Lincoln (Neb.) - Nov. 3, 1997 - Y.C. Pao, professor of engineering mechanics at the University of Nebraska, is one of five recipients nationwide of 1997 Undergraduate Computational Science Awards sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy.
Pao will receive the award Nov. 18 at the 1997 SC (supercomputing) Conference in San Jose, Calif.
The award was based on his proposal, "Biomechanics Demonstrated with Bone Architectural Micro-CT Images and Binary Data Applications." The project resulted from Pao's research sponsored by the National Institutes of Health through a consortium agreement with the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. In the project, engineering and biological sciences students are introduced to the basic concept of biomechanics of the micro- structure of porous bones and computation of bone stiffness by direct use of the binary display data.
The demonstration project for bones is an extension of Pao's work with Richard A. Reinhardt of the NU Dental College in 1984. In the earlier project, Pao and Reinhardt developed a biomechanics instructional aid for teaching dental anatomy. Contact: Y.C. Pao, Professor of Engineering Mechanics, (402) 472- 1680. 30 POTTER ELECTED PRESIDENT OF KANT SOCIETY
Lincoln (Neb.) - Nov. 3, 1997 - Nelson Potter, professor of philosophy at the University of Nebraska, has been elected to a three-year term as president of the North American Kant Society.
Potter is the 300-member scholarly society's fourth president since its founding in 1985. The aim of the North American Kant Society is to support and encourage the study of the work of the 18th century German philosopher Immanuel Kant (1724-1804). Although Kant is best known as a philosopher, he made contributions to physics and astronomy, politics, geography and anthropology. He was a major figure in the Enlightenment movement.
As president, Potter is responsible for the society's quarterly newsletter. The society has programs that take place in conjunction with the three major national meetings each year of the American Philosophical Association. It also has a series of books (now five volumes) devoted to understanding and appreciating Kant's philosophy. The North American society has connections with other Kant societies around the world, including the original Kant Gesellschaft (Society) in Germany. Contact: Nelson Potter, Professor, Philosophy, (402) 472-8229 30 JACK MORRIS ELECTED AAAS FELLOW
Lincoln (Neb.) - Nov. 3, 1997 - T. Jack Morris, professor and director of the University of Nebraska School of Biological Sciences, has been elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
The rank of fellow is bestowed on a select number of AAAS members whose work is scientifically or socially distinguished. This year 270 scientists received the honor.
Morris earned his Ph.D. in plant virology at Nebraska in 1973. He was a member of the faculty at the University of California-Berkeley from 1976 until 1990, when he was chosen to head the NU School of Biological Sciences.
Morris' research interests are in the molecular biology of RNA viruses, defective interfering RNAs and virus-host interactions. He also studies the detection of plant viruses and virus diseases with an emphasis on applying recombinant DNA techniques.
Morris and the other new fellows will be honored by the AAAS at a special ceremony during the association's annual meeting Feb. 14 in Philadelphia. Contact: Jack Morris, Professor and Director, Biological Sciences, (402) 472-6676 30 GREG SNOW ON FERMILAB USERS' EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Lincoln (Neb.) - Nov. 3, 1997 - Greg Snow, associate professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Nebraska, has been elected to a two-year term on the Users' Executive Committee at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Batavia, Ill.
Snow also will share the duties of secretary for the committee, which provides a forum for discussion of scientific and administrative matters at Fermilab, a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory that explores the fundamental nature of matter and energy. At four miles in circumference, Fermilab's Tevatron is the world's most powerful particle accelerator. It was used to confirm the existence of the top quark in 1995, research in which Snow was involved.
The Fermilab Users Organization is a group of scientists and engineers engaged in high-energy physics who anticipate substantial involvement in the accelerator facility and the experimental program at the Fermilab accelerator. Contact: Greg Snow, Physics & Astronomy, (402) 472-6279 30 GREAT PLAINS QUARTERLY WINS AWARD
Lincoln (Neb.) - Nov. 3, 1997 - The Western History Association has presented its 1997 Ray Allen Billington Award to the University of Nebraska's Great Plains Quarterly and Gerald Zahavi, associate professor of history at the University of Albany, for his article on communism in Montana.
Zahavi's article, "Who's Going to Dance with Somebody Who Calls You a Mainstreeter?: Communism, Culture and Community in Sheridan County, Mont., 1918-1934," appeared in the fall 1996 issue of Great Plains Quarterly. The article was honored as the "outstanding article dealing with the American West" in 1996.
"We've been trying for this award since the Quarterly was founded," said Frances Kaye, editor of Great Plains Quarterly and an NU professor of English. "It is particularly meaningful to receive it for an article on a radical movement in our history."
The university's Center for Great Plains Studies has
published Great Plains Quarterly for 17 years. The scholarly
journal publishes plains articles on topics of interest to both
the academic and public communities. Assistant history Professor
Charlene Porsild, who will succeed Kaye as editor in January,
accepted the award Oct. 17 in St. Paul, Minn.
Contact: Frances Kaye, Professor of English, Editor of Great
Plains Quarterly, (402) 472-6058
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