Campus Kudos
Engineering professor recognized as scientist of the year
Cockrell School of Engineering Professor Alan Bovik has been awarded the highest technical honor collaboratively given by the Society for Imaging Science and Technology (ISandT) and SPIE, two of the largest academic and industrial societies in the world. Bovik, an electrical and computer engineering professor, was selected for the ISandT/SPIE Imaging Scientist of the Year Award “for his seminal contributions to the computational aspects of biological visual perception, specifically in the areas of image and video quality,” according to the organizations.
Graduate alumnus awarded three-year Harvard Society Fellowship
Christian Rabeling (Ph.D. 2010), an alumnus of the graduate program in Ecology, Evolution and Human Behavior at The University of Texas at Austin, has been awarded a Junior Fellowship from the Harvard Society of Fellows beginning in July 2011. The fellows are chosen because of the high caliber of their intellectual achievement and their proven ability, originality and resourcefulness.
McCombs faculty among top-tier researchers
Andrew B. Whinston, professor at the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin, is identified as the most influential researcher in the field of management information systems in a study that measures the productivity and impact of published work by scientists and scholars using a yardstick called the h-index. Sirkka Jarvenpaa and Anitesh Barua, two other faculty members at the school, are also identified in a group of 130 top-tier researchers exemplifying quality and sustainability of scientific output; and diversity of research.
Education professor awarded Charles D. Henry Award
Dr. Louis Harrison Jr., a professor in the College of Education’s Department of Curriculum and Instruction, has been honored with the 2011 Charles D. Henry Award. The award is presented by the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) to individuals who, through distinguished service to the Alliance, have increased involvement of ethnic minorities in the AAHPERD, increased communication with greater numbers of ethnic minority members, and extended meaningful services to AAHPERD ethnic minorities.
Engineering wireless researchers awarded with center
The Wireless Networking and Communications Group (WNCG), a research center within the Cockrell School of Engineering, has been awarded a prestigious National Science Foundation Industry/University Collaborative Research Center. The award provides WNCG with about $400,000 in initial funding over a five-year period.
Student to compete in 2010 World University Games
USA Swimming selected junior All-American Karlee Bispo to represent the United States this summer at the 2011 World University Games. The 2011 World University Games are set for Aug. 12-23 in Shenzhen, China with the swimming competition slated for Aug. 14-19. Bispo is slated to compete in the 50-meter freestyle, the 200m freestyle and the 800m freestyle relay.
Lopiano, Wilkinson join Texas Sports Hall of Fame
Donna Lopiano, who served as the University of Texas Women’s Athletics Director from 1975-1992, and alumna Laura Wilkinson, who received two NCAA individual diving titles and an Olympic gold medal, were inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame Feb. 7. Inductees must have “contributed significantly to Texas sports history.”
Press Mentions
The New York Times: One Nation, indivisible
Jan. 26
This opinion piece supported the university’s efforts to maintain a diverse student body in light of a recent appellate court decision.
The New York Times: Does Facebook make someone social offline?
Jan. 28
The work of Professor Craig Watkins and graduate student Erin Lee, Department of Radio-Television-Film, on how the use of Facebook impacted users’ social lives was profiled.
The New York Times: “Green” job creation risks backfiring
Feb. 6
A research study from Gurcan Gulen, Bureau of Economic Geology, was cited in this article about the dangers of shifting jobs to green energies.
The New York Times: Former VP Cheney eases up on Obama criticism
Feb. 6
Professor Bruce Buchanan, Department of Government, commented on the observation that former Vice President Dick Cheney has scaled back on his criticism of President Barack Obama.
CBS News: Shutting down the U.S. Internet: A doomsday scenario
Jan. 31
Andrew Whinston, Center for Research in Electronic Commerce in the McCombs School of Business, was interviewed about how an Internet shutdown would affect the U.S. economy.
Time: Debunking the myth of the slippery bachelor
Feb. 3
Professor Mark Regnerus, Department of Sociology, commented on a new study that posited men are as marriage-minded as women.
Reuters: In the dating game, speaking styles count
Feb. 1
Professor James Pennebaker, Department of Psychology, discussed recent research showing that speaking style between couples could predict the success of a relationship.
The New York Times: With a voice and a spirit, triumphing over racism
Feb. 7
This story profiled alumna Barbara Smith Conrad, promoting “When I Rise,” a film produced in part by Don Carleton of the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.
The New York Times: Unknown Hammett story sees the light of day
Jan. 30
Strand magazine publisher Andrew F. Gulli related how he discovered 15 previously unpublished short stories by Dashiell Hammett in the archives of the Harry Ransom Center.
Chicago Tribune: Scalia appears at ‘tea party’ House meeting
Jan. 24
Professor Lucas A. Powe, School of Law, commented on the appearance of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia at a Tea Party event in Washington, D.C.
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