Untitled Document

Auburn University

Friday, September 8, 2006

Good morning! Here's today's summary of news coverage of Auburn University.
NOTE: Any errors in text are due to formatting by the publication.

Total Clips: 4

Headline		Date	Outlet
	Entries sought for AU Diversity organization's essay contest	09/08/2006	Opelika-Auburn News
	AU awards professors for work	09/08/2006	Opelika-Auburn News
	Auburn University honors faculty members	09/08/2006	WRBL-TV
	UAB lands $8.6M grant to develop regional hub for neuroscience	09/07/2006	Birmingham Business Journal


Entries sought for AU Diversity organization's essay contest 09/08/2006 Opelika-Auburn News Jessica R. Elmore		Return to Top
Kids say the darndest things. Auburn University's Diversity and Tolerance Organization is hoping children will transfer their thoughts to paper, in essay format that is. "We thought that for a peaceful society, interfaith and intercultural dialogue should also be promoted among youth as (the) U.S. becomes more diverse, and we need more understanding and tolerance in a global world," said Omer Ozbek, a DTO officer and industrial engineering doctoral student. Talk about perfect timing. The monthlong essay contest coincides with the beginning of the new school year as children ease out of summer into "back to school" mode. During September, sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders living in Lee, Macon and Montgomery counties are encouraged to enter original, unpublished essays of no more than 1,000 words to compete for cash prizes. Middleschoolers can choose from one of five topics, for example: Why do we need to understand other people's cultures, lives, beliefs and values? All five topics were developed to "promote understanding and positive interaction among different cultures and communities." "It's easy to stereotype groups of people when they are abstract," AU's Dr. Jada Kohlmeier said. "It's human interaction that really enhances the learning to appreciate that things that are different aren't necessarily wrong." Kohlmeier, who teaches in the department of curriculum and teaching, will join Dr. Philip Lewis and Dr. Jeremy Downes on the panel of judges. Lewis teaches in the psychology department, and Downes is a professor in the English department. The panel members will consider style, content, clarity, articulation and organization as they pick the three best essays. "The main thing ... an essay would want to be personal," Kohlmeier said of a potentially powerful and persuasive essay. Kohlmeier and Ozbek agree that learning about other cultures is crucial in a child’s development. "We always learn a lot and are enriched when we get to know people from other cultures ... ," Kohlmeier said, "makes our own culture more transparent to us." Ozbek understands the importance of intercultural dialogue - why wait until adulthood to expand one's understanding of how others live. "By being in constant communication with other people who have different traditions," Ozbek said, "everyone has the opportunity to refine and appreciate his/her own beliefs and traditions." The 2006 essay contest is sponsored by AU's Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs, the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Lee County and the Istanbul Center for Culture and Dialogue. For more information visit http://www.auburn.edu/student_info/diversity_tolerance_org/
Full Story

