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| University Faculty, Staff
Honored |
| By Vicki
L. Kroll |
Email this article |
| Apr 23,
2002 |
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University of Toledo
outstanding advisers, researchers and teachers
will be recognized at the Academic Honors Banquet
on Friday, April 26, at 6:30 p.m. in the Student
Union.
Each award recipient will receive a
certificate and $1,500.
Outstanding
Advisers
Julie Fischer, academic
program coordinator in the chemical and
environmental engineering department, and Dr.
Martin Ritchie, professor of counseling and
mental health services, are recipients of the 2002
Outstanding Adviser Awards.
 |
| Julie
Fischer | “Miss
Fischer delivers caring service by
participating in residence hall programs, serving
as adviser to the UT chapter of Omicron Delta
Kappa, engaging all 300-plus of her students in
their short- and long-term goals and academic
needs, increasing retention efforts by having
seminars and forums, visiting classes to ensure
maximum contact with students, meeting with
nontraditional students and student-athletes after
hours and on weekends, and assisting the co-op and
placement office with students requiring extra
attention,” wrote one nominator. “During her first
45 days on the job, she created a Chemical
Engineering Student Handbook since many students
may be embarrassed or not think to ask some simple
questions.”
“To be a good adviser, I feel
you have to be able to really listen, relate and
openly discuss issues with students,” Fischer
said. “My number one priority is to provide
exceptional service to the students and aid in the
overall development of the undergraduate and
graduate student populations. I truly enjoy and
love working with students and being able to
provide them with encouragement and support. We
have some really outstanding students at UT, and I
feel a strong sense of pride and fulfillment
working with them each day to achieve their
goals.”
Fischer has held her current
position since 1998. She will graduate in August
with a master of education degree from UT.
 |
| Dr. Martin
Ritchie | Ritchie
joined the University as an associate professor of
counselor and human services education and
coordinator of the School Counseling Program in
1987. He received tenure in 1989 and was promoted
to professor of counseling and mental health
services in 1991.
“One of Dr. Ritchie’s
best attributes is his desire to see people be
successful. As a student, he makes you feel that
you are competent and can be successful. He treats
everyone I have ever seen him interact with in a
respectful manner. He is very genuine. He is
empathetic and at times sympathetic to the needs
of his students,” wrote one nominator. “Another
important aspect of Dr. Ritchie is his sense of
humor. Though at times I have been frustrated and
tired, he always comes back with a humorous or
whimsical story or anecdote that makes you laugh
and continue on.”
"I believe that every
advisee presents a unique package of abilities,
potentials, limitations and challenges. I strive
to respect each person, as they are, by
recognizing their diversity of experiences and
backgrounds," Ritchie said. "I believe that what
separates successful and unsuccessful graduate
students has less to do with ability than with
encouragement. Encouragement involves empowering
them to utilize their resources, both personal and
familial, to give them the courage to face the
challenges."
Outstanding
Researchers
Four faculty members will
receive the Outstanding Researcher Award. They are
Dr. Gloria Borgstahl, assistant professor
of chemistry; Dr. Xunming Deng, associate
professor of physics; Dr. Ali Fatemi,
professor of mechanical, industrial and
manufacturing engineering; and Dr. Peter
Linebaugh, professor of history.
 |
| Dr. Gloria
Borgstahl | “Dr.
Borgstahl leads a team of scientists exploring
the possible advantages of growing protein
crystals in the microgravity environment of outer
space. Samples from her laboratory have been on
numerous space shuttle flights. Some of the
experiments were carried out by John Glenn,” wrote
one nominator. “Borgstahl and her co-workers have
very recently succeeded in demonstrating a large
difference in the size and quality of the crystals
grown in space in comparison to Earth-grown
crystals. Their findings will have important
ramifications for the field of protein
crystallography generally and the space
program.”
She also is studying
macromolecules essential to the maintenance and
replication of DNA. Borgstahl started a program at
UT to analyze proteins responsible for repairing
mistakes made during the replication of DNA in
preparation for cell division. In addition, she is
researching manganese superoxide dismutase, an
anti-oxidant agent of the human body. On April 22,
Borgstahl received a $768,000 grant from the
American Cancer Society to study the basic
molecular processes of DNA metabolism in the human
body.
