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ePoly Briefs
a monthly publication of news and events for faculty and staff
August 2003 Edition |
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Kumar Named Associate Dean for Graduate Studies
Obits: Louis Pignataro and Norman Auburn New Locations for Student Affairs/Alumni Development and Academic Success New Poly Website to Solve Onsite Problems Two Coordinators Join Career Services Save the Date: Regna Lounge Dedication Fall Hours for Gym and Fitness Center Ordering Books for Courses? Go Online Publications and Presentations
KUMAR NAMED ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR GRADUATE STUDIES Sunil Kumar, professor of mechanical engineering, has been appointed associate dean for graduate studies. He will also serve as executive director of the Graduate Center for Professional Studies, replacing Dean Kevlin. In his new positions, he oversees both the academic and business functions of graduate programs. Kumar was previously co-director of the Energy Systems Laboratories (1992-1995) and head of the mechanical engineering department (1996 to 2000). In 2002, he was appointed full professor as well as an Othmer Senior Faculty Fellow. In his 13 years at Polytechnic, he has been awarded 12 outside grants for his research in heat transfer, published one book chapter, 40 journal papers and over 50 conference papers and supervised and graduated four PhD and ten MS students. He has also participated in numerous University activities, serving as faculty adviser to student chapters ASME, Pi Tau Sigma and Society of Automotive Engineering and as member of various University and departmental committees.
PRI DESIGNATED NATIONAL HISTORIC CHEMICAL LANDMARK Polytechnic’s Herman F. Mark Polymer Research Institute (PRI) has been designated by the American Chemical Society as a National Historic Chemical Landmark. Established by the late Professor Mark in 1945, the PRI was the first academic research institute in the nation for the study of polymers. Through the PRI, Polytechnic developed the first academic curriculum for master’s and doctoral degrees in polymer chemistry. Today, the PRI, under Director Kalle Levon, has expanded its research in macromolecular technology to health-related areas. A special event to honor the landmark designation will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, September 3, in the Dibner Auditorium. Speakers include ACS Chairman Gerard Parkin, former Poly professor and PRI director Murray Goodman, NSF Polymers Program Director Andrew Lovinger and Herman Mark's son Hans Mark, former Department of Defense director of defense research and engineering and current chaired professor at the University of Texas at Austin. For more information on the September 3 event, read the article on Poly's Web site.
POLY HONORS HOMETOWN MARINES AT FIRST-EVER SPORTS DAY The
Poly is providing transportation to and from the event. Buses leave at 10:30 a.m. To reserve a seat, sign up at a sports table in the Rogers Hall lobby starting September 4. For more information on the event, contact Maureen Braziel at ext. 3453 or by e-mail.
EIGHT PROFESSORS TAKE RETIREMENT PLAN Eight long-time professors—with 254 combined years of teaching at Poly—have opted for the recent faculty severance incentive plan and retired this summer. Wolhee Choe, professor of English, joined Poly in 1982. During her tenure, she established an annual essay contest for Korean-American students and oversaw the University’s writing program. She is the author of three books on Korean history, arts and literature. Anne Eisenberg, professor of humanities and communications, had been with Polytechnic since 1978. She was head of the Department of Humanities (1993-1997) and graduate academic adviser of the Technical and Professional Communications Program. She is the author of five textbooks on technical writing and editing and is a regular contributor to Scientific American and the “Circuits” section of the New York Times. Burton B. Lieberman, professor of mathematics, joined Poly in 1965 and served as department head of Mathematics (1996) and Computer and Information Science (1996-1997). He received a Distinguished Teacher Award in 1986. An expert in the aerodynamic properties of the golf ball, he is a technical consultant to the U.S. Golf Association and has published numerous articles on the subject. In 2000, he was appointed by the NYC schools chancellor to a New York City Board of Education Commission on Mathematics Education. David Mermelstein, professor of economics, joined Polytechnic in 1961 and recently served as speaker of the faculty. He has edited four books on economics, one on Apartheid and one on El Salvador, and has written numerous articles for the New York Times and Los Angeles Times among other national publications. Lesley M. Sibner, professor of mathematics, had been with Poly since 1967. She was department head of Mathematics (1990-1993) and a visiting professor at MIT, Harvard, University of Pennsylvania and the Max Planck Institute in Germany. She is included in Notable Women in Mathematics: A Biographical Dictionary. Leonard I. Stiel, associate professor of chemical engineering, joined Polytechnic in 1980. He holds four patents, including two for methods to convert heat energy to mechanical energy. Nancy Tooney, associate professor of biochemistry and associate dean of engineering and applied sciences, joined Poly in 1973. During her tenure, she held several administrative posts, including director of laboratory safety, associate dean of arts and sciences, assistant vice president for academic affairs and assistant vice provost for undergraduate studies. Tooney is a fellow of the Association for Women in Science and of the New York Academy of Sciences and former chair of the academy’s section on women in science. Erich Zauderer, professor of mathematics, joined Poly in 1964. He is the author of Partial Differential Equations of Applied Mathematics, now in its second edition.
