Faculty and Department Kudos (Spring 2021)
Additional award, research and presentation information can be found on the CAS Accolades website.
Department of Anthropology
Dr. Keri Brondo, professor and department chair in the Department of Anthropology, was awarded $20,000 from the National Geographic Society for her project "Fishing Livelihoods & Lionfish Markets in Utila Keys."
Biological Sciences
Dr. Duane McKenna, professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, was awarded $271,634 from Texas A&M University with the National Science Foundation (NSF) for his project "Multidisciplinary Approach to Baioacoustics: Integrating phylogenomics, biophysics, and functional genomics to unravel the evolution of hearing and singing in katydids, crickets, and allies."
Center for Earthquake Research and Information (CERI)
Dr. Chris Cramer, research professor in the Center for Earthquake Research and Information, was awarded $94,482 from the U.S. Geological Survey for his project "Alaska Lg Tomography, Ground Motion Intensity Correlation Equation Development, and Subduction and Crustal GMM Alaska Regional Adjustments."
Dr. Thomas Goebel, assistant professor in the Center for Earthquake Research and Information, was awarded $76,642 from the U.S. Geological Survey for his project "Experimental Constraints on Preparatory Processes and Seismic Velocity Changes before Induced Slip: Collaborative Research between the University of Memphis and University of California Berkeley."
Department of Chemistry
Dr. Tim Brewster and graduate student Malcolm Charles on the published a review on heterobimetallic systems in Coordination Chemistry Reviews. Read the full review.
The Department of Chemistry at the University of Memphis congratulates Dr. Nathan DeYonker on his recently published astrochemistry paper, "Complex Organic Matter Synthesis on Siloxyl Radicals in the Presence of CO" in Frontiers In Chemistry. Read the full paper.
Dr. Paul Simone, associate professor and Chair in the Department of Chemistry, was awarded $18,582 from Foundation Instruments, LLC for his project "Development and Evaluation of the TotalTHM-NOW."
The Dept of Chemistry at the University of Memphis congratulates Dr. Nathan DeYonker and his colleague Dr. Ryan Fortenberry (Ole Miss Chemistry) on their inorganic astrochemistry review recently published in Acc. Chem. Res. Read the review.
Department of Computer Science
New $300K NSF Grant for Computer Science Education
Jan 14: The Department has been awarded a new $299,333 grant from the National Science Foundation for "Improving the Quality of Teaching Assistant Feedback to Undergraduate Students in Introductory Computer Science Courses." The three-year project will be led by PI Prof. Amy Cook, alongside co-PIs Prof. Vinhthuy Phan and Prof. Alistair Windsor (Mathematical Sciences). Visit the Division of Research website for full details.
Criminology and Criminal Justice
University of Memphis highest-ranked in Tennessee for 2nd straight year by U.S. News
& World Report
Jan. 26, 2021 — The University of Memphis is the highest-ranked institution in Tennessee
for the second straight year by U.S. News & World Report in its 2021 rankings of online programs.
The Online Criminal Justice (graduate) program was one of the eight UofM Global programs that was ranked nationally and deemed U.S. News Best Online Programs as No. 21 (increased from No. 24 in 2020 and No. 51-67 in 2018). Read the full news release.
Department of English
Congratulations to WRTC Professor Dr. Will Duffy for his recent book publication, Beyond Conversation: Collaboration and the Production of Writing!
Department of Political Science
January: Congratulations to Dr. Sharon Stanley! Her article "The Persistence of Myth: Brazil's Undead Racial Democracy" has been accepted for publication in Contemporary Political Theory. Contemporary Political Theory is among the top ranked, peer reviewed journals in political theory.
January: Congratulations to Dr. Leah Windor (Faculty Affiliate and MA '05)! Two of her articles have been accepted as part of a PS: Political Science & Politics symposium on the status of the profession. The first is "Not a leaky pipeline! Academic success is a game of Chutes and Ladders," co-authored with Kerry F. Crawford (James Madison University) and Marijke Breuning (UNT Denton). The other is "MENtorship: Men in the Middle and their roles as allies in addressing gender bias," co-authored with Cameron Thies (Arizona State). PS is published by the American Political Science Association and is the journal of record for the discipline of political science reporting on research, teaching, and professional development.
World Languages and Literatures
Dr. Denis Grélé, Dr. Diana Ruggiero, and Dr. Lan Zhang are all finalists for the University of Memphis Alumni Association Distinguished Teaching Award. Congratulations on this well-deserved honor!
Dr. Pilar Alcalde has been awarded a Professional Development Assignment for a term in the 2021-2022 academic year.
Ralph Albanese has published two articles in Papers in French Seventeenth-Century Literature, both in volume XLVII, 93 (2020): "Silence et parole dans Tartuffe," and "Monsieur de Pourceaugnac, ou les enjeux d'une crise identitaire."
Ivan Ortega-Santos presented "Educational Interpreting of Oral Languages in the US: Challenges in the Absence of National Standards" at the 2nd International Conference on Literacy, Culture, and Language Education (ICLCLE 2020), organized by Indiana University Bloomington.
Will Thompson's article "Ste. Geneviève National Historical Park Officially Established" has been published in Le Journal of the Center for French Colonial Studies, vol. 37, no. 1 (Winter 2021), pp. 11-14.
Francisco Vivar's article "Conocimiento y vida: "Licenciado Vidriera y Auto de fe" will be published in Studia Iberica et Americana.