Academe welcomes news from WSU faculty and staff about research, teaching and service activities. This column recognizes grants, honors, awards, presentations and publications, new appointments, new faculty, sabbaticals, retirements and deaths of our current and former colleagues.

Dinorah Azpuru, associate professor, political science, was invited to participate in the Quality of Peace project, based at the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame. The project is associated with a grant from the National Science Foundation.

Dan Close

Dan Close, associate professor, Elliott School of Communication, adviser, The Sunflower, Wichita State's student newspaper, returned from the recent Kansas Associated Collegiate Press annual conference in Salina with more than 30 individual awards and a silver medal in the overall newspaper category. Sunflower editor Austin Colbert was named KACP journalist of the year. Kassidee Lank, Ragini Venkatasubban, Candice Tullis, Robert Hite and Colbert won first-place individual awards, while the staff as a whole brought home first-place finishes for interior page design, single ad design and special section.

Lynne Davis, Ann and Dennis Ross Faculty of Distinction Endowed Professorship of Organ, has been awarded one of France's most distinguished titles, that of "Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres" (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters) by French Minister of Culture and Communications Frederic Mitterand. Davis discusses the award during a KMUW 89.1 interview at http://www.wichita.edu/j/?1584.

Kimberly Engber, assistant professor of English, received the John R. Barrier Distinguished Teaching Award from the Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. It will be awarded during the May 2012 Commencement ceremony.

Suzanne R. Hawley, professor and chair, public health sciences, was named chairperson of public health in fall 2011. She earned her master's in public health/biostatistics, and her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Loma Linda University in Novato, Calif., in 1999 and 2002 respectively. She previously served as associate professor and MPH director for the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita. Her expertise lies in workforce and leadership development, mental health and underserved populations.

Jeffrey Jarman, associate director and director of debate, Elliott School of Communication, coached WSU seniors Brian Box and Matt Munday in the most successful season for WSU Debate since 1968. The duo competed against the nation's top 78 two-person teams at the National Debate Tournament March 29-April 2 at Emory University in Atlanta, Ga. The WSU team made it to the Elite 8 before losing to Gonzaga. Read more about the team's success at http://www.wichita.edu/j/?1585.

Mel Kahn, professor, political science, was re-elected to the Kansas Democratic State Committee. He and Ken Ciboski, associate professor of political science, were invited panelists for a fall 2011 forum on the Tea Party at the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum.

Gayla Lohfink, assistant professor, curriculum and instruction, recently published "Confronting the bully via children's literature" in Kansas Journal of Reading and "Facilitating pre-service teachers' cultural responsiveness through multicultural literature" in the Journal of Multiculturalism in Education.

Nancy McKellar, associate professor, counseling, educational and school psychology, co-authored "Supporting students in foster care" in Principal Leadership.

Nancy McKellar and Susan Unruh, assistant professor, counseling, educational and school psychology, made recent research presentations: "School psychologists' job satisfaction and challenge in RTI and traditional model schools" and "Branching out: School psychologists' patterns of interactions and perceived sphere of influence in RTI and traditional model schools" at the American Psychological Association Convention, Washington, D.C. They also presented "Impact of RTI on work of the multidisciplinary teams" and "RTI and the identification of SLD by practitioners" at the National Association of School Psychologists Annual Convention, Philadelphia, Pa.

Michael Rogers, chair, professor and research director, Center for Physical Activity and Aging, along with Nicole Rogers, assistant professor, director, aging studies, public health sciences, published "Exercise recommendations for older adults: An update" in the latest issue of the Journal of Active Aging.

Carolyn Shaw, associate professor and chair, political science, secured a Catalytic Workshop Grant from the International Studies Association for a workshop, "Think Globally, Teach Locally? Active Teaching and Learning in Cross-National Perspective." Participants from four countries will collaborate on a future book project.

Betty Smith-Campbell, professor, nursing, has been named chairperson of the School of Nursing. She earned her bachelor's degree in nursing from the University of Michigan, her master's degree in community health nursing from the University of Kansas School of Nursing in Kansas City, Kan., and her Ph.D. in nursing with emphasis on human science-human caring from the University of Colorado School of Nursing in Denver. Her career has spanned more than 30 years and includes teaching and/or administrative work at the KU School of Nursing, Saint Mary College in Leavenworth, Kan., and the KU Gerontology Center in Kansas City, Kan.

Lawrence Whitman, professor, industrial and manufacturing engineering, has joined the College of Engineering's Dean's Office as associate dean for undergraduate education, and Karen Reynolds has been named director of recruiting and retention, as of April 29.

2012 Distinguished Service Awards
The President's Distinguished Service Awards and the unclassified professionals' Wayne Carlisle Distinguished Service Award were presented during the Shocker Pride Celebration Wednesday, April 25. Here is a list of 2012 Shocker Pride honorees; their biographical information is available at http://www.wichita.edu/j/?1582.

