UofL faculty, students receive Metroversity Awards

UofL faculty and students received Metroversity Awards Thursday, March 29, from Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer.

  • David Imbroscio, political science, and Melissa Shirley, education, received two of the four $1,000 awards for outstanding instructional development. Imbroscio was honored for “Urban Issues: The City as Laboratory.” Shirley received the award for “Preparing Science Teachers to Implement Emerging Technology.” A 1981 endowment from H. Charles Grawemeyer funds this award.
  • Jared Beek received a first place writing award in the Graduate Fiction division for “In Excelsis Deo”; Mark Allen Williams, received first place in the Graduate Poetry division, for “Hodology,” and Conyer Clayton, received second place in the Graduate Poetry division, for “Bone Bed.”
  • UofL recipients for Outstanding Adult Learner, Outstanding Staff who supports adult learners and Outstanding faculty who supports adult learners are Tonya G. Sexton, undergraduate student; Jiying Ling, graduate student; Ann Herd, faculty, College of Education and Human Development; and Tina Pierce, staff, Physical Plant. More info.

Michael Losavio publishes ‘Information Crisis’

“Information Crisis,” a discussion of reliability in online information by Michael Losavio of the Department of Justice Administration, College of Arts and Sciences, has been published by Chelsea House of New York. It is one in the CyberSafety series of books on safety and competent Internet use. “Information Crisis” reviews the dangers of misleading online information, how to critically assess that information, and the vital role of trusted sources and gatekeepers, such as family, teachers, librarians and editors.

School district honors KEEPS coordinator Joseph

Kimberly Joseph, KEEPS regional coordinator, recently received a Community Leadership Award from the Barren County Board of Education. KEEPS, which stands for Kentucky Energy Efficiency Program for Schools, is administered by the Kentucky Pollution Prevention Center at the J.B. Speed School of Engineering. The award recognizes people outside the school district who give generously and unselfishly of their time, expertise and leadership to make the Barren County School District a stronger district. Joseph serves 30 school districts in central and western Kentucky.

Kulasekera named chair of biostatistics and bioinformatics

Karunarathna “K.B.” Kulasekera, professor and graduate program coordinator of mathematical sciences at Clemson University, will join the School of Public Health and Information Sciences July 1 as the chair of biostatistics and bioinformatics. Read more.

Donald Demuth receives patent for novel biochemical discovery

UofL researchers are a step closer to eliminating periodontal disease through their work to develop synthetic molecules that prevent bacteria responsible for the disease from spreading throughout the mouth. Donald Demuth recently received a patent for his work and has one pending with Frederick Luzzio, professor, Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, with whom he collaborates on his research. Read more.

Kupper Wintergerst honored by Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation

Pediatrics endocrinologist Kupper Wintergerst, MD, was honored at the Community Health Charities’ of Kentucky 15th Annual Champions in Health award celebration as the volunteer of the year for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Wintergerst joined the JDRF board of directors in 2010 and supports numerous JDRF research and education initiatives.

Larson nominated for ACSR executive committee

Ann Larson, vice dean, College of Education and Human Development, has been nominated for the post of south regional representative for the Advisory Council of State Representatives of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. The ACSR executive committee’s role is to help inform the AACTE Board of Directors on the policy and practice developments at the state level and to develop ACSR activities. Her two-year term began in February. Larson also has been elected to represent the south region on the AACTE Advisory Council of State Representatives Executive Committee. Her term as a regional representative will end at the annual meeting in February 2014.

Mark Leach to be keynote speaker

Mark Leach will deliver the keynote address, “Ethics: What’s Happening Internationally,” at the Counseling Psychology Great Lakes Conference. He also is an invited speaker this July for the International Congress of Psychology conference in Cape Town, South Africa, and will speak on global psychological ethics.

Frank Miller featured CMMB volunteer

Frank Miller, MD, was featured for his volunteer work March 27 on the Catholic Medical Mission Board website. CMMB featured 40 stories (one a day) on volunteers and others who have worked with the organization. Miller first volunteered as a medical student in 1968 and worked at a hospital in Tanzania. In 1983, and again recently, he volunteered at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Jirapa, Ghana.See the page.

Adelson selected to serve on AERA committee

Jill Adelson, assistant professor, Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology, was elected to serve as Member-at-Large of the American Educational Research Association’s Educational Statisticians SIG from 2012-2013.

Jim Stone publishes book

Jim Stone, education professor and director of the National Research Center for Career and Technical Education, has published a book titled “College and Career Ready in the 21st Century: Making High School Matter.” The book makes a case for a more meaningful high school experiences for students that refocus efforts from “college for all” to “careers for all.”

Anti-cancer therapy receives patent

Advanced Cancer Therapeutics (ACT), a privately held company dedicated to bringing new anti-cancer therapies to market, announced April 3 that it has received a US Patent titled “PFKFB3 inhibitor for the treatment of a Proliferative Cancer.” ACT is the exclusive licensee to this issued patent that the UofL Research Foundation initially filed. ACT works with the James Graham Brown Cancer Center to advance novel therapeutics for the prevention and treatment of cancer.

Riffat Hassan receives Kennedy Center/Stephen Sondheim Inspirational Teacher Award

UofL professor emerita Riffat Hassan was one of 10 recipients of a Kennedy Center/Stephen Sondheim Inspirational Teacher Awards on March 22. Hassan taught religious studies at UofL between 1976 and 2009. Kennedy Center/Stephen Sondheim recipients each receive $10,000 and are showcased, along with the people they inspired, on a website dedicated to inspirational teachers. A noted composer and lyricist, Sondheim frequently attributes his success to the teachers in his life. Read about Hassan. Read the nomination (opens as PDF).