A book authored by Rensselaer at Hartford professors M.L. Bob Emiliani, David J. Stec, Lawrence P. Grasso, and James P. Stodder has been awarded a 2003 Shingo Research and Publication Prize by the Shingo Prize for Excellence in Manufacturing. The honor recognizes and promotes research and technical writing on manufacturing that is consistent with the philosophy that world-class performance may be achieved through focused improvements in core manufacturing and business processes. It is administered by Utah State University’s College of Business. The professors’ book, Better Thinking, Better Results: Using the Power of Lean as a Total Business Solution, detailed the findings of a nine-year study of the Wiremold Company in West Hartford, Conn. 4/14/03

Carlos Varela, assistant professor of computer science, has received an Eclipse Innovation Award from IBM for 2003. Faculty members were asked to submit grant proposals that use the Eclipse open source code for teaching or research. Award winners will present the results of their projects at the Eclipse Innovation Workshop in October. Varela’s proposal is titled “Dynamic Visualization of Java-Based Highly Reconfigurable Distributed Systems.” 4/14/03

Anthony Shaw, a junior in chemistry, has been selected as a 2003 Pfizer Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship recipient. The award allows Shaw to work full-time for eight to 10 weeks on a research project this summer, culminating in a poster presentation of his work at Pfizer Global Research and Development in Groton, Conn., on Oct. 10. Shaw and his mentor, Alan Cutler, professor of chemistry, are both invited to attend the poster session, which attracts faculty and award-winners from across the country. 4/14/03

Arthur Bergles, the Clark and Crossan Professor of Engineering Emeritus at Rensselaer, was recently elected as a foreign member of the Italian National Academy of Sciences. With 58 regular members and 21 foreign members, the Italian National Academy of Sciences is one of the most exclusive academies in the world. Founded in 1782, the academy elected Benjamin Franklin as one of its first foreign members in 1786. Among other Americans, Albert Einstein was inducted in 1925. Having participated in many engineering activities in Italy, Bergles was chosen for his scientific work in heat transfer. He is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering, and has received many national and international awards. 4/7/03

Soumeya Benghanem, a senior in computer science, won the Intern of the Year Award during the seventh annual Technology Companies of the Year Awards ceremony at the Desmond Hotel in Albany. The award was presented by TechConnex, an alliance of local high-tech companies. Benghanem received the honor for her internship work at CommSoft, a telecommunications company in Albany. She was a member of CommSoft’s research team that tested a large-scale software application for processing billing. The award, in part, also was because of her involvement at Rensselaer. The Rensselaer’s 2002 Phalanx Award for her community service is among her many achievements at the university. 4/7/03

Suvranu De, assistant professor in mechanical, aerospace and nuclear engineering, has been appointed to the editorial board of Computers & Structures, an international journal published by Elsevier. 4/7/03

Kristin Kaczynski has been named to the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III Women's Basketball All-Upstate Second Team. A junior guard, she was the leading scorer on the Red Hawks (18-10) this season. Kaczynski led the team with 17.1 points and 31 minutes per game in starting all 28 contests. She also had 3.5 rebounds per contest with 60 assists, 67 steals and three blocked shots. Kaczynski, who set the school record for points in a season (478), led the team in scoring in 21 games and in rebounding three times. She became the ninth player in the program's history to reach the 1,000-point milestone, finishing with 1,044 points. Kaczynski, who is also a member of Rensselaer's lacrosse team, helped this year's basketball team finish third in the UCAA regular season standings. 4/7/03

Campus.News Features:

Science and Leadership: President Jackson Delivers the Prestigious William D. Carey Lecture in Washington

NLRB Accepts SEIU Local 200United Petition to Cancel Secret Ballot Election

Making Plastic Smarter With Protein

Rensselaer Art Students Gear Up for a “Transfizzling” Multimedia Performance

Rensselaer Foursome Wins Severino Center’s Tech Valley Collegiate Business Plan Competition

EarthFest 2003

Rensselaer Hosts Black Physics Students