Cheers: November 2016

Cheers is a monthly listing of appointments, promotions, and honors and awards received by faculty and staff. Submissions can be emailed to hubatwork@jhu.edu.

Bloomberg School of Public Health

Peter Agre, a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor and director of the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, has received the 2016 George M. Kober Medal, the highest honor given by the Association of American Physicians.

Lainie Rutkow, an associate professor in the departments of Health Policy and Management and of Health, Behavior and Society, received a Lipitz Public Health Policy Faculty Award for her proposal "An Analysis of Litigation Arising Out of Emergency Preparedness and Response Activities: Creating and Translating an Evidence Base for Policy-Makers."

Brendan Saloner, an assistant professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management and the Institute for Health and Social Policy, received a Lipitz Public Health Policy Faculty Award for his proposal "Building an Evidence Base to Improve Treatment of Opioid Use Disorders."

Joshua M. Sharfstein, associate dean for public health practice and training, has been named inaugural director of the school's Bloomberg American Health Initiative, which was launched in September with a $300 million gift from Bloomberg Philanthropies. He will continue to serve as associate dean and a professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management. The initiative's associate director is Michelle L. Spencer, director of the Prevention & Health Promotion Administration at the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Read more on the Hub.

Carey Business School

Greg Bowden has been appointed associate dean for development and alumni relations, effective Nov. 15. Bowden previously served for six years as senior director for development at the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics, where he managed fundraising efforts for the institute and served as part of the management team for the Johns Hopkins: Rising to the Challenge Campaign.

Krieger School of Arts and Sciences

Charles Bennett, a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor and the Alumni Centennial Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, received the 2016 Space Science Award from the Committee on Space Research, which was chartered by the International Council for Science. The award was given for his leadership of the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe, or WMAP.

Xin Chen, an associate professor in the Department of Biology, was one of 84 early-career scientists chosen to receive a Faculty Scholar Award from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Simons Foundation, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The award is given to scientists who have "great potential to make unique contributions to their field."

N.D.B. Connolly, the Herbert Baxter Adams Associate Professor in the Department of History, had his book, A World More Concrete: Real Estate and the Remaking of Jim Crow South Florida, chosen as this year's winner of the Southern Historical Association's Bennett H. Wall Award for the best book on Southern business or economic history published in the preceding two years.

Hent de Vries, who holds the Russ Family Chair in the Humanities, has been appointed the 2018 Titulaire de la Chaire de Metaphysique Etienne Gilson at the Institut Catholique in Paris. The endowed chair and lecture series commemorate the work of the 20-century medievalist and Descartes specialist Etienne Gilson.

Bertrand Garcia-Moreno, a professor and chair of the Department of Biophysics, has been elected to a five-year term as a trustee of Bowdoin College, his undergraduate alma mater.

Rigoberto Hernandez, a professor of chemistry, received the 2016 Research Corporation for Science Advancement's Transformational Research and Excellence in Education, or TREE, Award, intended to recognize and advance "truly outstanding research and education."

David Kaplan, a professor of physics and astronomy, received the inaugural Stephen Hawking Medal for Science Communication for his role as producer of the documentary Particle Fever. The award is given for important contributions in communicating science.

Margaret Keck, an Academy Professor and professor emerita in the Department of Political Science, received the Elinor Ostrom Science Technology and Environmental Politics Career Achievement Award from the American Political Science Association.

Rebekka Klausen, an assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry, was given the 2016 Braude Award by the Maryland Section of the American Chemical Society. The award recognizes outstanding chemistry professors who are conducting research with the assistance of undergraduates.

Laurence Principe, the Drew Professor of the Humanities, received the Prix Franklin-Lavoisier, awarded once every two years by the Fondation de la Maison de la Chimie in Paris and co-sponsored by the Chemical Heritage Foundation in Philadelphia. It is given to someone who holds "a unique place in the global chemistry community."

John Quah, a professor of economics, was elected a fellow of the Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory.

Daniel Schlozman, an assistant professor of political science, received the Charles Tilly Award from the American Sociological Association for his book, When Movements Anchor Parties: Electoral Alignments in American History.

Rosemary Wyse, a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, received the 2016 Dirk Brouwer Award, given by the Division on Dynamical Astronomy of the American Astronomical Society, for her role in advancing our understanding of the structure, dynamics, and formation history of the Milky Way and its satellites.

Nino Zchomelidse, an associate professor in the Department of History of Art, won the 2015 Howard R. Marraro Prize from the American Catholic Historical Association for her book Art, Ritual, and Civic Identity in Medieval Southern Italy.