Her research has been supported by
more than $3 million. Borgstahl, a UT faculty
member since 1996, also recently received the
Sigma Xi Dion D. Raftopoulos Award for Outstanding
Research.
 |
| Dr. Xunming
Deng | Deng
joined the University in 1996 to establish a
research program on photovoltaic solar cells based
on amorphous silicon. “He has been spectacularly
successful,” one nominator noted. “Not only has
Dr. Deng established an internationally recognized
program in amorphous-silicon photovoltaics, he has
recently expanded his research to include
photovoltaic-generated hydrogen and large-area
amorphous films for neutron and particle
detectors. In both of these expanded programs, it
was the reputation of and the recognition of
Xunming Deng that led scientists to contact him
seeking collaboration.”
His
amorphous-silicon based solar cells with
triple-junction structure were tested last year by
the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewal
Energy Laboratory and received the highest
government-confirmed efficiency achieved by an
academic group for this type of device. There are
several applications for this kind of solar cell.
In addition to military interest, Deng has
received attention from the auto industry. He is
working to fabricate solar cells with enough
voltage to split water under sunlight to generate
hydrogen, a possible future fuel. Deng also is
developing a method to make amorphous-silicon
solar cells faster with the hot wire deposition
process.
Deng has received 15 research
awards totaling $3.1 million since coming to UT.
In addition, Deng and his colleague Dr. Al
Compaan, UT professor of physics, are in line for
a new $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of
Defense Advanced Research Program. "This funding
will support further expansion of UT's
photovoltaic research into extremely lightweight,
flexible solar cells (already fabricated by Deng's
group) that are generating much excitement for use
in space and in special forces operations," one
nominator wrote.
 |
| Dr. Ali
Fatemi | Fatemi’s
primary research examines the mechanical behavior
of materials focusing on fatigue and fracture
mechanics. “His contributions have been both at
the basic research level helping to understand
fatigue damage mechanisms, as well as in the
applications area helping to apply the research
results to analysis and design of engineering
components and systems,” one nominator wrote.
“More than 90 percent of all mechanical
failures are attributed to fatigue fractures at a
cost of 4 percent of the gross national product.
Fatigue from complex loads has been a major area
of difficulty in the design of safe and durable
engineering components and structures,” the
nominator continued. “The Fatemi-Socie multi-axial
fatigue theory has provided a practical means of
designing against fatigue fractures. Many other
researchers have validated the applicability of
this theory, which is now in widespread use and
implemented in most commercial fatigue life
prediction software codes.”
Fatemi joined
UT in 1987, was promoted to associate professor in
1991 and to professor in 1996. He has received 23
grants totaling $1.9 million for his research,
most of which is carried out in the Fatigue and
Fracture Laboratory. Fatemi received the College
of Engineering’s Research Faculty Award in 1998
and is the co-author of the second edition of the
book, Metal Fatigue in Engineering (2000),
which has been adopted as a graduate-level
textbook at several universities, including
Cornell, Iowa State and Purdue.
 |
| Dr. Peter
Linebaugh | Linebaugh
has been teaching and researching at UT since
1994. He was promoted to associate professor in
1996 and to professor in 1997. He teamed up with
Dr. Marcus Rediker, associate professor of history
at the University of Pittsburgh, to write The
Many-Headed Hydra: Sailors, Slaves, Commoners and
the Hidden History of the Revolutionary
Atlantic (2000). The work shares the stories
of sailors, slaves, pirates, market women and
indentured servants who experienced the rapid
expansion of trade and colonization in the early
17th century.
“In the broadest sense,
Professor Linebaugh’s research concerns the mainly
oppressive processes by which elites have sought
to control common people of all sorts, but often
those deemed and treated as social outcasts, and
the measures these latter, these assorted
proletarians, have taken to resist, and in their
resistance, redeem humanity and declare for social
conditions of harmony and freedom. This sweeping
focus has both enabled and required Professor
Linebaugh to research and think deeply on a great
variety of things, from the lives of pirates to
circumstantially changing concepts in medicine,”
one nominator wrote. “Professor Linebaugh’s work —
written and oral — and most particularly his
recent book, The Many-Headed Hydra, has
stirred a great deal of
discussion.”
