FACULTY/STAFF NEWS

Robert Bruce named Friday Center director
Center for Faculty Excellence seeks tenured faculty member as leader
Honors

Robert Bruce named Friday Center director

Bruce

Robert Gray Bruce Jr., associate dean for continuing and innovative education at the University of Texas at Austin, was selected as the new director of the Friday Center, effective Aug. 1.

Bruce assumed the post one month after Norman H. Loewenthal, the Friday Center’s director for the past 12 years, retired.

“The Friday Center’s work is integral to the public service and outreach mission of the University, and Rob Bruce has the right combination of experience and skills to advance the University’s commitment to serving nontraditional learners,” said Carol Tresolini, associate provost for academic initiatives.

Bruce has more than a decade of experience in continuing higher education and distance learning. He has held several different positions at the University of Texas at Austin and worked for two years in the private sector at Powered.com as senior manager of instruction and design.

“Rob particularly impressed us with his leadership experience in continuing higher education, his knowledge of instructional technology and his focus on strategic planning,” said Bruce Carney, executive vice chancellor and provost.

Bruce earned a doctorate in English from Texas A&M University and holds a master’s degree from Texas A&M and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin. He has taught English courses at both universities.

Jan Yopp, dean of the Summer School, chaired the search committee for a new director. “The Friday Center and the University will benefit greatly from Rob Bruce’s experience, expertise and energy,” she said.

Center for Faculty Excellence seeks tenured faculty member as leader

An internal search is under way for the director of the Center for Faculty Excellence. The center supports programs that advance faculty through the various stages of their careers in their roles as teachers, researchers and leaders, and connects faculty to resources across the University.

The half-time position is open to current tenured faculty members.

“I would encourage all tenured faculty members to review the description of the director position now under recruitment,” said Steve Matson, dean of the Graduate School and chair of the search committee.

“Carolina is a campus known for its collaborative environment, and the director of the Center for Faculty Excellence will serve a vital role in developing collaborative professional development for our faculty and graduate students.”

The director provides leadership in planning, assessing and developing the center’s programs in response to University and faculty needs, and in promoting collaboration that effectively uses University programs and resources.

“The center is a remarkable University resource for faculty and graduate students,” Matson said. “The programming is flexible and responsive to the latest developments in classroom education. Faculty and graduate student instructors can also gain valuable information on how to advance their own promising academic careers.

“Our University depends on the expertise and engagement of the faculty. They lead classroom education, they conduct research that benefits human life and the economy, and they mentor students and graduate student instructors.

“These are just a few of the important roles faculty members serve within our University. It’s important to strongly support their efforts, their energy and their demonstrated commitment to the mission of Carolina.”

In addition to Matson, members of the search committee are Bobby Allen, Claudia Gollop, Bob Lowman, John McGowan, Marilyn Oermann, Adam Persky and Debbie Stevenson.

To learn more, refer to go.unc.edu/Ny9t7.

Honors

In only her second appearance in a world championship tournament, Shernetta Edwards, who works in Housekeeping Services, was named Women’s Class C Champion in the 2011 World Horseshoe Tournament on July 30. The tournament drew more than 900 competitors from every state in the nation and countries from around the globe for the two-week competition. Edwards was awarded a trophy and cash prize.

Clifton Jones, a Facilities Services mason who has served as Edwards’ mentor, also competed and finished sixth in his class, earning a cut of the prize money as well.

Worth Bolton, clinical assistant professor with the School of Social Work’s Behavioral Healthcare Resource Program, has been selected to receive the 2011 Jody Kellerman Award, given by the Anuvia Prevention and Recovery Center, of Charlotte. He will be honored at an awards ceremony and luncheon on Sept. 27.

The University and UNC Hospitals took home top honors in July for the SmartCommute Challenge in the category of organizations with 15,000 or more employees. The challenge is an annual spring campaign coordinated by GoTriangle and SmartCommute@rtp to encourage Triangle commuters to try an alternative commute to work or campus.

Along with the University’s award, individual awards and prizes were presented to the following faculty and staff: Starr Church, Sharon Edmiston, Whitney Fairbanks, Bonnie Hayes, Katherine O’Brien, Sandra Murray, Amy Preble, Elizabeth Shay, Sara Stahlman and Noreen Yazejian. http://bit.ly/l5RYy

Joanne Jordan, Herman and Louise Smith Professor of Medicine and director of the Thurston Arthritis Research Center, has received the 2011 Distinguished Service to Rural Life Award from the Rural Sociological Society. Jordan has been dedicated to improving the health of rural North Carolinians for more than 20 years through the Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project.

Robert Adams, clinical assistant professor of radiation oncology, and Bahjat Qaqish, associate professor of biostatistics, are winners of the 2010-11 Jean I. Widger Distinguished Author Award from the American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT). The award recognizes the best peer-reviewed article published in the ASRT journals. Also honored with the award was Jessica Church, social/clinical research assistant in the Department of Radiation Oncology and a graduate student, and Kimberly L. Metcalf from the Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions.

Karl Smith, assistant professor of public economics and governments in the School of Government – and an economics blogger – served as one of eight regional curators nationwide on July 6 when President Barack Obama held his first Twitter Town Hall. Carolina was especially well represented during the forum. Steven Norton, the 2011–12 editor-in-chief of The Daily Tar Heel, also served as a regional curator.

Channing Der, Kenan Professor of Pharmacology, and Yue Xiong, Kenan Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics, have been awarded the fourth annual Hyman L. Battle Distinguished Cancer Research Award in recognition of their accomplishments in cancer research. Both are members of UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Sriram “Sri” Kalyanaraman, associate professor of journalism, has been selected to receive the 2011 Krieghbaum Under-40 Award by the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. It will be presented at the group’s annual conference in St. Louis.