AU awards professors for work 09/08/2006 Opelika-Auburn News Amy Weaver		Return to Top
And the award for outstanding academic achievement at Auburn University goes to ... Joseph Kicklighter, Robert Lishak, Davis Worley and David Bransby. The quartet of longtime faculty members were singled out from their colleagues and honored Thursday night in an annual awards ceremony at Telfair Peet Theatre. Several other faculty were recognized as well. This was the first time awards for instruction, outreach and research were given in a combined, formal ceremony. Together, Kicklighter, Lishak, Worley and Bransby have more than 110 years of experience at Auburn. They have taught a countless number of students, including children of former students. They have found wide recognition for their actions in and out of the classroom. They are experts in their respective fields - history, biological sciences, chemistry and agronomy. They are the among the best at what they do - at least here at Auburn. Awards presented to each of them Thursday are the highest academic accolades from the university. Robert Lishak Lishak, an associate professor of biological sciences, considers the Gerald and Emily Leischuck Endowed Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching "the most prestigious teaching award" at Auburn and quite possibly the country. When the award was started last year, he thought only the Joe Kicklighters of the world, the "living legends of teaching," would be its recipients. This year, both Lishak and Kicklighter, a professor of history, are the chosen pair. Both received the recognition and $10,000 each. "I am honored to receive the award and to be in the same company as Joe," Lishak said. "I didn't even think I was in that league." Lishak is in his 31st year at Auburn. He teaches some graduate-level courses, but mostly the core biology class for freshmen. He relishes in the challenge of teaching undergraduates, especially those who are non-science majors. They often are ones to have a negative attitude toward science. "My objective from day one is trying to turn around those attitudes," he said. Lishak faces the challenge head-on by relating science to real-life situations, like explaining why skin gets prune-like in water over time and why the brain seems to freeze after drinking an ice cold beverage too quickly. "There is no excuse for not connecting to students," he said. He knows his long career at Auburn has been a success when he encounters former students in random places who tell him how his teaching style changed their attitude. "Even if I've had 1 percent success, I’ve changed a lot (of attitudes) with the amount of students I taught," Lishak said. Joseph Kicklighter Kicklighter doesn’t like to hear people call history boring. "You wouldn't say that if you were one of my students," he insisted. History is more than facts and dates in his classroom. The challenge is to make all 200 students required to take his class enjoy the significance of the past. "You have to keep it at a level they will understand and appreciate," he said. "If you don't keep their attention you lose them." Kicklighter, who has been teaching at Auburn since 1975, still brings an endless supply of enthusiasm to the job, even as he ages. He said animation is key. "Without it, it's a lost cause," he said. He believes his positive attitude is contagious. He acts as if everyday is a good day and expects the same from his students. He may give those who nod off during a lecture a hard time, but they know he is simply looking out for them. He wants every student to learn. "Teaching is what I have dedicated my life to," Kicklighter said. "If I deserved any recognition, it would be in that area." Kicklighter is perhaps best known for the time he spends with students outside of class. Over the years, students have asked him to advise groups such as social fraternities and honor societies. There were times when he attended a different meeting every night. "It allowed me to spend a lot of time with students outside of class so you get to know them on a different level," he said. Davis Worley Worley beams like a proud father when he talks about how people around the world will benefit from his years of research at Auburn. Technology developed by the chemistry professor and his students is being commercialized by a Seattle company in India as a means to disinfect water. The water supply in many Third World countries is undrinkable because of impurities. Worley said filters with resin beads developed here absorb the chlorine, making the water safe to drink. "That's the best thing," he said. "Knowing something you've done is important to the rest of the people." Worley has been at Auburn since 1974, but spent the last 10 to 15 years developing compounds and materials to kill bacteria in water and solid surfaces. His work has led to several patents over the years that he says are most useful to the health of the world population. He was recognized Thursday with the $5,000 Creative Research and Scholarship Award. "It makes you feel very good," he said. "Being here 32 years, the things I have done have led to a reward like this." David Bransby Bransby has spent his tenure at Auburn - more than 20 years - studying bioenergy. The professor of agronomy and soils from South Africa is an international expert in the field. "This whole area of bioenergy that I have been working on has become very important," he said. "The potential benefits are endless. But we need prominent people to recognize its importance. The greatest need now is outreach." Lately Bransby's focus has switched to sharing his knowledge with everyone he can, especially legislators. He was recognized Thursday with the $5,000 Award for Excellence in Faculty Outreach. Enabling policy is our biggest need, but you can't get that changed until you inform people," he said. Biofuels are better for the environment because they don't release carbon into the air, which causes global warming and climate changes, Bransby said. Plus, the United States would no longer be dependent on foreign oil. Military troops defending fields in the Middle East could come home, he said. "I haven't found a downside (to bioenergy)," Bransby said.
Full Story

