constraints, and with calls for greater accountability for performance and outcomes, Mark Nordenberg has set the University on a course of greater excellence than ever before. Our reputation has significantly grown under his leadership and he been a forceful and articulate advocate for Pitt in national, state and local political arenas.”

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David A. Vorp, William Kepler Whiteford Professor of Bioengineering at the Swanson School of Engineering, has been appointed associate dean for research at the school, effective Oct. 15. Vorp succeeds Mark Redfern, who was named as Pitt’s vice provost for research in August.

Vorp has secondary appointments in the surgery and cardiothoracic surgery departments in the School of Medicine.

He earned both his BS and PhD degrees in mechanical engineering from the Swanson school in 1986 and 1992, respectively.

Vorp began his academic career in 1992 when he joined the faculty of the Department of Surgery. He has been part of the Department of Bioengineering since its founding in 1996, and served as its graduate program chair 2001-09.  He also serves as the founding director for the Center for Vascular Remodeling and Regeneration, and is co-director of the Center for Medical Innovation.

Vorp has worked closely with colleagues to develop a multi-disciplinary National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded research program focusing on abdominal aortic aneurysm disease, vascular “mechanopathobiology” (the role of biomechanical forces in the development of vascular disease) and tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications for vascular and urethral systems. His research has been supported by over $8 million in funding as principal investigator and an additional $4 million as collaborating investigator.

He co-founded Neograft Technologies, which focuses on the commercialization of Angioshield, a vein graft modification technology developed in his laboratory.

Angioshield creates a structural polymeric layer surrounding the harvested vein that mechanically supports it against over-dilation from arterial pressure. He currently holds four patents for this and other technologies.

In 2011 Vorp was recognized for his research achievements with the Van C. Mow Medal from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and twice earned a Pitt Innovator Award.

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Carys Evans-Corrales, faculty member in Spanish at Pitt-Bradford, has been invited to serve as co-editor of a Galician language edition of Metamorphoses, an academic journal published by Smith College that focuses on literary translation.

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Matt Kropf, director of the American Refining Group/Harry R. Halloran Jr. Energy Institute at Pitt-Bradford, served on the abstract review committee for the 2012 National Advanced Biofuels Conference.

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Harry J. Gruener, faculty member in the law school and director of the Family Law Clinic, was awarded the School of Law Excellence in Teaching Award by the 2012 graduating class. The award is given each year to the faculty member whose teaching has made the greatest impact on the class. This year marks the second time Gruener has been so honored.

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At the 2012 Chautauqua Literary Arts Awards, Pitt-Bradford adjunct writing faculty member Carol Newman won the Hauser Award for Fiction with her story “Pens.”

She also earned second place in the adult poetry category for “Retrospection” and an honorable mention for “If a Hen Runs Into Your House.”

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The People of the Times column features recent news on faculty and staff, including awards and other honors, accomplishments and administrative appointments.

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