People

Obituary: Ercole Canale-Parola, professor emeritus of Microbiology

Ercole Canale-Parola, 83, professor emeritus of Microbiology, died March 29 in Amherst, following a brief illness.

Born in Frosinone, Italy, his early years were heavily impacted by the loss of his father at age 5, and the hardships of World War II.  As a child, he witnessed first-hand the Nazi occupation of Rome, the aerial bombing of the San Lorenzo neighborhood, the partisan attack in Via Rasella and the triumphant entrance of American forces into the fallen city.
 
In 1951, he left his studies at the University of Florence to join his mother, who had moved to Chicago and remarried.

Obituary: Otto Vogl, pioneering polymer scientist

Otto Vogl, 85, of Amherst, professor emeritus of Polymer Science and Engineering, died April 27 at home.
 
Born in Traiskirchen, Austria, near Vienna, he studied organic chemistry, receiving his doctorate from the University of Vienna in 1950, having completed his thesis on steroids. He became an instructor at the Chemical Institute of the University of Vienna.
 
In 1953, he came to the U.S.to the University of Michigan as a postdoctoral fellow. He moved to Princeton University where he continued his research. In 1956, he joined the polychemicals department of Du Pont in Wilmington, Del.
 
In

Chasan-Taber earns Spotlight Scholar honors

Epidemiologist Lisa Chasan-Taber, an internationally recognized expert whose research explores how modifying behavioral risk factors can decrease disease rates in mothers and their offspring, is being recognized as a Spotlight Scholar.
 
Chasan-Taber, who is a professor of Epidemiology in the School of Public Health and Health Sciences, led a national research team in 2000 that developed the Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire (PPAQ), the first scientifically validated instrument for determining guidelines for exercise during pregnancy.

Page awarded Rome Prize for cross-disciplinary study in Italy

Professor Max Page of the Art, Art History and Architecture Department, is one of three scholars nationally named to receive the Rome Prize for Historic Preservation and Conservation, awarded annually by the American Academy in Rome to honor “the highest standard of excellence in the arts and humanities.”
 
The prize includes a fellowship that provides a stipend, studio or study, room and board in Rome for up to two years—and the opportunity for recipients to expand their own professional, artistic or scholarly pursuits.

Hayes awarded MWPHE scholarship

Karen Hayes, director of Research Communication and Outreach in University Relations, received the Massachusetts Women in Public Higher Education (MWPHE) 2013 Professional Development Award at the organization’s statewide conference in Wrentham on April 15.

Hayes received the $1,000 award in recognition of her professional development goals and for her dedication, perseverance and leadership in the higher education community.

MWPHE is a non-profit organization committed to strengthening the status of women as professionals and enhancing the quality of higher education.

Bracey to receive honorary degree from College of Wooster

The College of Wooster in Ohio is awarding an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree to professor John H. Bracey, Jr. of Afro-American Studies at the school’s 143rd commencement on May 13.

The honor recognizes Bracey’s accomplishments as a distinguished social historian and pioneer of Africana studies, and his commitment to and influence on the study of the history of identity, race and gender.

As is customary at the College of Wooster, Bracey and other honorary degree recipients will share their wisdom and advice in short addresses during the commencement ceremony.

A member of the faculty

Gerber wins national honor from Real Food Challenge

Professor John Gerber, coordinator of the Sustainable Food and Farming Program, is one of three finalists for this year’s University Ally Award from the Real Food Challenge, a national student organization, as part of its Real Food Awards.
 
The award recognizes an on-campus administrator, staff or faculty member who displays outstanding leadership in an effort to create a more just and sustainable food system.
 
Under Gerber, the Sustainable Food and Farming Program has grown from five students in 2003 to more than 70. He currently teaches courses relating to sustainability and was

IEEE honors Kurose for career contributions and best paper

Jim Kurose, Distinguished Professor in the School of Computer Science, on April 16 received the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) INFOCOM 2013 Achievement Award “for seminal contributions in the design, analysis, modeling and measurement of computer networks and their protocols, and for impactful service and educational contributions.”

This award is given to someone who has a body of work (or a single paper) that has had a significant impact on the networking community and INFOCOM.

In addition, Computer Science doctoral alumni Elisha Rosensweig, Daniel Menasche and

Omasta performs with Valley Rock Choir on May 4

Lynn Omasta, contract purchasing manager with Administrative Services, will be performing with the Valley Rock Choir on Saturday, May 4 at 7 p.m. at Northampton High School Auditorium.
 
The performance will feature music of the horn bands from the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s plus the Valley Jazz Choir, under the directorship of Tony Lechner.
 
Tickets are available at Northampton Box Office at 586-8686.

Wier reads weekly poem on PBS NewsHour website

English professor Dara Wier read her poem “Not a Verbal Equivalent” on the “Weekly Poem” feature of the “PBS NewsHour.”
 
The poem is from her new collection, “You Good Thing,” published by Wave Books. She is the author of 10 other books of poetry.
 
 
 
 
 

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