Auburn University honors faculty members 09/08/2006 WRBL-TV Staff		Return to Top
On Thursday, Auburn University honored some of its own. In a ceremony at Telfair Peet Theatre, four AU faculty members: Joseph Kicklighter, Robert Lishak, Davis Worley and David Bransby were recognized for their outstanding academic achievements. Joseph Kicklighter, a professor in the department of History (College of Liberal Arts) was the recipient of The Gerald and Emily Leischuck Endowed Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching. Joseph Kicklighter is currently the Undergraduate Program Officer for the Department of History and has been teaching history at Auburn since 1975. He received his B.A. magna cum laude at the University of the South, and his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from Emory University. He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Along with advising all undergraduate history majors and regular teaching of the world history surveys, Kicklighter offers more advanced coursework on Greco-Roman, medieval, and English history. He has written on medieval Anglo-French relations in the Annales du Midi and the Journal of Medieval History, among other journals. His current research interest focuses on Anglo-Papal relations in the 13th and 14th centuries. He is the recipient of various awards for his teaching and advising student organizations, including the Student Government Association’s Award for Outstanding Professor four times. Over the years he has been the faculty adviser of numerous honor societies and other student organizations. Biography (courtesy of Auburn University) Robert Lishak, an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences (College of Sciences and Mathematics), also received the Gerald and Emily Leischuck Endowed Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching. Robert Lishak has been teaching life sciences courses at Auburn University since 1976. He graduated with honors from Seton Hall University and earned his Ph.D. degree in zoology from Ohio State University. Since coming to Auburn, he has been closely associated with the General Biology Program where he routinely teaches freshman-level courses intended for those students majoring in biological sciences, as well as those in non-science curriculae. His area of specialization is the study of the behavior of animals, and he teaches a graduate-level course in ethology. He is also interested in enhancing teaching and learning in the classroom and laboratory and offers a graduate-level course in Biology Teaching Effectiveness. His research interests involve the acoustic behaviors of animals and his studies have been published in peer-reviewed journals. A considerable portion of his time involves outreach activities and he has participated in many of the college’s community programs. He is the recipient of various awards for his teaching, outreach, and advising, including the Burlington Northern Foundation Faculty Award for Teaching, College of Sciences and Mathematics Dean’s Award for Outstanding Teaching, Auburn University Alumni Association Undergraduate Teaching Excellence Award, Auburn University Chapter Beta Beta Beta Teacher of the Year Award, Auburn University Panhellenic Council’s Outstanding Professor Award, AU Student Government Association Teaching Award, College of Sciences and Mathematics Dean’s Award for Outstanding Advising, and College of Sciences and Mathematics Dean’s Award for Outreach. Biography (courtesy of Auburn University) S. Davis Worley, a professor and Interim Chair for the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (College of Sciences and Mathematics), was the recipient of the Creative Research and Scholarship Award. S. Davis Worley earned his Ph.D. at the University of Texas in 1969. His post-doctoral work was at the Johnson Spacecraft Center from 1969 through 1972. In 1974, Worley began work at Auburn University, and continues his research in diverse areas, i.e., UV photoelectron spectroscopy, XPS, molecular orbital computations, FTIR studies of molecular interactions with supported catalysts, and synthesis and testing of antibacterial N-halamine monomers and polymers for water disinfection and antimicrobial coatings. The water disinfection technology developed by Worley and his students is being commercialized in India. He has earned the following distinguished awards: 1981-86 AU Alumni Professor; 1992-93 AU College of Sciences and Mathematics and Alpha Epsilon Delta (Premed Honorary) Teacher of the Year; 2001-04 AU Scharnagel Professor of Physical Sciences; 2004 College of Sciences and Mathematics Dean’s Research Award; and the Charles Stone Award as Outstanding Chemist in the Southeast presented by the Carolina-Piedmont Section of the American Chemical Society; 2006 AU Creative Research and Scholarship Award. Worley’s research has been published in more than 200 manuscripts in international journals, presented at 136 national and international meetings, and has produced more than 30 issued patents on biocidal compounds for which work has been featured on national radio and television. He has received more than $3.5 million in extramural funding, and more than $1 million in license and royalty fees. Biography (courtesy of Auburn University) David I. Bransby, a professor in the Department of Agronomy and Soils (College of Agriculture), was the recipient of the Award for Excellence in Faculty Outreach. David Bransby was born in South Africa and raised on a small dairy farm. He received his B.S. and Ph.D. degrees in agriculture from the University of Natal, South Africa, and a M.S. from the University of Missouri. He served on the faculty of the University of Natal for 12 years prior to immigrating to the United States in 1987 and becoming a naturalized American in 1992. He was hired by the Department of Agronomy and Soils at Auburn University to teach and conduct research in forage and livestock production, but was also assigned responsibilities for research in energy crops and bioenergy. Bransby has developed a national and international reputation for his work in both of these fields. As a result of the current energy crisis and implications for national security, his research and outreach activities with energy crops and bioenergy have become particularly relevant and high profile. Biography (courtesy of Auburn University) Several other awards were also presented during the event, including: Alumni Undergraduate Teaching Excellence Awards These awards are presented on the basis of outstanding teaching of undergraduates from nominations made by department heads, deans, alumni, and students. A committee of retired faculty selects the recipients. The 2006 Recipients are Sheri Brock, Health and Human Performance; Brian Gibson, Aviation Management and Logistics; Paula Peek, Consumer Affairs. Alumni Professors Twenty-five, five-year non-renewable Alumni Professorships are sponsored by the Auburn Alumni Association, with funds endowed from Auburn Annual Giving. The Alumni Writer-in-Residence, a creative writer from the English faculty, is the only ongoing appointment. The Vice President for Academic Affairs/Provost calls for nominations from department heads through deans. The awards are presented on the basis of research, publishing, and teaching. New Alumni Professors Kelly Alley, Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work Kenneth Halanych, Biological Sciences Jeffrey Katz, Psychology Yoon Y. Lee, Chemical Engineering Michael McKee, Chemistry and Biochemistry Current Alumni Professors Sushil Bhavnani, Mechanical Engineering Kai H. Chang, Computer Science and Software Engineering Patricia Duffy, Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology Ray Dugas, Art Rex Dunham, Fisheries and Allied Aquacultures Mona El-Sheikh, Human Development and Family Studies George Flowers, Mechanical Engineering William F. Gale, Mechanical Engineering Ram Gupta, Chemical Engineering Kelly Dean Jolley, Philosophy
Full Story