Multidisciplinary

Paul Rothman, the Frances Watt Baker, M.D., and Lenox D. Baker Jr., M.D., Dean of the Medical Faculty and CEO of Johns Hopkins Medicine, and Jeffrey Kahn, the Andreas C. Dracopoulos Director of the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics, have been elected to the National Academy of Medicine. Membership in the NAM is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine. Read more on the Hub.

Peabody Institute

Composer and faculty artist David Smooke released in October a CD titled Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death under New Focus Recordings. The CD features Smooke, playing the toy piano, and the Peabody Wind Ensemble, conducted by Harlan Parker. Release tour dates include Nov. 1 at Windup Space in Baltimore, Jan. 22 at National Sawdust in Brooklyn, New York, and Feb. 24 at the Center for New Music in San Francisco.

Soojung Kim, a GPD candidate studying with Yong Hi Moon, won first place in the 2016 International Young Artist Piano Competition in Washington, D.C., and Yesse Kim, a master's piano student studying with Moon, won second place. Prizes for the students include a cash award and professionally recorded CD. In a piece required to be performed by all students in the competition, Ballade by Li-Ly Chang, Soojung Kim won Best Performance.

School of Medicine

Kathleen Burns, an associate professor and deputy director for research in Pathology, has been named director of the new Physician Scientist Training Program. A practicing hematologist who is recognized as an outstanding research mentor, Burns will design and implement the program in collaboration with directors of residency and clinical fellowship programs, research faculty members, and basic science and clinical department directors. PSTP will facilitate the career paths of physician-scientists from the end of medical school through their first years on the faculty.

Alan Cohen, a professor and chief of Pediatric Neurosurgery, has been awarded the 2016 British Medical Association's first prize for best surgical specialty books for his new textbook, Pediatric Neurosurgery: Tricks of the Trade.

Anita Smith Everett, an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral science and section chief of Johns Hopkins Bayview Community and General Psychiatry, has been named chief medical officer of the federal government's Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Everett supervises the 22 child and adult community mental health programs that are operated by the Community Psychiatry Program at Bayview.

The Facilities Management Department was recently awarded the Sustainability Partnership Game Changer Award from the National Waste and Recycling Association. By focusing efforts on waste reduction, cost savings, green building standards, and a culture of sustainability, the association says, this team has set a national standard for what it means to internalize sustainability as a campus.

Charlene Gamaldo, an associate professor of neurology and medical director of the Johns Hopkins Sleep Disorders Center, will participate in the inaugural Transforming Leaders Program established by the American Academy of Neurology Institute. Its 10-month curriculum is designed to identify and develop talent among experienced AAN members for future leadership roles in the institute and in the neurology field.

Felicia Hill-Briggs, an associate professor of medicine and senior director of Population Health Research and Development for Johns Hopkins HealthCare, has been named to the board of directors of the American Diabetes Association, the nation's largest voluntary health organization leading the fight against that disease.

Wayne Koch, a professor of oncology and otolaryngology–head and neck surgery and director of the Division of Head and Neck Surgery, has received the 2016 Distinguished Award for Humanitarian Services from the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery. Working with the Pan African Academy of Christian Surgeons, Koch has so far undertaken at least 25 medical missions, 13 of which have been to the Mbingo Baptist Hospital in Cameroon, where he created a training program for African surgeons. He also facilitates a head and neck cancer fellowship for African surgery residents who are committed to remaining in Africa and improving care at their hospitals.

Michael Lim, an associate professor and director of Brain Tumor Immunotherapy, and Christopher Wolfgang, professor and director of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, have each received a $10,000 service excellence award for outstanding patient care from the Healthnetwork Foundation. The foundation is a nonprofit that connects business leaders with notable hospitals throughout the country. Its awards are presented annually to 10 physicians nationwide who have been nominated by former patients who are grateful for the physicians' high levels of integrity and compassionate care.

Anne Murphy, a professor of pediatrics and director of Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship Training, has been named the recipient of the 2016 Meritorious Achievement Award from the American Heart Association's Council on Cardiovascular Disease in the Young. The award recognizes Murphy's significant accomplishments toward advancing the mission of specialists in the field through education, research, and advocacy.

Jeremy Nathans, a professor of molecular biology and genetics, received the 2016 Beckman-Argyros Award for Vision Research. The award consists of a $400,000 research grant and a $100,000 prize to Nathans for his groundbreaking research in vision sciences.

Kenneth Pienta, a professor of urology, oncology, and pharmacology and molecular sciences, and the team of researchers he leads as director of research for the Brady Urological Institute, have received a $1 million research grant from the Movember Foundation–Prostate Cancer Foundation Challenge Awards. The award will fund their efforts to utilize novel single-cell biotechnologies to study dormant tumor cells that reside in the bone marrow of prostate cancer patients and may eventually reactivate and develop into metastases.

