Leah Fisher '04, an electrical and computer systems engineering student, has been awarded a $2,000 grant from the Intel Research Award Contest for Undergraduate Students. Fisher will fly to Intel's Santa Clara site in April 2003 for Student Research Day, where she will present her research. A total of 17 winners were selected from universities around the nation. The contest was open to all undergraduate students at U.S schools. 9/3/02

Isom Herron, professor of mathematical sciences, was invited to present the ninth annual plenary David Blackwell Lecture at Mathfest 2002, a joint meeting of the National Association of Mathematicians and the Mathematical Association of America, on Aug. 1, in Burlington, Vt. There were 1,300 participants at the three-day meeting. The title of the lecture was "Random Walk, Diffusion, and Energy Decay." The event honored David Blackwell, the first and only African-American mathematician elected to the National Academy of Sciences. 8/26/02

Shawn Shaw, an undergraduate in the department of physics, applied physics, and astronomy, was awarded a $1,000 grant by the New York State Section of the American Physical Society. Shaw is conducting an educational outreach program to raise environmental and energy awareness at the secondary-school level. He has been active in environmental education at Rensselaer as a director of the Environmental Education Center and as a coordinator of Earthweek 2002 activities. He also has contributed technically to the photovoltaic tracking system project on the south side of the Voorhees Computing Center. 8/26/02

Transitions

The Dean of Students Office has announced that, following an extensive search, Travis Apgar has been promoted to associate dean of students/senior judicial administrator.

Apgar was the assistant dean of students/director of Greek life for the past two years and, prior to that, a residence life staff member at the University at Albany. "Travis has facilitated growth and increased credibility of Greek life at Rensselaer," said Mark Smith, dean of students "We are very fortunate to have him now manage judicial affairs."

Gary Gabriele, vice provost and dean of undergraduate education, has announced that, after almost 30 years of service, Bob Conway is stepping down as director of the Advising and Learning Assistance Center. Jeannie Steigler has been named interim director. Conway has been named assistant to the vice provost and will also provide academic advising services to the athletic teams.

Conway initiated several programs to assist students through their academic careers. He has served on numerous campus committees, and has had extensive involvement with the Troy community, including serving as its mayor. Conway was named the first Pillar of Rensselaer in 1993.

Steigler has served as an English as a Second Language Coordinator in the Learning Center. She is a member of the national organization Teaching English as a Second or Other Language and of the National Association for Foreign Student Advisors.

The Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC) has announced that A. Chris Gesswein joined Rensselaer as licensing associate effective July 30.

Gesswein comes to Rensselaer with more than 12 years of technical, market analysis, and business development experience, working for university, startup, Fortune 500, and major consulting operations. Gesswein has a master's degree in biotechnology from Johns Hopkins University and a MBA from Rensselaer.

"Under The Rensselaer Plan, intellectual property and technology commercialization are important elements under the Scientific and Technological Entrepreneurship initiatives. The addition of Chris is another significant step forward as we work to achieve these initiatives," said Chuck Rancourt '70, director of OTC.

Director of Athletics Ken Ralph has named Leslie Khachadourian as the women's soccer and women's lacrosse head coach.

"We are excited to have Leslie on our staff in a full-time capacity," Ralph said. "She has tremendous passion and enthusiasm for both sports, which will certainly be an asset for our student-athletes as well as the entire department."

Khachadourian was most recently Rensselaer's field hockey and women's lacrosse intern. In addition, she served as the co-adviser to the Student Athlete Advisory Committee. Prior to joining Rensselaer's staff, she was a graduate assistant with the lacrosse team at Washington College in Chestertown, Md. A 2000 graduate of William Smith College, Khachadourian was a soccer and lacrosse standout for the Herons.

Khachadourian takes over a soccer program that set a Rensselaer record last year. The team also won the Eastern College Athletic Conference Tournament. In lacrosse, she will lead a team that expects the return of all but one player from a squad that finished 3-8 in 2002.

Director of Athletics Ken Ralph also announced that Adam Clinton has been named head men's soccer coach. Clinton is well known in the Capital Region's soccer circle. He was an assistant coach at the University of Albany in 2000, helping the Great Danes to a 9-7-1 record during its first year at the Division I level. Prior to that, he was the head coach at Hudson Valley Community College in 1999.
Clinton has also been a head coach on the professional level, leading the Capital District Alley Cats of the United Systems of Independent Soccer Leagues from 1997-98. On the field, Clinton played collegiately at both HVCC and Keene St. (N.H.) as a midfield and back. He played professionally for the New York Kick in the National Professional Soccer Indoor League.

Clinton, who earned an A.A.S. degree in drafting design from HVCC before receiving a B.S. in industrial technology from Keene, takes over a team that went 5-10 last season but won each of its last four games. 8/26/02