Focus publishes a column on a periodic basis that recognizes significant accomplishments of members of the Rutgers community. Faculty and staff who wish to be recognized for achievement, or those who would like to note the achievements of others, may submit a notice of their awards or honors through the Submit News form.
Edward Arnold, professor of chemistry (NB), has been elected a fellow in the American Academy of Microbiology. The fellows were elected in recognition of their records of scientific achievement and their contributions that have helped to advance microbiology.
Gail Ashley, professor of geological sciences (NB), has been named president of the American Geological Institute and was inducted at the Geological Society of America annual meeting in Philadelphia in October.
Three faculty members at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy have won awards for leadership in planning and education. The Urban Land Institute's Northern New Jersey District Council named David Listokin, co-director of the Center for Urban Policy Research, its Educator of the Year. Listokin, who directs the school's doctoral program, is an authority on community and fiscal impact analysis, housing policy, land-use regulation, and historic preservation. The New Jersey Chapter of the American Planning Association, honored Anton Nelessen, associate professor in the graduate urban planning program, with its President's Award for Distinguished Leadership in Planning. NJAPA also honored Dean James W. Hughes with its President's Award for Distinguished Leadership in Planning Education. Nelessen is a charter member of the Congress of New Urbanism and is recognized as one of the nation's most distinguished urban visionaries. Hughes is a nationally recognized academic expert on demographics, housing and regional economics.
Eleanor Bochenek, a marine scientist at the Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, has been elected by the Jersey Coast Angler’s Association as their Sportsperson of the Year. Bochenek was recognized for her contributions to the “Hooked on Fishing, Not on Drugs Program.”
Christopher Brown, associate professor of history (NB), was awarded the Morris Forkosch Prize by the American Historical Association for his book, Moral Capital: Foundations of British Abolitionism. The prize is awarded annually for the best book published in intellectual history. The association also awarded Brown the James A. Rawley Prize, given annually for a book dealing with the history of American race relations.
Sherri-Ann Butterfield, assistant professor of sociology (Newark), was named a fellow of the Social Science Research Council for the 2006-07 academic year. She will be working on the National Science Foundation-funded “Children of Immigrants in Schools” project, conducting international comparative research and investigating the role of educational institutions and policy in the integration of West Indian and South Asian immigrant students in Great Britain and the United States.
Bernard Coleman, J. Willard Gibbs professor of thermomechanics in the School of Engineering (NB), will receive the Engineering Science Medal from the Society of Engineering Science in 2007. This medal has been awarded only four times since it was instituted in 1987. His contributions to nonlinear continuum mechanics have become standard components of engineering research, and his work has led to general theories of the mechanics and thermodynamics of materials with fading memory.
Warren Crown, associate dean of academic affairs at the Graduate School of Education (NB), received the 2006 Max Sobel Outstanding Mathematics Educator Award from the Association of Mathematics Teachers of New Jersey.
Jonathan Eckstein, professor of management science and information systems at Rutgers School of Business-Newark and New Brunswick, won the 2006 "COIN-OR INFORMS Cup" at the INFORMS annual meeting in Pittsburgh. The award recognizes an effective use of, or significant contribution to the field of, COmputational INfrastructure for Operations Research. Eckstein shares the cup with Cynthia A. Phillips and William E. Hart of Sandia National Laboratories.
Tomás Eloy Martínez, director of the Latin American Studies Program (NB), was awarded the first “Prémio de Criação Literária” (Prize for Literary Creation) by the Casa da América Latina for his book O Vôo da Rainha. This award recognizes outstanding works of literature written by Latin American authors and published in Portugal.
Jerry Frecon, Gloucester County agricultural agent, was the recipient of the 2006 International Fruit Tree Association’s Outstanding Fruit Research Award. The association is an organization of growers, researchers, nurserymen, and educators dedicated to the understanding and dissemination of information on fruit trees.
The following Rutgers faculty and staff were awarded Fulbright Scholar grants for the 2006-2007 academic year: Gerald J. Miller, professor, department of public administration (Newark), to conduct research on the government tax and spending decision project at the University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada; Arthur J. Klinghoffer, professor, department of political science, (Camden) to lecture on law and human rights at the V.M. Salgaocar College of Law, Panjim, India; Jan Kubik, associate professor, department of political science (NB) to lecture on post-communist malaise at the University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland; Urmi Otiv, associate director for student services, Center for International Faculty and Student Services, to study Japanese education and culture; Gail D. Triner, associate professor, department of history, (NB) to lecture and conduct research on subsoil property rights, the state, and economy in Brazil at the Federal University of Fluminense, Niteroi, Brazil.
Charles Gallistel, professor of psychology (NB), was awarded the 2006 Howard Crosby Warren Medal by the Society of Experimental Psychologists for Outstanding Research in Psychology. This award is given annually in the United States and Canada for outstanding achievement in experimental psychology.
Lloyd Gardner, professor emeritus of history (NB), received a scholarly distinction award for lifetime achievement from the American Historical Association.
Lila Gleitman, professor of cognitive science (NB), is president-elect of the Society for Philosophy and Psychology for 2006-2007.
Conrad Herwig, assistant professor of music at the Mason Gross School of the Arts, was recognized with the 2006 Paul Acket Award for Artist Deserving Wider Recognition at the North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam. Formerly known as the Bird Award, the prize is given to an artist who, according to a jury, deserves the attention of a broader audience.
Allan Horwitz, professor of sociology and dean of social sciences, School of Arts and Sciences (NB), received the Leonard W. Pearlin Award for outstanding lifetime contributions to the sociology of mental health from the American Sociological Association.
Lev Ioffe, professor of physics and astronomy (NB), has been named a 2006 American Physical Society Fellow for significant contributions to the theory of spin glasses without quenched disorder, disordered superconductors, high-Tc superconductors, and the discovery of Josephson networks with topological order parameters.
Danielle Josephs, a senior at Douglass College, was selected as one of three student leaders to attend a small roundtable that will be held with the President December 18 at the White House. Also attending will be 10 educators from Jewish higher education institutions around the country.
Mitchell Koza, dean of the School of Business-Camden, joined a group of 40 top-level executives who met with U.S. Federal Reserve President Ben Bernanke this fall.
Joel Lebowitz, George William Hill professor of mathematics and physics (NB), will receive the German Physical Society’s 2007 Max Planck Medal for extraordinary achievements in theoretical physics. The society cites Lebowitz for important contributions to statistical physics of equilibrium and nonequilibrium systems, and for introducing several generations of scientists to the field.
Jack S. Levy, professor of political science (NB), has been appointed as the president-elect of the ISA (International Studies Association). The ISA promotes research and teaching in international studies, and is the most respected and renowned scholarly association in its field. Levy also recently completed a term as president of the Peace Science Society (International).
