EAST LANSING, Mich. - In recognition of their achievements in the classroom, the laboratory and the community, 10 Michigan State University faculty members have been given the title University Distinguished Professor.
The designations, which were recommended by MSU President Peter McPherson and Provost Lou Anna K. Simon, were approved today by the MSU Board of Trustees.
To be considered for the designation, the nominee must hold the rank of full professor with tenure and, according to criteria guidelines, "will have been recognized nationally and usually internationally for the importance of their scholarly achievements."
Individuals holding the professorship will receive, in addition to their salary, a stipend of $5,000 for five years to support professional activities.
Following are the faculty newly named as a University Distinguished Professor, their department and a brief biographical sketch.
- Kris A. Berglund, departments of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Agricultural Engineering and Chemistry. Berglund's research has focused on the field of crystallization. He is the developer of HalsoSalt, a salt substitute made from cornstarch that does not contain sodium.
- John A. Breznak, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics. A faculty member since 1973, Breznak's research has greatly contributed to the study of microbial ecology. He is a founding member of the MSU Center for Microbial Ecology, one of the first seven such centers funded by the National Science Foundation.
- William S. Davidson, Department of Psychology. Much of Davidson's research focuses on issues such as the juvenile justice system, violence against women and the prevention of child abuse. He also chairs the graduate training program of the Ecological Psychology Program.
- Barbara Given, College of Nursing. Given is an internationally recognized expert on cancer care and, in particular, on home caregivers. A faculty member since 1966, Given also is affiliated with the MSU Institute for Managed Care.
- Mercouri G. Kanatzidis, Department of Chemistry. Internationally recognized for his research in materials sciences, Kanatzidis is a member of a team that recently discovered a new thermoelectric material. The material - a combination of the elements cesium, bismuth and tellurium - could someday help double the speed at which computers operate.
- Jack Preiss, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. An expert on carbohydrate biochemistry, Preiss is former chairperson of the Department of Biochemistry. He also is co-director of the Michigan Life Sciences Corridor's Michigan Center for Structural Biology.
- William L. Smith, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Smith, who is department chairperson, focuses his research on molecular endocrinology cellular communication. His work has led to a better understanding of how drugs such as aspirin work.
- Alexander L. Volberg, Department of Mathematics. Volberg's research areas include harmonic analysis, operator theory and complex analysis. He is a winner of the prestigious Salem Prize for Research in Harmonic Analysis and recently gave an invited address at a meeting of the International Congress of Mathematicians.
- Jeffrey M. Wooldridge, Department of Economics. A faculty member since 1991, Wooldridge specializes in econometrics. He is the author of "Introductory Econometrics: A Modern Approach."
- M. Richard Zinman, James Madison College and Department of Political Science. Zinman's expertise is in political philosophy and American political thought. He is executive director of MSU's annual Symposium on Science, Reason and Modern Democracy, which has published four volumes of proceedings.
These 10 individuals bring to 74 the number of faculty members who have been named a University Distinguished Professor since the designation was established in 1989.