SCE Newsletter

		Dr. Jack Y. Lu		UH-Clear Lake recognizes ‘Natural Resources’
		Cynthia Howard wins Piper nomination		Biotechnology: Novel Opportunities in Microgravity
		UHCL Distinguished Professorships		The WeIch Foundation
		New Collaborative UH/UHCL Physics PhD Program		UH-Clear Lake now offers educational doctorate

Dr. Jack Y. Lu

Jack Lu has been awarded the University Faculty Fellow and received University faculty Fellowship for 2008 – 2009 ( see The Signal Oct. 13, 2008, and Egret Spring edition 2008). This is the 3rd time in UHCL history the university awarded such award to outstanding faculty members in teaching, research and service.

Jack Lu received his master’s degree in chemistry, and went on to become a lecturer at Dalian University of Science and Technology. He received his Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry from Northwestern University and became a postdoctoral research scientist at Columbia University. Lu became interested in designing new materials with desirable applications, and focused his research on metal organic framework polymers.

Chemistry Nobel Prize winner Alan MacDiarmid joked with Lu when he came to lecture in 2000, saying the faculty should pay to work here. Lu agreed and is pleased with UHCL’s support of faculty achievements. Lu will use the fellowship money for research and education. “I really like both research and education,” Lu said. “The university is the best place for both of them.”

Cynthia Howard Wins Piper Nomination

University of Houston Clear-Lake students and faculty nominated Cynthia Howard, associate professor of biology and environmental science, to be the university’s representative for the 2008 Minnie Stevens Piper Professor Program.

The Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation awards 15 professors from colleges and universities around the state of Texas $5,000 for their superior teaching on a college level. The purpose is to support charitable, scientific or educational responsibility by providing for financially limited but worthy students to complete their education and obtain their degrees. Every year only one professor is eligible to be nominated from each university regardless of the size of the institution.

Cynthia Howard, associate professor of biology and environmental science, in the Amazon holding a wild anaconda that was pulled out of a tree.

Photo by Courtesy of Cynthia Howard

UHCL Distinguished Professorships

October 9, 2007

UHCL Distinguished Professorship in Computer Science and Engineering

I am very pleased to announce that Professor of Computer Science, Dr. Terry Feagin, has been awarded the UHCL Distinguished Professorship in Computer Science and Engineering for the period of 2007-2009. This award is based on the recommendation of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost and the Dean of the School of Science and Computer Engineering.

Dr. Feagin joined UHCL in 1984 as a Professor of Computer Science after having served as Professor and Head of the Department of Computer Science at the University of Tennessee. He has a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Feagin has developed and taught numerous courses in the computer science curriculum while maintaining an active research agenda. He also served for six years as Chair of UHCL's Library, Research, and Computing Committee. In 2007, he was selected to be a presenter at UHCL's Scholarly Research Lecture Series.

UHCL Distinguished Professorship in Management Information Systems

I am very pleased to announce that Associate Professor of Management Information Systems, Dr. Vance A. Etnyre, has been awarded the UHCL Distinguished Professorship in Management Information Systems for the period of 2007-2009. This award is based on the recommendation of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost and the Dean of the School of Business.

Dr. Etnyre joined the UHCL faculty in 1978. He has a Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Illinois. In 2000, when UHCL received approval to offer the bachelor's and master's in Management Information Systems, Dr. Etnyre requested and was granted a transfer within the School of Business from decision sciences to the management information systems faculty. His dedication to teaching and his students led to Dr. Etnyre being recognized with the President's Distinguished Teaching Award in 2007. Dr. Etnyre has also been active in university service as Chair of the Computer Services Advisory Committee and as School of Business representative on the Shared Governance Review Committee.

I am very pleased to make the appointments of two most deserving individuals to these endowed professorships. I ask you to join me in extending congratulations to Dr. Feagin and Dr. Etnyre for their career achievements. Their names will be added to our endowed professorship plaques in Atrium II of the Bayou Building.

William A. Staples
President

New Collaborative UH/UHCL Physics PhD Program

July 25, 2007

The purpose of this program is to establish a new collaboration between the Physics Departments at UH and UHCL of mutual benefit to both universities, their students and the Clear Lake Community.

UH-Clear Lake recognizes ‘Natural Resources’

April 24, 2007

New academic degree programs, additional research funding and the importance of community partners highlighted University of Houston-Clear Lake President William A. Staples’ remarks as he presented the university’s Report to the Community at a breakfast event in March. Titled “Natural Resources,” the report offered readers a chance to review university activities for the past year.

