People

High-rise kilt climb nets cancer funding
	More than 100 people rappelled down a 28-story building in downtown Denver Aug. 27 and 28 as a fundraiser for cancer research, but only Andrew Thorburn did it in a skirt, or more precisely, a kilt. The Scottish-born deputy director of the University of Colorado Cancer Center promised he would descend from the building in a most unconventional way if he raised at least $2,000. To have the privilege of participating in the Over the Edge event, each person had to raise at least $1,000 for the Cancer League of Colorado. Thorburn's final tally was $2,300. The Cancer League supports work in Thorburn's lab and provides funding for other scientists studying cancer, including start-up funding for new research ideas. All donations go directly to cancer research and cancer patient services; since 1985, the league has donated more than $8 million in grants to those efforts.

Ophthalmology director honored for leadership in medical management

Enzenauer

The American College of Physician Executives recently awarded Fellowship to Robert Enzenauer, M.D., professor in the University of Colorado School of Medicine department of ophthalmology and chief of the pediatric ophthalmology division at The Children's Hospital in Aurora.

ACPE's Board of Directors honored Enzenauer as a Fellow for demonstrating significant and enduring contributions to the advancement of medical management.

"Fellowship is among the highest honors that can be bestowed on a physician. It shows that Dr. Enzenauer has attained regional and national stature while also demonstrating a mastery of clinical medicine and outstanding leadership skills," said Alan S. Kaplan, M.D., M.M.M., C.P.E., F.A.C.H.E., F.A.C.P.E., president of ACPE's Board of Directors.

Enzenauer has served as ophthalmology program director and department chair in the Army, at old Fitzsimons Army Medical Center, and in civilian academic medical centers in Chattanooga, Memphis and now The Children's Hospital in Aurora. He is board-certified in three specialties: ophthalmology, aerospace medicine and pediatrics.

On July 10, Enzenauer was promoted to Brigadier General in the Colorado Army National Guard, assuming the duties as the assistant adjutant general for space and missile defense, one of three brigadier general positions in the Colorado Army National Guard.

UCCS administrator to lead international push

Hill

Amy Hill, director of the Chancellor's Leadership Class, will lead efforts to improve global education at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs by increasing opportunities for students, faculty and staff to study outside of the United States or participate in international field courses. The assignment is in addition to Hill's current duties.

Hill will work closely with a global education advisory board that includes Kyla Hammond, executive director, Enrollment Operations and Extended Studies, College of Education; John Harner, associate professor, Geography and Environmental Studies; Kim Hennessy, director, Human Resource Compliance; Donna Moraco, director, Language Technology Center; Anthony Shull, international coordinator, College of Education; Robert Wonnett, director, Student Leadership; Sarah Morehead, administrative assistant, Admissions Services; and Joanne McDevitt, sexual harassment officer, Sexual Harassment and Discrimination Office.

During the next few months, Hill will collaborate with campus departments to explore:

• Creation of a Center for Global Education to provide UCCS students, including international students, a place where they can inquire about opportunities and receive support.
• Support and promote two-week international field courses and connect students to semester study abroad programs.
• Train and support faculty and staff interested in leading international field courses.
• Create policies and guidelines to ensure the safety of students, faculty and staff traveling abroad.
• Prepare a long-term vision for global education at UCCS.

Communication professor publishes book on medical controversy

Lisa Keränen, associate professor of communication at the University of Colorado Denver, wrote a book published this summer by the University of Alabama Press: "Scientific Characters: Rhetoric, Politics and Trust in Breast Cancer Research." It chronicles the contests over character, knowledge, trust and truth in a politically charged scientific controversy that erupted after a 1994 Chicago Tribune headline, "Fraud in breast cancer research: Doctor lied on data for decade."

Moving back and forth between news coverage, medical journals, letters to the editor, and oncology pamphlets, Keränen draws insights from rhetoric, literary studies, sociology and science studies to analyze the roles of character in shaping the outcomes of the controversy. It's a study of what happens when scientists, patients and advocates are called to defend themselves in public concerning complex technical matters.

This fall, Keränen will give several talks related to the book at Anschutz Medical Campus, as well as Pittsburgh and San Diegol, and soon unveil a website about the book with teaching tools and discussion questions related to medical ethics, science and the public good.

Pine problem detailed at international conference

Diana Tomback, acting chair and professor of integrative biology at the University of Colorado Denver, was one of the primary organizers of a U.S.-Canadian conference, "High-Five Symposium: The future of high-elevation five-needle white pines in western North America," June 28-30 at the University of Montana.

The five-needle white pines are threatened by invasive disease, pine beetle outbreaks, fire suppression and climate change. The conference, attended by more than 150 scientists and managers, received funding support from several federal agencies and nongovernment offices, including the U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service, and the Natural Resource Defense Council. Tomback presented the overview plenary talk, "The magnificent high-elevation five-needle white pines: ecological roles and future outlook."

Education professor receives early career grant

Furtak

Erin Furtak, assistant professor of education at the University of Colorado at Boulder, recently received an early career grant from the National Science Foundation.

The grant supports a research study that "focuses on a learning progression for student understanding of natural selection designed to be educative." The goal is to produce an "existence proof" of how an educative learning progression designed for high school biology teachers and their students can be used to improve instruction and improve student outcomes.

Furtak will partner with 12 biology teachers in two high schools to conduct the five-year research project.

Dropping names ...

Chlebus

Hunter

Four University of Colorado at Colorado Springs faculty members recently published books in their respective fields: Heather Albanesi, assistant professor, sociology, "Gender and Sexual Agency: How Young People Make Choices About Sex" (Lexington Books, Lanham, Md.): Elissa Auther, assistant professor, visual and performing arts, "String, Felt, Thread: the Hierarchy of Art and Craft in American Art" (University of Minnesota Press). Raphael Sassower, professor of philosophy, and Louis Cicotello, visual and performing arts professor, "War Images: Fabricating Reality" (Lexington Books). ... Computer Science and Engineering Associate Professor Bogdan Chlebus, computer science and engineering associate professor at the University of Colorado Denver,has received a three-year grant of $199,727 from the National Science Foundation to work on the project "Principles of Robust Cooperative Computing in Dynamic Distributed Systems." ... Kendall Hunter, assistant professor in the department of bioengineering at the University of Colorado Denver, has received a five-year Mentored Quantitative Research Career Development Award (K25) for career and research development from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. The award encourages translational interdisciplinary collaboration in clinical and engineering research.

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