•   Two faculty awarded endowed professorships
•   Decorations & Distinctions
•   Star Heels

Two faculty awarded
endowed professorships

Two faculty members have been awarded endowed professorships. They are:

• Patrick O'Neill, Norman and Dorothy Eliason distinguished term professor of English; and

• Jayasharnkar "Jay" Swaminathan, Benjamin Cone term research associate professor of business.

O'Neill
O'Neill teaches medieval English and Celtic literature. He served as an academic adviser in the College of Arts and Sciences for many years and subsequently served as undergraduate chair in the English department.

He studies the intellectual culture, especially Christian, of the British isles in the period 600-1100 A.D. and has written "The Biblical Glosses of John Scottus Eriugena" and co-

authored "King Alfred's Old English Translation of the Psalms."

Last year, O'Neill was a fellow at the National Humanities Center and has been a research associate at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies.

He is active in local Irish-American societies and enjoys collecting clocks and visiting small central N.C. towns. O'Neil earned his Ph.D. at the University of Pennsylvania.

The professorship is effective through June 2005.

The Norman and Dorothy Eliason Distinguished Professorship in English was established in 2001 by Dorothy Eliason in memory of her husband, Norman, a Kenan professor of English who was an internationally known linguist and medievalist. Dorothy Eliason established the professorship and graduate fellowship because, as she said, "I wanted the world to know my husband was a great teacher."

Swaminathan
The Kenan-Flagler Business School professor teaches courses in global operations and supply chain management. In addition to studying ways to optimize the flow of goods and service, Swaminathan studies the impact of the Internet on business.

He is the chair of the school's operations technology and innovation management area and the George E. Nicholson Student Paper Competition of the Institute for Operations Research and Management Sciences (INFORMS) from which he received first prize in 1996.

Swaminathan has received a four-year NSF CAREER Award for outstanding research and teaching potential.

He earned his Ph.D. at Carnegie Mellon University Graduate School of Industrial Administration. Swaminathan enjoys listening to classical music, as well as playing and following tennis and cricket.

The professorship is effective through February 2005.

The Benjamin Cone Term Research Professorship was established in 1999 with a gift from his widow, Anne Coleman Cone. A member of the class of 1920, Cone worked in the family textile business, Cone Mills, at one time the largest cotton mill in the South and the second largest denim plant in the world. He died in 1982.

Decorations & Distinctions

Dennis Cheek
Assistant professor in the School of Nursing and the Carolina Center for Genome Sciences, Cheek was recently selected to become a fellow of the American Heart Association (AHA) Council on Cardiovascular Nursing. He will be recognized at the 75th AHA Scientific Sessions in November.

Sandra Funk
Associate dean for research in the School of Nursing, Funk will be honored Nov. 2 at the American Academy of Nursing's annual meeting with an honorary fellowship for her outstanding contributions to nursing research and scholarship.

Evelyne Huber and John D. Stevens
Huber and Stevens won three major awards for their book "Development and Crisis of the Welfare State: Parties and Policies in Global Markets." The work was named best book on political economy in 2001 by the American Political Science Association's (APSA) political economy section, runner-up for the Leubbert Best Book Award from the APSA's comparative politics section, and an honorable mention from the American Sociological Association's political sociology section.

Huber is the Morehead alumni professor of political science and director of the Institute of Latin American Studies. Stephens is the Gerhard E. Lenski distinguished professor of political science and sociology.

Timothy A. Turvey
Chair of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Turvey represented the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons at the opening ceremonies of the second World Cleft Congress in Munich, Germany, on Sept. 14. Turvey delivered greetings and presented a check for $5,000 to the congress on behalf of the association.

Richard Vance Wolfenden
Alumni distinguished professor of biochemistry, Wolfenden will be inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences on Oct. 5. Wolfenden was elected to membership of the Academy based on his contributions to sciences, scholarship, public affairs and the arts.

Star Heels

Jodie Sirls, English
Sirls' "positive attitude, pleasant demeanor and wonderful skills have the Writing Program running efficiently. "

Laura Smith, Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research
"An exceptional employee," Smith "assisted with organizing the center's volunteers activities at the homeless shelter."

Phyllis Smith, School of Pharmacy
"Anyone who sits at Phyllis' desk for one day will be amazed at all the duties she performs."

Virginia Sprague, Anthropology
Sprague was nominated as "an asset to the undergraduate students as well as the department. "

Jean Stack, Institute of Marine Sciences
Stack "accepts new challenges willingly, and with enthusiasm."

Edwin Staples, Medical Illustrations
Staples "has an excellent attitude, is fun to work with and provides great customer service."

Annabelle Stein, Program in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology
Stein was nominated for "her dedication to her job and to this program."

Emilie Sullivan, Ackland Art Museum
Sullivan "is an exception employee and a pleasure to work with."

E. Grace Synn, Orthopaedics
Synn "is a very pleasant person and a pleasure to work with."

Cynthia Taylor, Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
"The department would like to give this award to Cynthia for consistently helping others without being asked."

Gregg Tracton, Radiation Oncology
Tracton was nominated for, among other things, his "invention and implementation of the MASK Program and clinical implementation of Contour Tiler."

Nina Wallace, English
Wallace "helps to ensure that our relations with our graduates and friends are always strong. She helps the department maintain an excellent image in the public eye."

Wanda Weaver, FPG Child Development Institute
Weaver "provides positive assistance in supervising and supporting out-of-state employees."

Adrian Whichard, Institute of Marine Sciences
"His staff know him to be fair, trustworthy and that he has genuine concern for them as individuals as well as employees."

Lora Wical, Kenan-Flagler Business School
Wical was nominated for coordinating several events for the BSBA program."

Carol Williams, Biostatistics
Williams was nominated for her "dedication and hard work."

John Williams, Academic Affairs Library
Williams has "always been a reliable worker, and the quality of his work is consistently outstanding."

Joni Williams, Psychiatry
"The knowledge she has gained ... makes her one of the most valuable assets we have."

Linda Wilson, School of Social Work
Wilson was nominated for her management skills.

Teresa Wilson, Orthopaedics
Wilson "is always so helpful and is never too busy to answer a question."

Sharon Womble, Biomedical Engineering
Womble was nominated for "her dedication to the business administration of the department."

Fatu Yumkella, Med. School Admin
Yumkella was nominated for her "strong commitment to teamwork."

Editor's Note: The Star Heels Award Program is sponsored by TIAA-CREF. Winners each receive a $20 gift certificate. Employee Services coordinates the program. This is the last installment for 2001-02 winners. The deadline to submit nominations for 2002-03 Star Heel awards is June 1, 2003.

University Gazette