University Times

Freddie Fu, professor and executive vice chair of orthopedic surgery and medical director of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's Center for Sports Medicine, was honored with the National Athletic Trainer's Association 1996 President's Challenge Award. The award is given to a person who has had a lasting impact on sports medicine resulting in a recognizable improvement in the quality of health care related to athletics, athletic training and sports medicine.

Fu, the editor of six major orthopedic texts and author of 51 book chapters related to the management of sports injuries, recently endowed an athletic training scholarship of $100,000 at Pitt to be awarded annually to one student for graduate education.

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Gary Guydosh of the Center for Instructional Development and Distance Education recently won six awards in the 35th Annual University Photographers' Association of America (UPPA) photo competition. In addition to being awarded second place honors for University Photographer of the Year, Guydosh placed second in the Best of Show; Research/Scientific and Nature; Portraits and People, and Sports categories and received an honorable mention in the Campus Environment and Landscape category.

Guydosh was honored at UPAA's 35th Annual Technical Symposium held in San Antonio. Winning entries were chosen by a panel of photographers from across the U.S. and Canada.

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H. J. Zoffer, dean of the Katz Graduate School of Business, has been awarded the first Joint Presidential Citation presented by the Board of Directors of the American Association of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), and the Board of Governors of the national business honorary society, Beta Gamma Sigma.

Zoffer, who is retiring this month after 28 years as dean of the Katz School, was awarded the citation for over 40 years of outstanding service to business and management, his accomplishments in business education, and his dedication to excellence. He served on the board of both AACSB and Beta Gamma Sigma, and was president of AACSB in 1985-86.

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The American Heart Association recently announced that nine researchers from Pitt have received 11 national grants or fellowship worth a total of $574,010. The fellowship awardees receive salary support for a specific time to conduct research. Grants-in-aid are given for work on specific projects. The awardees are Susan Albrecht, Gerald Apadaca, Eric Hoffman, Alan Koretsky, Edwin Levitan, Ian Reynolds, Kim Tyrrell, Flordeliza Villanueva, and William Wagner. In addition, the Pennsylvania affiliate also funds research itself. This year it will provide support for 11 researchers from the University. They are Elias Aizenman, Ahmad Boota, Lora Burke, Christopher Deible, Daniel Fass, James Gammie, John Horn, Dale Hoyt, Noriko Murase, Karen Norris, and Stephen Smith.

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Ron Brown, assistant to the provost, has been chosen as president-elect of the National Association of Academic Advisors for Athletics (N4A). The organization is comprised of academic and student services support personnel who are committed to enhancing the opportunities for academic, athletic and personal success for student-athletes. Donna DeMarino Sanft has been promoted to associate athletic director for student affairs and compliance. Joe Phillips has been promoted to associate athletic director for admissions. Both held assistant director titles prior to their promotions.

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Kimball Smith, director of marketing, has been appointed coordinator of facilities and event management director.

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A research planning grant submitted by Elizabeth Bell-Loncella, professor of chemistry at the Johnstown campus, has been funded by the National Science Foundation.

The project, entitled "Bipyridyl Ruthenium Oximates: Models for Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer," was designed to involve undergraduate students in research through independent study and senior projects. The project will lay a foundation for further study of the transfer of protons and electrons among certain elements, ultimately furthering the study of nitrogen fixation, a major process in biological activity.