University Times

The winners of the 2017 David and Tina Bellet Teaching Excellence Award were honored April 4 at a dinner. They are:

• Lillian T. Chong, an associate professor in the Department of Chemistry.

• Gianni Downs, lecturer in scenic design and scene painting and director of undergraduate studies, Department of Theatre Arts.

• Alison Slinskey Legg, director of outreach programs, Department of Biological Sciences.

Established in 1998 by alumnus David Bellet and his wife Tina, this annual award recognizes outstanding and innovative teaching in undergraduate studies in the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences. Award recipients each receive a cash prize of $6,000.

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Brent Doiron, faculty member in the Dietrich school’s Department of Mathematics, has been named a 2017 Vannevar Bush faculty fellow by the U.S. Department of Defense.

“The fellowship program provides research awards to top-tier researchers from U.S. universities to conduct revolutionary high risk, high pay-off research of strategic importance to the Department of Defense,” said Mary J. Miller, acting assistant secretary of defense for research and engineering.

Fellows conduct basic research in core science and engineering disciplines that underpin future DoD technologies, such as quantum information science, neuroscience, nanoscience, novel engineered materials, applied mathematics, statistics and fluid dynamics. Fellows directly engage with the DoD research enterprise to share knowledge and insights with DoD civilian and military leaders, researchers in DoD laboratories, and the national security science and engineering community.

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Audrey Murrell, associate dean at the Katz Graduate School of Business, is the winner in the education category of the YWCA Greater Pittsburgh’s 2017 Tribute to Women Leadership Awards. Winners will be honored at a luncheon May 25 at the Westin Hotel, Downtown.

The awards recognize women who exemplify the YWCA Greater Pittsburgh’s mission of eliminating racism and empowering women.

Murrell has researched, taught and served in capacities that addressed issues of gender, diversity and inclusion, engaging with corporations, universities and other entities to develop diverse talent pipelines.

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The School of Medicine has honored faculty members for outstanding contributions to medical education.

• The Kenneth E. Schuit Dean’s Master Educator Award recognizes basic science and clinical faculty for education-related contributions to the School of Medicine curriculum: Jenifer Lee, medicine, and Antoine Douaihy, psychiatry.

• The Sheldon Adler Award for Innovation in Medical Education recognizes individual achievement in innovation in medical education: Pierre Azzam, psychiatry.

• The Donald S. Fraley Award for Medical Student Mentoring recognizes individuals for their service as mentors to medical students:  Alda Gonzaga, medicine.

•The Clerkship Preceptor of the Year Award recognizes faculty clinical preceptors who consistently provide outstanding clinical instruction in the clerkship setting for Pitt medical students: Julie Graziane, psychiatry; Jon Rittenberger, emergency medicine; Sanjay Lambore, pediatrics; Seth Holst, ophthalmology; Robert Brooks, medicine; Mylynda Massart, family medicine; Thomas Grau, medicine; Cynthia Kenmuir, clinical instructor; Margaret Watt-Morse, obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences; Rajeev Dhupar, cardiothoracic surgery; William McIvor, anesthesiology; and Martin Hellman, pediatrics.

• The William I. Cohen Award for Excellence in Clinical Skills Instruction recognizes faculty who consistently provide outstanding clinical skills instruction: Scott Herrle, medicine, and Eva Reitschuler-Cross, medicine.

• The Award for Excellence in Clinical Precepting recognizes clinical preceptors who consistently provide outstanding clinical instruction in a community setting for Pitt medical students: Cary Andrews-Jaja, obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences; Fiona McLellan, Altoona Family Physicians, medical director, Williamsburg Family Practice; Oksana Karpov, medicine; and Elizabeth Massella, pediatrics.

• The Clinical Educator of the Year Award recognizes individuals for their service as mentors to medical students in elective courses: Robert Sobehart, emergency medicine; Sarah DeBrunner, psychiatry; Geoffrey Kurland, pediatrics; Anna Donovan, medicine; and Jason Chang, emergency medicine.