Stacy Suskauer, an assistant professor of pediatrics and of physical medicine and rehabilitation and medical director of the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Programs at the Kennedy Krieger Institute, has been named the recipient of the 2016 Joshua B. Canton Scholar Award from the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. The award recognizes Suskauer's outstanding research in the field of brain injury rehabilitation, particularly her work identifying neuroimaging and biomarkers to assess and understand recovery and long-term outcomes.

Ralph Tufano, a professor of otolaryngology–head and neck surgery and director of the Division of Head and Neck Endocrine Surgery, has been elected to the board of directors of the American Thyroid Association. He is the first otolaryngologist–head and neck surgeon to hold that position in the ATA.

Sin Urban, a professor of molecular biology and genetics, has won the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Young Investigator Prize for 2017. The award recognizes outstanding contributions to the field of biochemistry and molecular biology by early-career scientists. The award consists of a plaque, $5,000, and transportation and expenses to present a lecture at the ASBMB annual meeting.

School of Nursing

Patricia Davidson, dean, has been named a winner in the 100 Women of Influence Awards by The Australian Financial Review and Westpac, an Australian bank and financial services provider. Davidson was recognized in the global category for her contribution to nursing. The awards, in their fifth year, celebrate outstanding women from a wide variety of sectors across Australia. Recognition is based on the candidates' exceptional ability to demonstrate innovation, vision, leadership, and action in their fields.

Audra Rankin, an instructor in the Department of Acute and Chronic Care, received the Maryland Nurses Association Outstanding Dissemination of Health Information Award, presented in recognition of achievements in the dissemination of health information to the public.

Michael Sanchez, an instructor in the Department of Community-Public Health, received the Maryland Nurses Association Outstanding Mentorship Award. The award recognizes a mentor who best demonstrates outstanding efforts and interest in the professional development and advancement of less experienced nurses.

The School of Nursing received the 2016 Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the largest diversity-focused publication in higher education. The award recognizes U.S. nursing, medical, dental, pharmacy, osteopathic, and allied health schools that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Nancy Sullivan, an assistant professor in the Department of Acute and Chronic Care, received the Maryland Nurses Association Outstanding Nurse Educator Award, which recognizes a nurse educator who has provided others with exceptional educational opportunities.

Janiece Walker, an assistant professor in the Department of Community-Public Health, received the Maryland Nurses Association Outstanding Pathfinder Award. The recipient has pioneered in innovation in nursing or developed creative approaches to further nursing's agenda.

Whiting School of Engineering

Somnath Ghosh, the Michael G. Callas Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering, has been chosen to receive the 2017 TMS Structural Materials Division Distinguished Scientist/Engineer Award. Ghosh directs the Computational Mechanics Research Laboratory, the Center for Integrated Structure-Materials Modeling and Simulations, and the Center of Excellence on Integrated Materials Modeling. This Minerals, Metals and Materials Society award recognizes an individual who has made a long-lasting contribution to the fundamental understanding of microstructure, properties, and performance of structural materials for industrial applications. Ghosh will receive the award in February at the TMS Annual Meeting in San Diego.

Steve H. Hanke, a professor of applied economics in the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering and the Department of Economics, has been named to the Atlantic Council's 19-member EuroGrowth Initiative Task Force, which includes four former prime ministers and six former ambassadors. Through briefs, reports, and events, the EuroGrowth Initiative identifies practical solutions and best practices, and provides a forum for new and innovative ideas to promote economic growth in Europe.

Kalina Hristova, a professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and Sean Sun, a professor and vice chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, have been elected to the 2016 class of fellows for the American Physical Society. Election as an APS fellow is a major recognition of professional accomplishment from the leading organization of physicists. APS cited Hristova "for the development of quantitative methods to probe membrane protein interactions and to reveal the mechanism of activation of membrane receptors." Sun was recognized "for his contributions in understanding the mechanisms of biological force generation at the molecular and cellular levels, and the development of mathematical models of cell shape, cell volume, and cell motility."

Suchi Saria, an associate professor in the Department of Computer Science, presented her research at the first-ever White House Frontiers Conference, held in October in Pittsburgh. The conference highlighted five science and technology "frontiers"—from personal and global to national and interplanetary—that will shape the 21st century and beyond. Computing research and its applications play a central role in all these innovations. Saria, who is a member of the Malone Center for Engineering in Healthcare, talked during the National Frontiers session about her work finding biomarkers that signal the presence of deadly sepsis before it manifests.