President's Distinguished Service Awards
Barbara Chaparro, associate professor, Department of Psychology
Lloyd Harp, university detective, University Police Department
Patricia Hayes, membership services coordinator, KMUW 89.1
Helen Hundley, assistant professor, Department of History
Maria Martino, biology technical specialist, Department of Biology
J. Logan Stork, senior administrative assistant, TRIO Talent Search Project Discovery
Johnnie Thompson, associate professor, Department of Curriculum and Instruction
Carrie Wyatt, senior administrative specialist, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders

Wayne Carlisle Distinguished Service Award
John Jacobs, manager of student records systems, University Computing and Telecommunications

2012 Faculty Awards
Wichita State faculty members were honored during the 2012 Faculty Awards on Friday, May 4. Christine Downey-Schmidt with the Kansas Board of Regents gave remarks and helped present the awards. The honorees chosen are recognized for setting the gold standard for teaching, research and creative activities at WSU. Here is a list of 2012 Faculty Award honorees; their biographical information is available at http://www.wichita.edu/j/?1583.

Excellence in Teaching
Doris Burgert, instructor, educational psychology, College of Education
Preethika Kumar, assistant professor, electrical engineering and computer science, College of Engineering

Leadership in the Advancement of Teaching
Carolyn Shaw, associate professor and chair, political science, Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Academy for Effective Teaching
Elizabeth Behrman, professor, mathematics, statistics and physics, Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Natalie Grant, assistant professor and Bachelor of Social Work program director, School of Social Work, Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Excellence in Creative Activity
Julie Bees, professor, School of Music, College of Fine Arts
Mark Laycock, associate professor, director of Orchestras, Ann Walenta Endowed Faculty Professorship of Distinction, School of Music, College of Fine Arts

Excellence in Research
Mark Schneegurt, associate professor, biological sciences, Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Young Faculty Scholar
Royce W. Smith, associate professor, art history and theory, School of Art and Design, College of Fine Arts

IN MEMORIAM
Roland "Joe" Banks (aka "Mr. B"), 78, retired athletics equipment manager, died April 5 in Wichita. Services have been held. He is survived by his wife, Lydia; daughter, Carla; son, Ronald; brother, Maurice; niece, Cheryl; and a host of cousins, friends and loved ones. Memorial contributions may be made to Roland Banks Memorial Fund at WSU, 1845 Fairmount, Wichita, KS 67260-0002. Read more in The Wichita Eagle's feature obituary at http://www.wichita.edu/j/?1573.

Phillip A. Bowers, 56, assistant director, TRIO Disability Support Services, died May 10 in Wichita. Services have been held. He was preceded in death by his father, John Milton Dopps Bowers. He is survived by his mother, Lillian Bowers; brothers, James, Paul, Ben and Michael Bowers; sisters, Jackie Farney, Cecily Holliday, Patti Miskimon, Sarah Krehbiel, Priscilla Frank, Phyllis Long, Lois Hallberg and Julie Beck; and numerous nieces and nephews. Memorials may be made to the Phillip Bowers Memorial/Education Fund, c/o WSU Foundation, 1845 Fairmount, Wichita, KS 67260-0002.

Bill Caldwell, 49, former instructor, jazz, died March 26 in Wichita. He is survived by his wife of nine years, Kimberly; his father; sisters; nieces and nephew; in-laws and an extended family of friends. Services have been held. A memorial has been established at Grace Presbyterian Church in Wichita. Read more in The Wichita Eagle's feature obituary at http://www.wichita.edu/j/?1575.

Clarke H. Garnsey, 99, former chair, art history, died Saturday, March 10, at home in El Paso, Texas. Services have been held. He was preceded in death by his parents, Charles Bushniell and Sibyl Van Pelt Garnsey Jr.; siblings, Charles B. Garnsey III, Georgia V.P. Rose and Sibyl W. Gore; first wife, Jean S. Shoemaker; and second wife, Helen T. Blanchard. He is survived by stepdaughters Mary B. Davidson and Barbara B. Hohenberg; and nieces and nephew Gail Garnsey-Banay, Georgia (Van) Holtgrewe, Mary R. Mas, Wilhelmina R. Pascual and Henry E. Rose Jr.; and their children and grandchildren.

William Henry Harrison "Tippy" Dye, 97, retired former athletic director, died April 11 in Grass Valley, Calif. Services have been held. He is survived by daughter Penny Carnegie; son William HH Type Dye III; a son-in-law; four granddaughters and four great-grandsons. He was buried in Pomeroy, Ohio, next to his wife of 64 years, Mary, who died in 2001. Read more in the Lincoln (Neb.) Journal Star's feature obituary at http://www.wichita.edu/j/?1574.

Bernice B. Ray-Hutcherson, 87, assistant professor emeritus of social work, died May 3 in Wichita. A celebration of her life was held May 11 at Calvary Baptist Church in Wichita. She was preceded in death by her husband, Hubert William Hutcherson and granddaughter LaSheri Cox. She is survived by daughters Karla M. Hutcherson and Pam D. White; grandsons James Arbertha II, Briston White and Brison White; and six great-grandchildren.

Marjorie Lee "M.L." Taylor, 88, former director of the Center for Urban Studies, died April 2. Services have been held. She is preceded in death by grandson, Kyle Taylor, and her parents, James Leonard and Lena Johnson. She is survived by her sons, James Christopher Taylor (Kay) of Ft. Collins, Colo., David Bryan Taylor (Georgia) of Lafayette, Calif., and Kent Matthew Taylor (Julie) of Haysville, Kan.; five grandsons; one granddaughter; and four great-grandchildren. A memorial has been established with Victory in the Valley, 3755 E. Douglas, Wichita, KS 67218.