UAB lands $8.6M grant to develop regional hub for neuroscience 09/07/2006 Birmingham Business Journal		Return to Top
The University of Alabama at Birmingham has received a five-year, $8.6 million National Institutes of Health grant to establish the Alabama Neuroscience Blueprint Core facility, a southeastern regional hub for neuroscience research. The NIH created the Blueprint for Neuroscience Research in 2004 to develop new tools, resources and training opportunities to accelerate the pace of discovery in neuroscience research and began accepting applications for the core facility funding earlier this year. UAB is only the fourth institution funded to date by the NIH to participate in the initiative. In a news release, Dr. Robert Rich, UAB's senior vice president and dean of the UAB School of Medicine, said the facility promises to "vault Alabama to the top tier" in national neuroscience research because it will spawn the necessary infrastructure to "support, sustain and build neuroscience research programs across the state and region." "This grant award lays the essential groundwork for a world-class neuroscience research environment in Alabama," Rich said. The funding will provide neuroscience investigators across the Southeast with access to six shared core facilities designed to complement existing programs and offer unprecedented ability for researchers to develop and study unique animal models of nervous system function and dysfunction. "This, in turn, should help speed the development of new drugs and therapies for a wide range of neurologic and psychiatric conditions and diseases," said facility director Dr. Kevin Roth in the statement. Roth is a UAB professor of pathology and director of the division of neuropathology. "This is a truly collaborative effort, crossing institutional lines and synergizing activities across many disciplines," Roth said. The six core facilities - slated to focus on molecular engineering, cellular and molecular neuropathology, neuroimaging, in vivo physiology and phenotyping, synaptic physiology and administration - will be fully operational in about six months, following the purchase and installation of additional equipment. Limited services will be provided in the interim. In addition to supporting UAB research, the facility will also support the activities of researchers conducting NIH blueprint-funded work at the Southern Research Institute, Auburn University, the University of Alabama, the University of South Alabama, Tulane University and other participating southeastern institutions.
Full Story