March 20, 2007 issue
EMU to celebrate its best during "Salute to Excellence" Week

By Ron Podell

 

Eastern Michigan University honors its best and brightest during its annual "Salute to Excellence" Week, March 26-April 3. The celebration showcases EMU's outstanding faculty, staff and students.

A schedule of the Week of Excellence events follows.

REDEEMING RESEARCH: Graduate student Pransanthi Geda made a poster presentation at the 2005 Graduate Research Fair. This year's Graduate Research Fair is scheduled Monday, March 26, in the Student Center.

The Graduate Research Fair kicks off EMU's annual Week of Excellence Monday, March 26. The Graduate Research Fair, now in its ninth year, showcases outstanding research and creative projects by EMU's graduate students. The fair will include oral presentations or poster/display sessions of: dissertation research, thesis research, independent study projects, capstone experiences or special projects, examples of art and music, and outcomes from practicum and internship experience.

"We are thrilled that more than 150 students, sponsored by 90 dedicated
faculty members, have joined forces to expand the body of knowledge and then found the courage to share their work with the EMU community. This is a learning opportunity for them and the campus," said Deb deLaski-Smith, interim dean of the Graduate School. "Many students take their presentations to local, state, national and international conferences. They
represent EMU proudly. We support and applaud their effort to ask new
questions, dig deeper, generate new findings, explore the unexplored and
share the work so others can build upon it. This is the research and
scholarly process for which academia is noted."

Oral presentations begin at 9:30 a.m. and will take place throughout the Student Center. Poster presentations will be shown in Room 310B of the Student Center from 10-11:15 a.m., 2-3:15 p.m. and 3:45-5 p.m. In addition, there will be three morning workshops and a raffle in which one graduate student and one undergraduate student will win nine credits of free tuition.

William S. Harris, senior scientist and director of the Nutrition and Metabolic Disease Research Institute at Sanford Research, University of South Dakota, is the Sixth Annual Sigma Xi keynote speaker. Harris will present "The Cardio-protective Effects of Fish Oils: Consensus and Controversies," at 6 p.m., in the Student Center Auditorium. For more information, call Deb deLaski-Smith at 487-0042.

The Employee Service Recognition Breakfast is set for Tuesday, March 27, 8:30-10:30 a.m., Student Center Ballroom. The program begins at 8:30 a.m. with a breakfast. The program recognizes retirees and employees with 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 years of service to EMU. Employees will receive a brochure from which to order their own individual gift. For more information, call Jeanette Hassan at 487-3195.

The Student Gold Medallion Awards also are scheduled Tuesday, March 27, 3:30 p.m., Student Center Ballroom. The ceremony celebrates excellence and honors students who have made significant leadership and community service contributions within the Division of Student Affairs, as well as student organizations and student organization advisers who have made a positive impact on the University. Award categories include student leader, student volunteer, student ambassador, student innovator and student employee. For more information, call Cathie McClure at 487-2390.

WITH DISTINCTION: Distinguished Faculty Award winners from 2006 are, from left, Peter Bednekoff, Scholarly/Creative Activity; Cara Shillington, Teaching I; Joan Cohen Jones, Teaching II; and Karen Menke Paciorek, Service to the University.

The Celebration of Faculty Excellence Awards will be presented Wednesday, March 28, 3 p.m., Student Center Ballroom. Registration and a social will begin at 2:15 p.m. The Ronald W. Collins Distinguished Faculty Awards are the highlight of this awards ceremony. This is the highest award that any faculty member can earn from Eastern Michigan University. Awards will be presented in the categories of Teaching I (0-4 years of teaching), Teaching II (five or more years), Scholarly/Creative Activity and Service to the University. In addition, faculty who have received sabbatical leaves, scholarly and artistic recognition awards, academic service-learning fellowships and Provost's Research awards for new faculty also will be honored.

For more information, call Nicki Banush or Akosua Slough at 487-3200.

The Founders Day/Gold Medallion Awards have been postponed. The program typically honors persons or groups who have made significant, ongoing contributions to the success of divisional programs, activities or services. The Gold Medallion is the most prestigious award presented by the Division of Student Affairs. For more information, call Teri Papp at 487-2390.

The College of Education Celebration of Excellence is scheduled Thursday, March 29, in the Student Center Ballroom. Registration is scheduled 3:30-4 p.m.; the program will take place from 4-5 p.m.; and light refreshments will follow from 5-6:30 p.m. This event honors students from various fields in the COE. This event is by invitation only. For information, call Jeanne Hurst, 487-7120, extension 2545.

SOY FOR COATINGS: Nawshova Tasmeen explains her poster presentation, "Soy-Based Materials for UV-cure Coating" at the 2005 Undergraduate Symposium. This year's event will have 235 students presenting.

More than 230 students, will present research topics, in oral or poster form, at this year's Undergraduate Symposium, scheduled Friday, March 30, 8:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m., at various locations in the Student Center. This event is free and open to the public.

Brent Collins, a self-taught sculptor and mathematician, will be the keynote speaker. He will speak during the Symposium luncheon, scheduled 1-2:30 p.m. in the Student Center Ballroom.

"The Undergraduate Symposium, now in its 27th year, remains an annual tradition of the University to provide participating students with a distinguished event that celebrates their academic success," said Wendy Kivi, event coordinator for the Undergraduate Symposium. "On March 30, 235 students from across all disciplines will present their research and creative projects through 135 oral presentations and 73 poster displays. These students have been mentored throughout the year and supported for their presentations by 147 faculty members."

For more information about the Undergraduate Symposium, contact Kivi at 487-3198 or go to www.emich.edu/symposium

The College of Business hosts its annual awards banquet Friday, March 23, at the Ypsilanti Marriott. Social hour begins at 5:30 p.m., with dinner at 6:30 p.m.and the program runs from 7:30-9 p.m. Students with high academics, scholarships and awards will be honored. Faculty awards are given for Outstanding Teaching, Outstanding Research and Outstanding Service.

Faculty and tutors who have helped the Holman Learning Center make a difference in the lives of students this past year will be honored during the Seventh Annual Faculty and Tutor Appreciation Day, Tuesday, April 3, 3-5 p.m., Student Center Grand Ballroom A.

Faculty, lecturer, tutor and supplemental instruction leader awards will be presented. The Holman Learning Center provides supplemental instruction to students; tutors for a variety of subjects; skill-building workshops; testing accommodations; and has a first-year academic support program. For more information, call Judy Mack, 487-2133.