Biotechnology: Novel Opportunities in Microgravity

April 2, 2007

Leading microbiologist Neal Pellis (c) served as the keynote speaker during a launch event for the Master of Science in Biotechnology at University of Houston-Clear Lake. Pellis serves as associate director of the Human Research Program of the Science Management Office in the Space Life Sciences Directorate at NASA Johnson Space Center. He presented “Biotechnology: Novel Opportunities in Microgravity.” Pictured with Pellis are UH-Clear Lake Associate Professor of Biology and Biotechnology Larry Rohde (l) and UH-Clear Lake President William A. Staples (r). After the keynote address, attendees received information about the new program, took tours of the labs and received information about the various opportunities available at UH-Clear Lake. For more information about the program, call 281-283-3770, e-mail or visit Biotechnology program.

The WeIch Foundation

March 27, 2007

The Directors of The WeIch Foundation have approved the following: Grant No,: BC-1586

Grantee Institution:>	University of Houston-Clear Lake
Principal Investigator:	Dr. Zerong Wang
Department:	Chemistry
Title of Research:	Synthesis of Acyclic Nucleoside Analogs from a-Amino Acids
Period:	Two-Month Extension - June 1,2007 through July 31,2007
Amount:	Total: $8,500
Special Conditions:	Subject to receipt of a new budget by April 30, 2007. Any unexpended balance at May 31, 2007 on Grant No. BC-1586 may be carried forward and added to this grant.

UH-Clear Lake Now Offers Educational Doctorate

Article Published in "The Citizen Bay Area Newspaper" February 22, 2007

Additional degree programs and research funding strengthen University of Houston-Clear Lake's endeavors geared to helping individuals and families achieve their educational, professional and personal goals.

Exciting news came in July when UH-Clear Lake received approval from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to add the Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership degree to its roster of programs.

Lawrence Kajs, associate professor of educational leadership, will serve as chairman of the new doctoral program, which represents the first doctorate ever offered by UH-Clear Lake.

Started this spring. The program's first students began their first courses in the spring 2007 semester. Other academic news included the addition of the Master of Science in Biotechnology, which was approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in spring 2006.

Designed to help meet the needs of the rapidly growing biotechnology industry in the Galveston/Houston area, the program offers students three concentration areas; Molecular Biotechnology, Bioinformatics and Computational Biology and Biotechnology Marketing and Management. In addition to the of new degree programs, university faculty members gained recognition through the creation of new research and scholarship initiatives sponsored by grant funding. In fall 2006, the National Science Foundation granted UHClear Lake a four-year $477,200 award as part of its Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics program.

Kwok-Bun Yue, professor of computer science and computer information systems, and Sharon Perkins Hall, associate professor of computer science and computer information systems serve as principal investigators of the grant proposal.

Grant funding Funds will benefit up to 22 academically able and financial needy undergraduate students in computer science, computer information systems, computer systems engineering and mathematics. Additional faculty gaining support through the assistance of grant funding included the following: Sadegh Davari, professor of computer science .and computer information systems, received $91,192 from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's Technology Workforce.

Development grants program for his proposal, "Computer' Science Scholars: Recruiting, Retention and Mentoring." George Guillen, executive director of the Environmental Institute of Houston and associate professor of biology and environmental science, received a three-year $75,000 award from the Harris County Flood Control District for his proposal, "Evaluation of the influence of various stream substrates on aquatic biota within Harris County." Jeff Lash, assistant professor of geography, received a $44,129 award from the National Geographic Society Education Foundation for his proposal, “Growing Geography Teachers in Texas Soil”.

Camille Peres, assistant professor of psychology , received a $51,869 one-year award from the National Science Foundation’s Small Grants for Exploratory Research program for her proposal, “Efficient Strategy Selection Predictors and Cognitive Mechanisms.”

Alumni Honored In October 2006, UH-Clear Lake’s Alumni Association announced the recipients of the 2006 Distinguished Alumni, Early Achievement and Outstanding Professor Awards. Distinguished Alumni Award recipients include Communities In Schools - Joint Venture (Southeast Harris and Brazoria Counties) Executive Director Robert C. Garcia; United Space Alliance Director of Financial Planning and Analysis Lucille Pack Gedies; and assistant professor and clinical coordinator in the University of Texas Dental Branch at Houston's School of Dental Hygiene Darla Schneider McKitrick. ExxonMobil Senior Information Systems Analyst Chris D. Wagner received the Early Achievement Award, while retired School of Science and Computer Engineering. Dean Charles McKay was honored with the first Outstanding Professor Award. An academic resource for more than three decades, UH-Clear Lake continues its goal of serving as a community-minded, partnership oriented university.

Science and Computer Engineering Newsletter