Appointments and Elections
Carol M. Swain, professor of law and political science, has been named to the Humanity in Action advisory board of experts on the challenges posed by diversity in American society. HIA conducts programs for American and European colleges and universities to promote international discourse about the treatment of vulnerable minorities.

Cecelia Tichi, the William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of English, has been appointed as Kluge Chair of Modern Culture of the Library of Congress. She plans to spend the summers of 2006 and 2007 doing research  at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.

Awards and Honors
Thomas R. Harris, the Orrin H. Ingram Distinguished Professor of Engineering and chair of the biomedical engineering department, was awarded the Distinguished Service Award by the Biomedical Engineering Society during its annual meeting in Baltimore, Md. BMES is considered the major scientific and professional society in the field of biomedical engineering.

Papers and Presentations
Sokrates T. Pantelides, the William A. and Nancy F. McMinn Professor of Physics, presented an invited plenary talk, “The Si-SiO2 and SiC-SiO2 Interfaces for MOSFETs – Challenges and Advances,” at the International Conference of Silicon Carbide and Related Materials in Pittsburgh, Pa. Pantelides also presented an invited plenary talk, “The Role of the Nanoscale in Nanocatalysis,” at the 20th Panhellenic Conference of Solid State Physics and Materials Science in Nicosia, Cyprus.

Matthias Schulz, visiting associate professor of history and director of the Center for European and German Studies, presented “Towards World Culture: International Institutions and Norms in International History” at the 20th International Congress of Historical Sciences in Sydney, Australia.

Professional Activities
Earl E. Fitz, professor of Portuguese, Spanish and comparative literature, was invited to introduce the internationally known translator Gregory Rabassa for a broadcast of Live from Prairie Lights on WSUI Public Radio, the University of Iowa. The program is broadcast from Prairie Lights, an independent bookstore, and is the only live radio reading series in the nation. Fitz spoke about Rabassa’s impact as a translator, his theory of translation and his importance to the emergent field of inter-American literary relations.

Harold S. Park, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, has co-authored Nano Mechanics and Materials: Theory, Multiscale Methods and Applications. The book focuses on fundamental concepts in nano mechanics and materials and on their modeling via multiple scale methods and techniques. The book was co-authored by Wing Kam Liu and Eduard G. Karpov of Northwestern University and will be published by Wiley in December.

On the Move
Frank Gladu, director of dining services, has been named assistant vice chancellor for business services. Gladu is now responsible for Vanderbilt Dining, Vanderbilt Catering, the Card Office, Vanderbilt bookstores and mail services.

Cliff Joyner, director of real estate, has been named assistant vice chancellor for real estate operations. Joyner is now responsible for the offices of Real Estate, Traffic and Parking and the Vanderbilt Legends Club.

Cindy Wall, executive director of campaign communications, will oversee the integration of the offices of Campaign Communications and Advancement Communications and head the combined office for Development and Alumni Relations.

Posted 10/17/05