November 15, 2001
Etc.
RESEARCH/TEACHING HONOR: Gretchen Kalonji, Kyocera Chair in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, was among seven university educators nationwide to be honored with a new National Science Foundation award during a ceremony in Washington, D.C., last week for integrating research into teaching. The Director’s Award for Distinguished Teaching Scholars, given for the first time this year, is part of an effort by NSF Director Rita Colwell to encourage the nation’s leading researchers to be involved in education as well as scientific exploration. As part of her award, Kalonji will receive $300,000 over four years to continue to expand her work beyond the University. Kalonji has pioneered several programs at the UW that encourage engineering students to reach beyond the classroom and engage students from other countries in international research collaborations. Kalonji earned a doctorate at MIT in 1982 and taught there before coming to the UW in 1990.
FISH FAVORITE: Ted Pietsch, Aquatic and Fishery Sciences and Burke Museum, was elected to honorary membership of the Ichthyological Society of Japan at the 34th annual meeting of the society last month. He joins a highly select group of only eight previously honored members – four Japanese, one Russian, one Australian, and two Americans.
BIG SPEECH: Psychology professor Elizabeth Loftus has been selected to give the first Henry and Bryna David Lecture at the National Academy of Sciences next May. The lecture has been endowed to highlight the application of the best social and behavioral sciences research to public policy issues. Loftus will give the lecture to the governing board of the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences and the general public on May 7 in Washington, D.C.