PROMISE FUND RAISES RECORD $1.3M AT JUNE GALA The Promise Fund, Polytechnic’s leading scholarship and pre-college outreach program, raised a record $1.3 million at its 15th annual dinner gala in June. The event, held at Manhattan's Waldorf-Astoria, attracted 650 guests, another record-breaking number, and honored Glenn A. Britt, chairman and CEO of Time Warner Cable. Britt received Polytechnic's Distinguished Service Award for Technology and the Arts. During the black-tie dinner, Audra McDonald, a three-time Tony Award-winning actress and singer, performed a selection of Broadway classics. To view photos and watch a MSNBC segment on the dinner, visit the article on Poly’s Web site.
OBITS: LOUIS PIGNATARO AND NORMAN AUBURN Alumnus and former Poly professor Louis J. Pignataro and former acting president Norman P. Auburn died July 25 in Brooklyn and July 21 in Akron, Ohio, respectively. At the time of his death from lung cancer at age 79, Pignataro '51 (CE) was a month retired from the New Jersey Institute of Technology, where he was a distinguished research professor and executive director of its Institute of Transportation. Pignataro joined the Polytechnic faculty in 1951 and served as head of the Department of Transportation Planning and Engineering and founder and director of the Transportation Training and Research Center (now called the Transportation Research Institute). He received a 1965 Distinguished Alumnus Award, a 1971 Dedicated Alumnus Award, a 1972 Distinguished Teacher Award and a 1975 Distinguished Research Award from the University’s Sigma Xi chapter. After leaving Poly in 1985, Pignataro was a chaired professor and associate director of the Institute for Transportation Systems at the City College of New York (CCNY). He joined the New Jersey Institute of Technology in 1988. He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Edith ’54 (PH), and daughter Thea ’78 (PH), an associate professor of mathematics at CCNY. Auburn served as acting president from March 1973 until the arrival of George Bugliarello, Polytechnic’s eighth president, in October 1973. Although his tenure was brief, Auburn presided over two momentous events in Poly history: the merger with NYU's School of Engineering and Science and the name change from Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn to Polytechnic Institute of New York. Auburn had a long career in higher education administration, including a 20-year tenure as president of the University of Akron. From 1971 to 1988, he was senior vice president of the Academy for Educational Development, where he served as acting president for a succession of institutions in addition to Polytechnic. He also served as adviser to the President’s Committee for the White House Conference on Education and as a volunteer leader for several national higher education and charitable associations and foundations. He is survived by his wife, Virginia, four children and two step-children, seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. NEW LOCATIONS FOR STUDENT AFFAIRS/ALUMNI DEVELOPMENT AND ACADEMIC SUCCESS The offices of Student Affairs/Alumni Development and Academic Success are moving in September. The office of Ellen Hartigan, vice president of student affairs and alumni development, will be located in JB 555, first door on the right (formerly the office of VP Richard Thorsen, who has moved to the office held by former Executive VP and Provost Ivan Frisch, also in JB 555). Hartigan's number remains at ext. 3137. Hartigan's executive assistant is Dianne Padro, who also assists the offices of the Dean and Finance and Administration. She can be reached at ext. 3640. The office of Haang Fung, executive director of academic success, will be located in Hartigan's former office in JB 356. Fung's number remains at ext. 3014. NEW POLY WEBSITE TO SOLVE ONSITE PROBLEMS As part of the Campaign 1-2-3, the Quality Learning Environment Team has established a site on My Poly where faculty and students can communicate with offices responsible for maintaining the environment at Polytechnic—everything from making sure that classrooms are unlocked and chalk is available to reserving a room and having a notebook computer fixed. The site contains frequently asked questions with answers; a list of responsibilities that fall under the Library, Facilities, Registrar and Information Systems; and instructions on how to contact individual departments with questions or concerns. To enter the site, go to My Poly, click on Polytechnic Community Organization and then on the Learning Environment button on the left. Click on the link to open the site. TWO COORDINATORS JOIN CAREER SERVICES Frances Pesochinsky and Raina Vazeos have joined Career Services, replacing recently departed Carolyn Rubenstein and Tonya Holmes. Pesochinsky, who starts September 2, will coordinate career workshops and the internship, work-study and cooperative education programs. She previously worked in Career Services as an adviser before earning an MS in Organizational Behavior from Poly in 2002. She holds a BA in Psychology from Pace University. She comes to Poly from FleetBoston Financial, where she was a human resources assistant. She can be reached at ext. 3019 or by e-mail. Raina Vazeos is coordinator of the bi-annual Career Fair. For the past three years, she assisted in the planning of the Promise Fund Dinner, Polytechnic’s largest fundraising event for scholarships. Currently working toward an MA in Psychology from Columbia University, she earned a BA in the discipline from Queens College. She can be reached at ext. 4134 or by e-mail. SAVE THE DATE: REGNA LOUNGE DEDICATION The Peter P. '32 and Barbara L. Regna Student Lounge will be dedicated at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, October 7. Attending the dedication will be the sons of the late Regnas, Robert and Peter. Check the September issue of ePoly Briefs for more information.
