People Going Places
Architecture and Planning
Hans Morgenthaler, associate professor of architecture, has been appointed chair of the Department of Architecture. Morgenthaler has been teaching in the College of Architecture and Planning since 1989, earning tenure in 1996. He has served as associate chair of architecture since 2004 and was Interim Chair in 2005-06. Morgenthaler’s early scholarship concentrated on German Expressionist architecture, and more recent research interests include a reassessment of the underlying philosophical foundations of the Modern Movement in architecture, from the perspective of 19th century German aesthetic philosophy. His forthcoming book publications are An Architectural Guide to Colorado and Denver Then and Now.
Education and Human Development
Phil Strain is featured in the 2007 University of Colorado Faculty at Work brochure. This annual publication is put together by the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Research to inform the CU community about the teaching, research and service of University of Colorado faculty. “Creating a Model for Good Behavior” highlights the research that Strain has done on Autism Spectrum Disorder and the work of the Positive Early Learning Experiences (PELE) Center, which is housed in CCEL.
Laurie Sperry, director of the Professional Development in Autism Center (in CCEL) welcomed Dr. Deb Keen, an autism scholar from Griffith University in Queensland Australia. Dr. Keen visited April 23-30 to learn more about the systems capacity building and collaborative relationships the center has established with districts both locally and nationally and to tour the model autism programs set up by the PDA center.
Farah Ibrahim on recently published an article in counseling South Asian international students. In M. Pope & R. Singarh (Eds.), Handbook for Counseling International students. Alexandria, Va: ACA Press.
Barbara Smith (CEBPEL in CCEL) was awarded $783,437 over four years from the U.S. Department of Education for the Early Childhood Special Education Leadership (ECSEL) post-doctoral program. Smith will spearhead a search to hire 2 post-doctoral students who will develop state and national leadership competence to address pressing policy and systems issues in early intervention/early childhood special education (EI/ECSE).
The Colorado Consortium for Data-Driven Decisions (C2D3), under the leadership of Julie O’Brian, was awarded $242,000 from the Colorado Department of Education Power Results/Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) program to continue the work that was launched 3.5 years ago. Front Range BOCES, led by Susan Sparks, is the lead agency for this 95 district consortium.
Engineering and Applied Science
The Colorado Division of Housing (CDOH) has funded Civil Engineering Professor Jim Guo’s research proposal on “Revision of Street Inlet Design Methodology” for this year. The project includes CSU collecting laboratory data and UCDHSC analyzing data for the development of new approaches to design.
Mechanical Engineering Professor Rafael Sanchez has received a grant from Kobe Steel, Ltd. of Japan for his proposal entitled “6K21 Aluminum Sheet Metal Study.”
This spring Computer Science and Engineering Associate Professor Min Choi was an invited speaker at the 2007 International Conference on Ubiquitous Information Technologies and Application held in Dubai; he presented a paper entitled “Physics-based Deformable Object Simulation in Ubiquitous Computing Environments.”
Mechanical Engineering Professor J. Kenneth Ortega has received a research grant from the National Science Foundation for “An Investigation of Biophysical Variables and Metabolism in Wild Type and Mutant Sporangiophores of Phycomyces blakesleeanus.” Mechanical Engineering graduate student Morgan Scott will be the research assistant on the grant, which began April 1, 2007.
Liberal Arts and Sciences
Assistant professor John Brett from the anthropology department was interviewed on PBS’s “Colorado Inside Out.” The show featured experts with microfinance organization experience. The show aired on Wed., May 2.
Jennifer Davis, English assistant professor, has a newly published book, Our Former Lives in Art. It will be released in July by Random House. It was chosen as a featured book for Barnes and Nobles’ “Discover Great Writers Series.”
Modern Languages instructor Mary DeForest was interviewed on April 19 for BBC’s “Word of Mouth” about her article on Jane Austen’s use of Latinate words.
Anna Sampaio, associate professor of political science, was interviewed for PBS’s “The Latin View.” The segment focused on the “Latino Political Landscape.” It aired Wed., May 16 and Sat., May 19.
Biology professor Diana Tomback was quoted in the Billings Gazette and Missoulian on Mon., April 30 about grizzly bear delisting and whitebark pine trees. Tomback is director of the Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation.