Top professors recognized for outstanding achievements

FIU President Mark B. Rosenberg recognized 23 outstanding faculty members at a reception April 25 for their dedication to excellence and for their accomplishments in research and scholarship.

“Tonight is the night we get to say thank you to all of you,” said FIU First Lady Rosalie Rosenberg at the annual event held at the Ronald W. Reagan Presidential House.

“As I look around the room, I see individuals who are going to enhance this university,” added President Rosenberg. “I’m here to urge you to continue your work. We’re counting on you to get it right.”

Faculty honored at the April 25 reception: back row from left to right -- Kannan Raghunandan, David Roelant, Michael Gillespie, Hannibal Travis, Gary Rand, Douglas Wartzok, Mark Rosenberg, David Bagner, James Waxmonsky, Anthony McGoron, Juan Sanchez. Front row, from left to right -- Mary Ann von Glinow, Irina Agoulnik, Eric Wagner, Howard Wasserman, Ellen Brown, Shahid Hamid.

The distinguished members of the FIU academic community – Worlds Ahead scientists and researchers, authors and scholars – mixed and mingled throughout the evening, sharing their work with fellow top achievers.

Howard Wasserman, who was recognized for his book Institutional Failures, the University Mass Media and the Justice System, appreciated the occasion. “You get really insulated when you’re working on a project so it’s nice to get out and talk to folks from other disciplines and see what everyone is up to.”

Honorees are nominated by their respective deans through the Office of the Provost.

“This is an opportunity to acknowledge our top scholars whose achievements range from outstanding grant activity to great books to Fulbright Awards,” said FIU Provost and Executive Vice President Douglas Wartzok. “They make this university great.”

As a tribute to their contribution to the university, FIU’s Top Scholars were asked to choose a book that has influenced their professional and/or personal life. FIU’s Dean of Libraries Laura Probst announced the tomes would be purchased and donated to the library in their name.

Awards and Honors

Kannan Raghunandan, professor in the School of Accounting, was named Number One Audit Researcher in the Brigham Young University rankings.

Elizabeth Price-Foley, professor in the College of Law, was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to study the Irish health care system at the College of Law of the National University of Ireland. She also was recognized for her book The Law of Life and Death.

Howard Wasserman, associate professor in the College of Law, was recognized for his book Institutional Failures, the University Mass Media and the Justice System.

Hannibal Travis, assistant professor in the College of Law, was recognized for his book Genocide in the Middle East.

Juan Sanchez, professor and Knight Ridder Chair in the Department of Management and International Business, was recognized for his work with the U.S. Department of State’s Board of Examiners for Foreign Personnel, advising the State Department on matters of recruitment and selection of personnel assigned to U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide.

Anthony McGoron, associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, was elected national president of Alpha Eta Mu Beta-Biomedical.

Ellen Brown, associate professor in the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, was appointed “Edge Runner” for Training in the Assessment of Depression.

Rosanna Fiske, associate professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, was appointed 2011 Chair and CEO by the Public Relations Society of America.

Michael Gillespie, professor in the Department of English, was awarded the 2011 Fanning Award in Irish Literature.

Shu-Ching Chen, professor in the Department of Computer Science, was awarded by the DHS major funding for Research and Educational Framework to Advance Disaster Information Management in Computer Science Ph.D. Programs.

Lorraine Bahrick, professor in the Department of Psychology, received a five-year Independent Scientist Award by the NICHD.

Michael McClain, associate professor in the Department of Environmental Studies, has garnered close to $77 million for projects in Tanzania, Rwanda, West Africa and Georgia.

May Ann Von Glinow, professor in business management, received a CIBER renewal of $1.5 million for four years.

Shahid Hamid, professor in the College of Business Administration, was recognized for new and continued grants to develop or update models for projecting insured hurricane losses for residential and commercial policies.

Daniel Bagner, professor in the Department of Psychology, received a Career Award for behavioral problems in infancy.

Irina Agoulnik, associate professor in the College of Medicine, transferred grants to FIU and received a new grant: Androgen Regulation of Novel Tumor Suppressor in Male and Female Breast Cancer.

James Waxmonsky, received a Ro1 grant: A Novel Approach to Stimulant-Induced Weight Suppression on its Impact on Growth and a R34 grant: A Novel Multimodal Intervention for Children with ADHD and Impaired Mood.

Evangelos Christidis, assistant professor in the School of Computing and Information Sciences, received a Career Award for a collaborative adaptive data sharing platform from NSF.

David Roelant, associate director of research, was honored for renewal and continuation grants and the continued success of the grant’s student workforce component.

Eric Wagner, professor in the Department of Health and Urban Affairs, was recognized for new and continued grant funding. He was invited to a panel of national experts on addictions at the White House. He traveled to Washington, D.C., last October to serve as a scientific expert for the White House.

Maria Miguez, associate professor in the School of Public Health, received funding for innovative tobacco disease-related research from NIH and State Department of Health.

Gary Rand, professor of environment studies, received several awards to analyze water and oil samples related to the Gulf Oil Spill.