Monday - Friday, Saturday - Sunday, 12 - 7 p.m. Gym hours vary day to day depending on special events and team practices and games. Each month's schedule is posted in the gymnasium and on the Poly Athletic Web site.
Polytechnic’s Bookstore is now online. Click on the store’s Web site for all ordering information. You can also contact the store at ext. 3882 or poly@bkstr.com. Interested in buying clothes, mugs or other items with the Poly logo? Visit the Campus Shop.
Henry L. Bertoni, head of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, was appointed to the National Research Council’s Committee on Army Science and Technology for Homeland Defense. Jean Gallagher, associate professor of English, received the 2003 Faculty Member of the Year Award from the Polytechnic Student Council. Bud Griffis, vice president and dean of engineering and applied sciences, was elected to the newly established National Academy of Construction. Richard A. Gross, the Herman F. Mark Professor of Polymer Science, received a Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for developing a simple energy-efficient enzymatic method to make and modify plastics. To read more about the award and Gross’ research, visit the article on Poly’s news Web site. Ellen F. Hartigan, vice president of student affairs and alumni development, was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Explorers Club, an international multidisciplinary, professional society dedicated to the advancement of field research and scientific exploration. Beverly Johnson, executive director of the YES Center, received the 2003 Adviser of the Year Award from the Polytechnic Student Council for her work with the National Society of Black Engineers student chapter. Vikram Kapila, associate professor of mechanical engineering, received the Distinguished Teacher Award, presented at the 2003 Polytechnic Commencement Exercises. He was nominated for the award by colleagues, students and alumni. Eli M. Pearce, University research professor, received a Giulio Natta Medal in honor of the 100th Birthday of Nobel Laureate Giulio Natta from La Societa Chimica Italiana. Poly’s SMART summer program for high school teachers, led by Mechanical Engineering Professor Vikram Kapila, was featured on WABC-TV (August 6) and NY1 News (July 21). A local copy of the WABC-TV streaming video file can be viewed by clicking here. In order to view the broadcast, you will need to download a version of RealPlayer. To watch and read the NY1 News segment, click here. Announcement of the 2003 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award to Richard A. Gross was published in Long Island Newsday (August 3), Environmental Science and Technology (Aug 1), New York Daily News (July 11), Chemical Week (July 2) and Chemical Engineering News (June 30). Gross was also quoted about biodegradable polymers in Pittsburgh Post Gazette (July 21), reprinted in Ventura County (Calif.) Star (July 27). Othmer Residence Hall receiving a Building Brooklyn Award was announced in Real Estate Weekly (July 9) and Brooklyn Daily Eagle and Daily Bulletin (June 24) Frank Cassara, director of the Long Island Graduate Center, was quoted about master’s degree students taking courses at work in Long Island Business News (June 13). “In recent years,” he was quoted as saying, “[Poly has] accelerated the idea of off-site learning.” Employees from Symbol Technologies and BAE Systems will begin courses in September through the Long Island Graduate Center. Mel Horwitch, director of Institute of theTechnology and Enterprise and the Othmer Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies, was featured in a Q&A in Investor’s Business Daily (June 4) article “Tech Researcher: Government Taking Funding Lead”. Poly’s establishment of an Honors College was announced in Education Update (June 2003). George C. Vradis, associate professor of mechanical engineering, was quoted about a new PE pipe-repair devices in Gas Utility Manager (June 2003)
PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES AND ENGINEERING Eli M. Pearce, “Reinventing Chemical Education in the 21st Century,” presented at La Societa Chimica Italiana, Tourino, Italy (June 22) Abraham Ulman, visiting professor, Weizmann Institute and Bar-Ilan University, Israel (August). COMPUTER AND INFORMATION SCIENCE Joshua M. Gluckman, “Gradient Field Distributions for the Registration of Images,” to be presented at IEEE International Conference on Image Processing, Barcelona, Spain (September 14-17) _____ “On the Use of Marginal Statistics of Subband Images,” to be presented at IEEE International Conference on Computer Vision, Nice, France, (October 13-16) INTRODUCTORY DESIGN AND SCIENCE Lorcan M. Folan and Vladimir I. Tsifrinovich (with G.P. Berman), Modern Physics and Technology for Undergraduates, published by World Scientific Publishing Company (June 2003) MECHANICAL, AEROSPACE AND MANUFACTURING ENGINEERING Blair R. Williams, “Advanced Supplier Partnerships,” to be presented at the International APICS Conference, Educational Society for Resource Management, Las Vegas (October 7) URBAN SECURITY INITIATIVE
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