Director of Libraries Ann J. Wolpert was elected to a three-year term on the board of directors of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL). The ARL, composed of 120 leading North American research libraries, provides leadership in advocacy and educational efforts within the research and educational community in the areas of information and telecommunications policy, copyright and intellectual property, and also is active in advancing the development, preservation and accessibility of research collections.
Professor Stephen J. Lippard, who chairs the Department of Chemistry, has received an honorary degree from his alma mater, Haverford College, where he earned a bachelor's degree in 1962. His honorary doctorate in science recognizes his "pioneering research in inorganic and biological chemistry [leading] to a number of drug studies involving platinum anticancer drugs, combinatorial drug design and synthesis, and the development of reagents for studying neurochemical signaling."
Music and theater arts lecturer Elena Ruehr was named composer-in-residence with the Boston Modern Orchestra Project (BMOP), a professional orchestra dedicated to music of the 20th century. In addition to composing a new work for the group to premiere next season, Dr. Ruehr will work with the orchestral board on the selection of repertoire and outreach and will present preconcert lectures. She noted that for her first job with BMOP, to find an expert on film music for the fall concert, she searched no further than her own department, selecting MIT's own film music expert, senior lecturer Martin Marks.
At Techcon 2000, a technical conference hosted by the Semiconductor Research Corp. (SRC) in September, Professor Rafael Reif, associate department head of electrical engineering and computer science, was presented with the Aristotle Award. The honor recognized his abilities as teacher and mentor, as well as "his commitment to the educational experience of SRC students and the profound and continuing impact he has had on their professional careers," noting his leadership in building MIT's Microsystems Technology Laboratories and the Engineering Research Center's focus on environmental issues related to semiconductor manufacturing.
Shigeru Miyagawa, professor of linguistics and the Kochi-Manjiro Professor of Japanese Language and Culture, has won a major award in Japan, the Distinguished Award from Multimedia Grand Prix 2000, for the Internet version of his award-winning StarFestivalProject. The prize is comparable to the Emmy Awards for multimedia and Internet products in Japan.
Drs. Penny J. Beuning and Chonghui Cheng in the Department of Biology are among 18 recipients of three-year Runyon-Winchell postdoctoral fellowships bestowed by the Cancer Research Fund of the Damon Runyan-Walter Winchell Foundation. Their MIT sponsors are Professor Graham C. Walker and Institute Professor Philip A. Sharp, respectively. The fellowships are given to young scientists researching cancer causes, mechanisms, therapies and prevention.
Angus Huang, a graduate student in electrical enginerring and computer science, has been selected for the 2000-01 Verizon Academic All-America Football First Team for his athletic and academic achievements.
Five MIT students have been named Ron Brown Scholars by the Ron Brown Scholar Program. They are Jordan Brewer and Francis St. Louis, both seniors in electrical engineering and computer science (EECS); Charly Jeune, a sophomore in EECS; Marc Knight, a junior in EECS; and Sean Nolan, a sophomore in aeronautics and astronautics. The progam provides $10,000 a year for each year of college to African-American students who have demonstrated high academic achievement, strong leadership potential and a clear sense of social responsibility. Scholars attend at least one of the program's summer leadership conferences and are helped in seeking internships and mentors in their fields.
Freshman Eun Lee has been accepted to the Masachusetts Campus Compact (MACC) Leaders Program for 2000-01. MACC recognizesleaders in campus-based community service and gives them a chance to participate in MACC Leader Training, the State Leaders' Retreat, the Annual Youth Heroes Conference, and Alternative Winter and Spring Breaks. MACC Leaders are also eligible for the AmeriCorps Education Award.
A version of this article appeared in MIT Tech Talk on January 10, 2001.
