Rowson Named Associate to President Smith

NU President L. Dennis Smith has named Joseph Rowson as associate to the president for special projects and events management. In his new role, Rowson will be responsible for liaison between the office of the president and a wide range of projects and program development, Smith said. Examples include the Administrative Systems Project, which will revise the university's financial and human resource management systems and the "K-16 Initiative," which attempts to coordinate efforts of the state's elementary and secondary schools with those of higher education.

"This assignment will consolidate work in which Joe is already engaged, and permit his involvement in planning, scheduling and support for university activities," Smith said. "In addition, he will be a member of the administrative staff of the Office of the President, he will remain in close contact with the Office of External Affairs to provide assistance and coordination."

Rowson has been director of public affairs for the university since 1985. Smith recently named Dara Troutman as assistant vice president for external affairs and director of communications. Her assignment includes responsibility for news media relations and support for the university's external affairs efforts. Both Troutman's and Rowson's appointments became effective July 1.

Former NU Press Editor Cox Announces Retirement

Former editor-in-chief of the University of Nebraska Press, Stephen F. Cox, has announced his retirement as director of the University of Arizona Press, effective Oct. 9.

In the 15 years that Cox acted as director, the University of Arizona Press published more than 600 scholarly books and books about the Southwest. In that time, the Press became widely regarded as the top academic publisher of Anthropology, Chicano Studies, Native American Studies and Astronomy books. Cox particularly nurtured the Press's other publishing emphases: Western and Southwestern history, ecology and natural history.

Bullerman Receives Fellows Award

A UNL food scientist received the 1998 Fellows Award from the International Association of Milk Food and Environmental Sanitarians.

The award went to Lloyd Bullerman, a professor in the Department of Food Science and Technology since 1970. His research area involves food safety concerning molds and the mycotoxins they produce.

He was honored Aug. 16 in Nashville, Tenn., at the association's annual meeting.

Bullerman is a native of the Wilmont-Lismore-Adrian area of Minnesota. He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in agriculture, bacteriology and biochemistry at South Dakota State University and his doctorate in microbiology and food technology at Iowa State University.

NU Entomology Student Wins Hardin Fellowship

Fikru Haile, a graduate student in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Department of Entomology, has been named the Hardin Distinguished Graduate Fellowship for the second consecutive year.

Haile's doctoral dissertation deals with the physiology of plant tolerance to insect injury. His research focuses on plant physiology associated with insects as stressors.

Darrell Nelson, dean of NU's Agricultural Research Division, said Haile will be awarded the $2,000 fellowship to supplement his graduate assistantship. The entomology department will receive $1,000 of operational support for the research program.

The Hardin fellowship has been awarded since 1984. It is made possible through an endowment to the University of Nebraska Foundation for agricultural research by Clifford Hardin, former UNL chancellor. Income earned by the fund supports research in plant physiology with emphasis on genetic mechanisms influencing plant responses to stress conditions.

A native of Ethiopia, Haile received his bachelor's degree in plant sciences from Alemaya University of Agriculture in Ethiopia and his master's degree in entomology from the University of Nebraska.

Haile is a member of several professional organizations, including the Entomological Society of America, American Society of Agronomy, Sigma Xi, Committee of Ethiopian Entomologists and Crop Protection Society of Ethiopia.

- Molly Klocksin, IANR

Master of Architecture Program Reaccredited

The professional master of architecture program at the University of Nebraska College of Architecture has been reaccreditated by the National Architectural Accrediting Board Inc.

The five-year term of accreditation was effective Jan. 1, 1998. The NU program is scheduled for its next accreditation visit in the 2002-03 academic year.

Coyne Receives Hort Society Award

Dermot P. Coyne, George Holmes Regents Professor, Department of Horticulture, received the 1998 Outstanding Graduate Educator Award from the American Society for Horticultural Science at the annual meeting in Charlotte, N.C., in July. The nomination, by Paul Read, emphasized Coyne's plant breeding course taught since 1969, major adviser to 37 graduate students, 53 refereed publications on bean genetics based on theses, graduate student awards, 16 years as chair of his department committee and emphasis on graduate education while president of the Society.

Osthus, Simpson New Appointments at EHS

Environmental Health and Safety has appointed Brenda Osthus as new acting director effective July 1. Osthus has been a hazardous materials specialist with EHS since September 1992. She is a certified hazardous materials manager, registered environmental auditor and has a master's of legal studies degree with emphasis in environmental law.

Filling the position of radiation safety officer in Environmental Health and Safety is David Simpson. Simpson is a certified health physicist with a Ph.D. in nuclear engineering and 20 years experience in the field of radiation safety. He comes to the university from Oak Ridge Associated Universities in Oak Ridge, Tenn.