An article by Thomas Willemain, professor of decision sciences and engineering systems, is featured in a special issue of Transportation Science, an operations research journal dedicated to the analysis of transportation systems. The special issue is devoted to the 100th anniversary of the Wright Brothers’ first flight. Willemain’s report is titled “Factors Influencing Blind Conflict Risk in En Route Sectors Under Free-Flight Conditions.” Transportation Science is a leading forum for a cross-disciplinary community of operations research scientists and engineers interested in advances in the basic theories and methodologies for the analysis, design, and operation of all modes of transportation for the movement of people and goods. 12/15/03

Don Hansen’s Football Gazette has announced its year-end award winners and All-East Region Teams and numerous Rensselaer people have been recognized. Among those honored were senior quarterback Dan Cole, who was selected as the East Region Offensive Player of the Year, and 15th-year head coach Joe King, who was named the Coach of the Year. Cole was among five Rensselaer student-athletes who were selected to the All-East Region First Team. Also recognized were senior wide receiver Flynn Cochran, senior offensive linemen Alexander Keel, junior defensive lineman Ramses Jimenez, and senior defensive back Mike Defilippi. In addition, senior offensive lineman Ray Noonan was chosen to the All-Region Second Team. King was recognized after leading the Engineers to a 10-1 overall record and a spot in the NCAA Division III Football Championship Quarterfinals. As a team, Rensselaer is among the national leaders in several categories, including fourth in turnover margin (2.2), 10th in passing offense (302.2 yards per game), 11th in pass efficiency defense (83.2), and 15th in total offense (457.3 yards per game). 12/15/03

Eight Rensselaer student-athletes earned All-Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association (UCAA) Men’s and Women’s Cross Country post-season honors. Two runners — Rebecca Rosenberg-Beran and David Hurtado — were named to the First Team while six others were chosen to the All-UCAA Second Team. In addition to Rosenberg-Beran, other women recognized were Lauren Carter, Claire Lears, and Cara O’Toole. Named to the Second Team on the men’s side were Bob Baniak, John Bonnett, and Josh Schuster. The Engineers, who are coached by Colin Tory, had the second most student-athletes selected to the All-UCAA teams after St. Lawrence. 12/15/03

James Ferris, director of the NY Center for Studies on the Origins of Life and professor emeritus of chemistry, delivered a public lecture titled "From the Big Bang to the Origins of Life: An Approach to the RNA World" at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Dec. 1. More information about the lecture and the lecture series can be found at http://www.physics.mcmaster.ca/currentevents/origins/. 12/7/03

Student-athlete Flynn Cochran has been named to the 2003 National Academic All-America College Division Football First Team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of American (CoSIDA). A senior wide receiver, Cochran also earned National Academic All-America First Team honors last season. A two-year captain, Cochran has also been selected as a National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame National Scholar-Athlete as well as an All-District 1 First Team selection this season. A regular Dean's List member and recipient of the RPI Academic Excellence Award, he is a multiple Academic All-Conference selection and a member of the Epsilon Delta Sigma Management Honor Society. In addition to being an exemplary student, Cochran is a multifaceted talent on the football field, having played defensive back, quarterback, running back, punter, punt and kick returner during his standout career. He is currently one of the top wide receivers in Division III. 12/7/03

The Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association (UCAA) has announced its year-end award winners and numerous Rensselaer student-athletes, as well as the coaching staff, have been recognized. Among those honored were senior quarterback Dan Cole, who was named the Offensive Player of the Year, senior defensive back Mike Defilippi, who was chosen as the co-Defensive Player of the Year, and head coach Joe King and his assistants, who were selected as the co-Coaching Staff of the Year. Cole and Defilippi were among 10 Rensselaer players who were selected to the All-UCAA First Team. Also recognized were senior wide receivers Flynn Cochran and Pat Hughes, junior running back Otis Williams, senior offensive linemen Alexander Keel and Ray Noonan, junior defensive linemen Carl Harding and Ramses Jimenez and junior linebacker Sean Doran. Eight Engineers earned All-UCAA Second Team honors, including Defilippi, who was chosen as the return specialist. The others were freshman tight end Jon Branche, junior offensive lineman Dave Hansen, junior defensive lineman Nick Barnes, senior linebacker Chris Pierz, senior defensive back Jai Echols, senior kicker Matt Verenini, and junior punter Collin Adalian. 12/7/03