Page Contents: Kent honored for bioinformatics accomplishments Zavella recognized by Hispanic Business magazine Two honored for their teaching as grad students Staff member wins fellowship to integrate technology into community work |
October 21, 2002 Awards and Honors Kent honored for bioinformatics accomplishments
Jim Kent first gained national recognition in 2000
when, as a graduate student in molecular, cell, and developmental biology,
he created the GigAssembler program that was used by the Human Genome
Project public consortium to put together the first draft sequence of
the human genome. Now a research scientist in the Center
for Biomolecular Science and Engineering, Kent continues to work on
the UCSC genome browser, which makes data from the working drafts of the
human and mouse genomes accessible in a user-friendly format for researchers.
Kent also continues to earn accolades for his work. Most recently, he
was honored by Genome Technology
magazine as one of the 2002 GT All Stars selected by the magazine's readers.
Kent was chosen for the category of "Sequencing Technology/Database
Doyen." He is profiled in the October issue. Kent has also been selected to receive the 2003 Benjamin Franklin Award
by the members of Bioinformatics.org.
This award is presented annually to a bioinformaticist who has embodied
the ideals of Benjamin Franklin by promoting freedom and openness in the
field. He was selected for the development of the program GigAssembler
and for using it to assemble the working draft of the human genome for
the public Human Genome Project. The award will be given at the annual
meeting of Bioinformatics.org in San Diego in February. Zavella recognized by Hispanic Business magazine Patricia Zavella, a professor of Latin American and Latino studies and
codirector of the Chicano/Latino Research Center at UCSC, has been selected
as one of the 100 Most Influential Hispanics in the October 2002 edition
of Hispanic Business magazine. The list seeks to recognize the "who's who" of Hispanic leaders
in government, business, entertainment, and other areas. Zavella's research
focuses on U.S.-Mexico immigration issues and feminist theory. Selection of the 100 individuals begins with nominations from readers,
web site visitors, contributing editors and writers, magazine staff, and
the nominees themselves. To qualify, individuals must be U.S. citizens
of Hispanic origin. In describing the selection process, the magazine
said it "attempts to compile a list that recognizes those who have
had recent, national impact." Two honored for their teaching
as grad students The recipients of the 2002 Milam-McGinty-Kaun Award for Distinguished
Teaching were announced by Social Sciences Dean Martin Chemers at the
division's recent annual breakfast meeting. Maxwell Oteng and Jennifer Stanowski received the award in recognition
of their outstanding teaching. Oteng earned his doctorate in economics
earlier this year, and Stanowski is a graduate student in sociology. In
nominating Stankowski, sociology professor Marcia Millman said she is
the best student she has worked with in 30 years. Named after David Kaun, the professor of economics who endowed the award,
and the first recipients, Garrett Milam and Matt McGinty, the award honors
graduate students in the fields of anthropology, economics, education,
environmental studies, politics, psychology, and sociology. Each year,
one recipient from economics and one student in another field receive
$1,000 each. Kaun established the award in 2000 with a $50,000 gift to the campus.
Milam and McGinty were teaching assistants in Kaun's Intermediate Microeconomic
Theory course. Staff member wins fellowship to integrate technology into community work
Diana Myriah Jasper, who works for Colleges and University Housing Services,
was one of 22 community leaders selected by the Community
Technology Foundation of California (CTFC) to participate in the first
class of Zero Divide Fellows, or ZFellows. The three-year fellowship,
a part of CTFCs Leadership and Advocacy Institute, is designed to
build a network of diverse leaders in California who incorporate technology
into their community advocacy efforts. Jasper currently serves as advisory board member at Grandma Sue's Community
Project, an organization which assists families to self-sufficiency. During the first year of the ZFellows program, participants will work
on building skills and knowledge around community leadership, policy advocacy,
and utilization of technology at the grassroots level. In the second year,
they will engage in advocacy projects in their communities, and in the
third year, they will mentor others involved in community work. |
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