Grain & Chaff

Michael Elston (Stan Sherer photo)

Prize winner

Michael Elston (right), who received his M.S. last May in Plant and Soil Sciences, won the first place award in the graduate student presentation at the 56th Annual Meeting of the Northeastern Weed Science Society, held Jan 7-10 in Philadelphia. Elston presented a research paper on "Biological activity of Xanthomonas campestris pv. poannua as influenced by commonly used turfgrass products." The paper was co-authored by his advisor, professor Prasanta C. Bhowmik.

Above and beyond

Geosciences professor Rutherford H. Platt has been named a lifetime national associate of the National Academies in recognition of his extraordinary service to the body in its role as advisor to the nation on matters of science, engineering and health. Platt chairs National Research Council Roundtable on Natural Disasters and is a member of the NRC Water Science and Technology Board. He previously served on eight NRC committees, most recently the Committee to Review the New York City Watershed Management Strategy.

Whatever happened to ...

Carmen Hooker Buell, the former state representative from Greenfield, is secretary of health and human services in North Carolina. Hooker Buell, who received her master's degree in Regional Planning in 1984, married UMass President Michael Hooker in 1993, then gave up her legislative seat to accompany him when he was named chancellor of UNC-Chapel Hill in 1995, where he served until his death four years later. On a happier note, Hooker Buell wed again last week, this time to North Carolina state Senator Fountain Odom, co-chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Fit to print

English professor Stephen Clingman reviewed Alexandra Fuller's "Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight: An African Childhood" for the New York Times Book Review (Jan. 27).

College bowl

Daniel Fogel, the executive vice chancellor of Louisiana State University, was chosen Monday to be the next president of the University of Vermont. Fogel holds a Ph.D. in English from Cornell and is an authority on Henry James, James Joyce and Virginia Woolf. He will replace Judith Ramaley who resigned under pressure a year ago.

Around the Five Colleges

Pete Seeger and Paul DuBois Jacobs, authors of the "Pete Seeger Storytelling Handbook," give a free lecture-reading on Feb. 2 at 1 p.m. in Chapin Auditorium, Mount Holyoke College. ... Debbie Felton, assistant professor of Classics, lectures on "Representing the Unreal: Depictions of Fantastic Beasts in Ancient Greek Art" on Feb. 7 at 4:15 p.m. in the Neilson Library Browsing Room, Smith College. ... Amherst College biology professor Patrick Williamson gives a lecture titled "How can I miss you if you won't go away?" on Feb. 7 at 4:30 p.m. in the Porter Lounge, Converse Hall.