• The Award for Outstanding Mini-Elective recognizes faculty who volunteer their expertise to present a mini-elective for first- and second-year students: Stephanie Gonzalez, emergency medicine; Diemthuy Bui, medicine; Melissa McNeil, medicine; Lee Wolfson, psychiatry; and Adam Tobias, emergency medicine.

• The Excellence in Education Awards, chosen by the Class of 2018 for valued contributions and dedication to teaching of the organ systems: course director — James Johnston, medicine; lecturer Jeffrey Nine, pathology; small-group facilitators — Michael Mathier, medicine.

• The Excellence in Education Awards, chosen by the Class of 2019 for valued contributions and dedication to teaching of the basic sciences and organ systems: course director — Cynthia Lance-Jones, neurobiology; lecturer — Jeffrey Nine, pathology; small-group facilitator — William Goins, microbiology and molecular genetics.

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Kate Flewelling is the new executive director of the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Middle Atlantic Region (NNLM MAR), which is led by Pitt’s Health Sciences Library System.

She formerly served as MAR’s health professions coordinator and prior to that was outreach coordinator. In her position as the MAR health professions coordinator, she coordinated outreach to health professionals and public health workers with limited access to health information resources. In particular, she promoted free health-related resources made available by the federal government.

Renae Barger, MAR’s former executive director, now serves as MAR’s program lead. Barbara Epstein remains as principal investigator/project director for both MAR and the NNLM Web Services Office.

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The United Way of the Bradford Area (UWBA) will honor James Evans with the Red Feather Volunteer Award.

The Red Feather award honors those who have made an impact on United Way, and the local community as a whole, “through day-to-day selfless attitude and commitment to exemplify the organization’s mission of enhancing the quality of life in the greater Bradford area.”

Evans is vice president and dean of student affairs at Pitt-Bradford.

UWBA executive director Mandi Wilton Davis said: “Dr. Evans served on the United Way’s Board of Directors for eight years, during which time he was very active in the request for proposal process and special events. He was also integral in the transition to the Bradford office managing the Smethport Campaign for United Way.

“He also has been responsible for the internal solicitation of faculty and staff at the University for the annual campaign, having raised over $100,000 in the past 10 years to benefit McKean County.”

Evans has served as a member and president of the board of directors for Futures Rehabilitation Center and The Guidance Center, and is a founding member of the board for the Bradford Ecumenical Home and The Friendship Table — all of which have been funded agencies of the UWBA.

He has been a member of the Bradford Rotary Club for more than four decades, and chair of the Rotary Foundation committee for more than 25 years.

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The American Thoracic Society (ATS) has elected the School of Medicine’s Juan C. Celedón, as its secretary-treasurer for the 2017-18 term.

Celedón then will assume the role of ATS president for the 2020-21 term and will be the first ATS president from Pitt as well as the first Latino American to serve as ATS president.

Celedón is the Niels K. Jerne Professor of Pediatrics in the medical school, professor of medicine, epidemiology and human genetics, and chief, Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Allergy and Immunology at Children’s Hospital.

He has been a member of the ATS since 1993. He received the ATS Recognition Award for Scientific Accomplishments in 2014, and was the first-ever recipient of the Lifetime Award for Innovations in Health Equality in 2015.

His research has focused on asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and on health disparities in airway diseases. His research, which has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, has been recognized with his election to the American Society for Clinical Investigation and the Association of American Physicians.

Celedón will be installed as secretary-treasurer next month at the ATS international conference.

The American Thoracic Society is dedicated to advancing pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine.

Katz Graduate School of Business faculty member J. Jeffrey Inman was elected editor in chief of the Journal of Consumer Research, which focuses on scholarly research that describes and explains consumer behavior.

William Dunn, faculty member in the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, has been named an honorary member of the Network of Institutes and Schools of Public Administration in Central and Eastern Europe.

The award is given to recipients of the Alisa Brunovska Award for Teaching Excellence in Public Administration, and to former network presidents and executive directors.

 

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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