University Times

Pitt law dean Peter M. Shane has been appointed to the Administrative Conference of the United States, an independent federal agency that works to improve the performance of government programs and processes. Shane, an expert on constitutional law, will serve a two-year term beginning July 1, 1995.

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Three Pitt faculty members have been named Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) for their distinguished contributions in physics, psychology and engineering. They are: Wolfgang J. Choyke, a solid state physicist, who is currently studying "large bandgap" semiconductors and their potential uses.

Walter Schneider, a neurophysiologist, who was recognized for his study of human information processing, attention and memory scanning.

Max L. Williams Jr., dean emeritus of the Pitt School of Engineering, who is currently studying structural mechanics, design and behavior of materials, with a focus on cohesive and adhesive fracture.

Founded in 1848, the AAAS is the world's largest federation of scientists. It has more than 140,000 members and publishes the weekly magazine Science. The honor of fellow was granted to only 297 new members this year.

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Ronald W. Frisch, the director of human resources and administration at Deloitte and Touche, has been appointed as the director of Compensation and Benefits in Pitt's Office of Human Resources. In his new role, Frisch will be responsible for all aspects of benefits and compensation and will work to develop a Human Resources Information System.

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John T. Yates, in recognition of his research achievements, has been elected the recipient of a Humbolt Research Award for Senior U.S. Scientists. This award offers the opportunity for an extended research stay in the Federal Republic of Germany.

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Ronald Neufeld, professor of civil and environmental engineering, has been chosen to receive the 1995 Roy F. Weston Award from the Pennsylvania Water Environmental Association. The award is presented to a Pennsylvanian in recognition of outstanding leadership contributions and achievements in the area of industrial waste management.

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Pradeep P. Phule, associate professor of materials science and engineering and a William Kepler Whiteford faculty fellow, has been appointed associate editor of the Journal of the American Ceramic Society.

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Eric J. Palmiere, C. Isaac Garcia, and Anthony J. DeArdo, all faculty members in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, have been awarded the Charles Hatchett Award, an international award presented annually by the Institute of Materials (London), in recognition of the best published research pertaining to niobium. Their award-winning paper was titled "Compositional and Microstructural Changes Which Attend Reheating and Grain Cozrsening in Steels Containing Niobium" and appeared in Metallurgical and Materials Transactions, Vol. 25A,1994. The award will be presented during ceremonies in London on May 10. Niobium is an element important as an alloy addition in the production of high strength and high durability steels.

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Chao-Lin Chiu, professor of civil and environmental engineering, was recently appointed to the Water Resources Review Board of the Republic of China, which reviews and approves all major water-related projects. Chiu also has been awarded a contract from the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for the project "Evaluation of Stream-Sedimentation Models." The project's objective is to prepare a set of guidelines for utility companies to follow in selecting suitable sedimentation models to estimate the rate of reservoir sedimentation.

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Barbara K. Shore, a distinguished service professor in the School of Social Work, has been chosen to receive the Willie Stargell MVP award. This award is presented by the Champions Association for outstanding contributions to the Afro-American community. The award will be presented at a dinner on April 30. Proceeds from this event benefit the Champions Association summer youth programs.

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Bruce Anthony Jones, professor in the School of Education, has been elected to the national Board of Directors of Family Service America, Inc. (FSA), a Milwaukee-based organization of 280 nonprofit family services agencies worldwide.

Jones will help the board and Family Service America president implement FSA's three-year strategic plan that was recently adopted by the board of directors. The strategic plan's new vision, "A Healthy Society Builds on Strong Families and Communities," represents a significant step in recognizing the interdependency of families and communities.

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Anna Roman-Koller, administrative director for the department of pathology, has been appointed chairperson for the Women's Research Awards for the National Association for Women in Education.