The Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture has named Douglas S. Kelbaugh as the 2016 winner of the American Institute of Architects Topaz Medallion for Excellence in Architecture Education. Since 1976, the award has been granted to individuals living at the time of nomination whose work in architectural education has spanned at least a decade, primarily in North America. From 1998-2008, Kelbaugh served as dean of the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning. He is credited with adjusting the faculty-to-student ratio from 1-to-12 to 1-to-9 for a more hands-on educational environment. Today, the professor of architecture teaches graduate architecture, urban design and sustainability studios at Taubman, and also lectures to graduates and undergraduates.
“Old Chinese: A New Reconstruction” by William H. Baxter of U-M’s faculty, and Laurent Sagart, is the recipient of this year’s Leonard Bloomfield Book Award from The Linguistic Society of America. Baxter is professor of Chinese language and literature, Department of Asian Languages and Cultures, and professor of Chinese linguistics, Department of Linguistics, LSA. The award is for the book that makes an outstanding contribution of enduring value to our understanding of language and linguistics.
Thomas D. Gillespie, research professor emeritus at the U-M Transportation Research Institute, and lecturer I in mechanical engineering, College of Engineering, was honored by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers with the Soichiro Honda Medal. He was recognized for pioneering research on vehicle dynamics and modeling with emphasis on truck applications that has had broad implications for traffic safety. He also was recognized for raised awareness of commercial vehicle performance, braking behavior, stability and energy demand, and for serving as an educator of practicing engineers.
Kenneth C. Fischer, president of the University Musical Society, was scheduled to receive the Richard J. Bogomolny National Service Award from Chamber Music America Jan. 10 in New York City. The honor is not just for his commitment to the chamber music art form, as he presented more than 250 ensembles in his 28-year tenure at UMS, or the educational programs implemented under his stewardship. It is also for his long-time affiliation with CMA as a board member and former board chair, his mentorship of young presenters and ensembles, and his dedication to the presentation of new work.
The James McNamara Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Award has been created by the American Association of Orthodontist Foundation to recognize McNamara’s clinical and academic contributions to the field. He is professor emeritus of dentistry, professor emeritus of cell and developmental biology at the Medical School, and research professor emeritus at the Center for Human Growth and Development. McNamara was lauded as a pioneer in the use of functional orthodontic appliances. Awardees will receive $25,000 annually to support research and their salaries.
Scott Ellsworth‘s “The Secret Game: A Wartime Story of Courage, Change and Basketball’s Lost Triumph,” has been selected by The Chicago Tribune as one of it’s best books of 2015. The book also has been named to the PEN/ESPN Award for Literary Sports Writing longlist. Ellsworth is a lecturer III in Afro-American and African studies, LSA.
