Students
Tracy Lawson, College of Arts and Sciences, was asked to present aspects of her research at the Women in Physics conference at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln Oct. 30 through Nov. 1. This conference is intended to be an opportunity for undergraduate women in physics to hear about the research of other undergraduates and professors. As one of the invited speakers, Lawson gave a 30-minute presentation titled, “Dielectric Properties of Liquid Crystals near their Phase Transitions.” In the speech, she gave a brief introduction about liquid crystals and some of their unique behaviors. It highlighted the important aspects of the dielectric measurements in research under way at UWF. Lawson will graduate in spring 2011 with degrees in physics and mathematics, along with a minor in chemistry. She plans to attend graduate school after graduation to work toward her Phd in materials science. She hopes to continue her research on the properties of liquid crystals now and throughout graduate school. She intends a career as a researcher.

Faculty and Staff
Hal White, executive vice president and professor of Ethics, Law and Policy, was elected to membership in the International Institute of Space Law by its board of directors at the 52nd annual Colloquium on the Law of Outer Space, held at the 60th International Astronautical Congress in Daejeon, Republic of Korea, Oct. 12 to 16. The International Institute of Space Law is a constituent institute of the International Astronautical Federation Membership consists both of organizations and of individuals from over 40 countries who are recognized as distinguished for their contributions to space law development. Founded in 1960, the institute has played a leading role in the development of international space law, has permanent observer status at the United Nations, and is playing an increasing role in analysis of space law development in individual countries. The institute also holds meetings, colloquia and competitions around the world on the juridical and social science aspects of space activities. For more information, visit http://www.iafastro.org/?id=60.

Laine Sheppard, Student Health Center medical director, was named Employee of the Month for October. She was recognized for “going above and beyond the call of duty this summer to assist UWF and our students during a staff vacancy transition when our psychiatrist left. Additionally, she has provided extraordinary leadership in the planning and preparation for H1N1. Sheppard clearly cares about UWF and the health and safety of all the students, faculty and staff. It was clear that she was going to do everything possible to ensure a quality health promotion program. She was innovative in her approach, looking for assistance from others across the state and using technology whenever possible.  Even though she is part-time she offered to be part of the team of administrators, health and safety personnel and communication personnel that would tackle a huge public health campaign.” For more information, visit http://uwf.edu/excellencematters.

Mardi McDaniel, director of Community/University Partnerships at UWF, has been appointed to the advocacy operating committee for the Florida Division of the American Cancer Society. 

UWF received a $25,000 grant at the Coastal and Estuarine Research Foundation (CERF) Conference in Portland, Ore., in October from the YSI Foundation to synthesize water quality data and address issues of climate change. Gayle Rominger, executive vice president of YSI, presented the grant to Jane Caffrey, associate professor at UWF. In her remarks at conference Rominger noted, “While millions of water quality-related data points are collected each year in the U.S., recent economic hardships have left many researchers and managers without the funding to analyze those data in order to make meaningful ecological interpretations. The foundation’s goal this year was to help with this necessary task.” According to Caffrey, “With the YSI grant, we can fund a graduate student project, which will help us analyze nutrient and continuous dissolved oxygen data from five National Estuarine Research Reserves in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico and Florida Atlantic coast to determine the rate of primary production and net ecosystem metabolism. This work will provide insights to help local and regional managers address water quality issues within their sensitive estuarine and coastal aquatic habitats.” YSI Incorporated is a global company that designs sensor instrumentation and real-time monitoring systems for professionals who protect natural resources and aquatic life. YSI Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Yellow Springs, Ohio-based YSI Incorporated. The foundation’s annual “Minding the Planet” grant was initiated in 2006. For more information, visit www.YSI.com.

Gregory Lanier, associate dean, honors program director and interim music chair at the College of Arts and Sciences, was recently named vice president of the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC) at its annual conference in Washington D.C. He has served as the president of both the Florida Regional Honors Council and the Southern Regional Honors Council. He has served as a member of the NCHC Board of Directors for the past three years, and he is currently a co-chair of the group’s assessment and evaluation committee and a member of the finance committee. Lanier will become president of NCHC in 2011 and will host the NCHC annual conference in Phoenix.  For more information, contact Jennifer Phillips at jphillips3@uwf.edu.

Scott Keller, UWF professor of marketing and logistics, has been selected as editor for the “International Journal of Logistics Management.” The journal is a leading peer-reviewed scientific logistics research journal that publishes logistics, transportation and supply chain management research by authors worldwide. As editor, Keller will contribute to the body of logistics knowledge generated over the next several years by guiding the publication objectives and overseeing the selection and publication of the highest quality research in logistics. He takes over as editor in 2010. For more information, contact Keller at skeller@uwf.edu. 

Stacie and Keith Whinnery from the School of Education met with the Gulf Coast Citizens Diplomacy Council and a delegation of educational leaders from Bermuda Nov. 5 and 6. The visit was part of the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program. The Bermuda educational leaders were visiting to learn about programming for students with disabilities in school settings. The Whinnerys presented current trends in inclusion as well as their research in mobility training to facilitate inclusion for students with severe physical disabilities. They also provided a guided tour of a Mobility Opportunities Via Education (MOVE) site in a local school.