People

Boulder staffer earns kudos as commuting champ

Crandall

Tamara Crandall, a University of Colorado at Boulder payroll and benefits counselor, is one of the winners of the city's Commuter of the Year awards.

Each spring, Boulder honors commuters for their dedication to promoting transportation options and inspiring others by biking, walking or using mass transit for daily trips.

For her Westminster to Boulder commute, Crandall takes advantage of the Eco Pass provided by the university.
"The cost of gas was my original impetus for leaving my car at home, but three years later, I have made 'bus friends' and I find that the commute is relaxing, easier and more convenient than driving," she says.

She also volunteers to work at the Anschutz Medical Campus one day a week because she can easily take a bus there.

Professor named fellow by math society

McCormick

Steve McCormick, professor of applied mathematics at the University of Colorado at Boulder, recently was awarded fellow status by the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM).

The 2010 class of fellows is the first nominated by the SIAM community and includes a diverse group of 34 men and women who have made significant contributions to the fields of applied mathematics and computational science.

McCormick and the other honorees will be recognized in July during the 2010 SIAM annual meeting in Pittsburgh.

Community, civic service recognized by institute

Ellen Aiken, an instructor in the Sewall Residential Academic Program, and Nancy Coleman, an accounting tech at the School of Journalism at the University of Colorado at Boulder, were honored with the annual Institute for Ethical and Civil Engagement (IECE) Serving Communities Awards.

The honor highlights the values and actions of people who contribute to the communities they serve and the CU-Boulder civic mission. Other award-winners are Stephanie Edwards, an undergraduate, and Angie White, a Ph.D. candidate in communication. The four were recognized during an April 19 reception.

Professor's proposal earns science grant

Ortega

Joseph Kenneth Ortega, professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Colorado Denver, has received a three-year grant of $239,162 from the National Science Foundation for a proposal titled "An Investigation of Biophysical Variables in Stiff and Hypertropic Mutant Sporangiophores of Phycomyces Blakesleeanus." In his previous research, Ortega has derived, developed and established quantitative biophysical equations to describe the expansive growth of large cylindrical single-celled sporangiophores of Phycomyces blakesleeanus and other cells with walls, i.e., algal, fungal, and plant cells. His current research objective is to gain insight into the relationships between the biophysical variables and associated biological processes that control expansive growth and growth behavior by using mutant sporangiophores that exhibit abnormal growth behavior.

Professor's proposal earns science grant

Sperry	Engelhardt Wells

Laurie Sperry and Katie Engelhardt Wells, who work in professional development at the University of Colorado Denver autism center in the School of Education and Human Development, have been working with a charitable foundation in India for the past three years, working to set up two schools for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs).

The women say they consider this the most "transforming event in our careers. Prior to the opening of this school, the children with ASD were kept at home. To see them in school and having field trips and experiences in their communities is truly a remarkable testament to the skill and dedication of their teachers against the backdrop of difficult circumstances."

Dropping names ...

Poulsen     Pyatt     Deng

Shruti Poulsen, assistant professor in the School of Education and Human Development at the University of Colorado Denver, has been selected for the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) Continuing Professional Development Committee. Shruti will be in a position to influence licensure and professional development for counseling graduates across the state. ... Josephine Benavidez, director of the precollegiate development program in the department of communication at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, will be honored May 22 during the Hats Off luncheon of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority. Four women, including Benavidez, will be recognized for their commitment to public service. ... Rob Pyatt, instructor of architecture, and Rick Sommerfeld, senior instructor and associate chair of architecture at the University of Colorado Denver, received a 2009 Award of Merit from Historic Boulder in recognition of distinguished accomplishment in historic preservation for the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art (BMoCA) project and "inspiring students for preservation." The BMoCA renovation was done in the Maymester 2009 design-build class. The award was presented March 14 by Historic Boulder and Boulder Mayor Susan Osborne. ... Yiming Deng, an associate professor in the College of Engineering at the University of Colorado Denver, was awarded a Faculty Grant Award from the American Society for Nondestructive Testing. The award was based on Deng's proposal "Developing New Nondestructive Testing Courses to Serve the Denver Metropolitan Area and the State of Colorado." Within the grant period, two courses with necessary lab facilities will be developed in the electrical engineering department. ... Bogdan Chlebus, associate professor at the University of Colorado Denver College of Engineering, recently spoke at a workshop in Lausanne, Switzerland. At the gathering, organized by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Bogdan spoke on "Quantum Distributed Computing."

Benavidez     Sommerfeld     Chlebus

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