Linebaugh also is the author
of The London Hanged: Crime and Civil Society
in 18th Century (1991) and co-editor of
Albion’s Fatal Tree: Crime and Society in
18th-Century England (1975). He is working on
a biographical study of Edward Marcus Despard, an
Irish-born officer in the British army, whose
questionable arrest led to a treason conviction
and execution.
Outstanding
Teachers
Three faculty members will
receive the Outstanding Teacher Award. They are
Dr. Robert Bennett, professor of
mechanical, industrial and manufacturing
engineering; Dr. Richard Buehrer, professor
of information systems, marketing, e-commerce and
sales; and Dr. Joseph Hara, instructor of
Japanese.
 |
| Dr. Robert
Bennett | Bennett
joined the College of Engineering in 1985. In
addition to teaching, he is director of the
Environmentally Conscious Design and Manufacturing
Lab.
“I have not had a better, more
interesting teacher. To this day, I still remember
topics and discussions from Dr. Bennett’s classes.
He always had a remarkable way of integrating his
life experiences to drive educational messages
home. His students really could see how textbook
topics could be applied in the real world and make
us marketable and valuable employees someday,” one
nominator wrote. Another noted, “Dr. Bennett
treats each student with courtesy and respect. He
goes out of his way to help students and his door
is always open.”
“My philosophy of teaching
is to empower the students and convey a sense of
when and where to use the knowledge being taught
in my classes," Bennett said. "I’ve often told my
students that it would be great if grades did not
have to be given since the real test of how well
they learned the material will be determined in
their post-graduate years. I feel fortunate that
my 16 years in industry allows me to draw upon
many practical examples that are brought to the
classroom to prepare and expose them to actual
situations in industry. It is important to me to
motivate the students by personalizing the
textbook material to show the students where
technical information that is necessary for their
professional careers often has a dual purpose of
enriching their personal lives. This may encourage
them to become self-motivated lifelong
learners.”
 |
| Dr. Richard
Buehrer | Buehrer
started teaching part time at UT in 1977. In 1984,
he accepted a full-time teaching position in the
former UT Community and Technical College. He has
been a faculty member in the College of Business
Administration since 1999.
“Dr. Buehrer is
a rare find. Even though he uses traditional
PowerPoints in class, his most effective teaching
tool will always be his stories. His real-life
stories vividly depict the themes and concepts
from our textbook. He makes the classroom feel
alive,” one nominator wrote. Another wrote, “You
can tell he loves his job because he makes class
fun and interactive. He is one of my favorite
teachers.”
“I have always believed that
students learn best by integrating practical
experience with theory,” Buehrer said.
“Additionally, I have attempted to make the
classroom a collaborative learning environment
rather than a teacher-centered
environment.”
 |
| Dr. Joseph
Hara | Hara
has been teaching Japanese at UT since 1990.
“Dr. Hara is an outstanding instructor who
brings warmth, care and respect to the classroom
in addition to his knowledge of Japanese language
and culture. He is always ready to meet with his
students and is happy to hear from former
students. He has helped many find good employment
after college,” one nominator wrote. Another
wrote, “I have never met a more honest,
hard-working individual in my life, both on and
off campus as he is also a minister. Many teachers
do not have the level of dedication to his pupils
as he does, and he remembers all of us. He always
calls us by name and always treats us
honestly.”
“I believe in each student's
capability. Learning any foreign language is
always a difficult process to any student, but
with patience and effort from both students and
the instructor, there is always a positive result.
All students need to be encouraged,” Hara said. “I
also believe that the learning environment has to
be fun and enjoyable. I do not stick to any
particular teaching method or textbook, but
incorporate varieties of materials and methods, so
that students may learn the language with a
variety of tools. When they enjoy their learning,
they are motivated to learn more. Lastly, I
believe that an instructor should be available to
the students at any time. Not every student can
ask a question or express his or her opinions in
the class. However, when they know that I am
available and approachable to them, they feel much
at ease to have their difficulties resolved. My
office is always open.”
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