Distinguished Alumni to Be Honored at University of Pittsburgh 29th Annual Honors Convocation Feb. 28

PITTSBURGH—Three University of Pittsburgh alumni will be honored during Pitt's 29th Annual Honors Convocation, at 3 p.m. Feb. 28 in Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall Museum, 4141 Fifth Ave., Oakland. A reception will be held immediately afterward in the Ballroom and Kurtzman Room of the William Pitt Union, 3959 Fifth Ave.

The keynote speaker will be Julius S. Youngner—Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry in the University's School of Medicine, a pioneer in the science of virology, and sole survivor of the core research team that developed the Salk polio vaccine at Pitt. His address is titled "Science and Controversy: Inseparable."

The convocation also will recognize outstanding students, staff, and faculty, including recipients of the 2005 Chancellor's Distinguished Teaching Award, Chancellor's Distinguished Research Award, and Chancellor's Distinguished Public Service Award.

Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg and Pitt Alumni Association President Keith E. Schaefer (CAS '71) will present the 2005 Distinguished Alumni Fellow awards, which recognize outstanding achievement in the alumni's respective professions and service to the community.

Recipients of the alumni awards will be Carlos Angulo-Galvis, president of the Universidad de los Andes, in Bogotá, Colombia; Henry J. Mankin, the Edith M. Ashley Professor Emeritus of Orthopaedics in the Harvard Medical School; and Francine G. McNairy, president of Millersville University of Pennsylvania.

For the past 40 years, Angulo-Galvis has been affiliated with the Universidad de los Andes, first as a professor of civil engineering and, since 1997, as president. He received both the B.S. and M.S. degrees in civil engineering from Pitt, in 1958 and '59, respectively, and while a student, became interested in finding ways for students of low-income families to gain access to high-quality education. Under his leadership, the Universidad de los Andes gradually has been able to change the socioeconomic profile of its students; in the second semester of 2004, it provided assistance to more than 40 percent of the student body.

Angulo-Galvis also has supervised some of Colombia's largest public works projects, including construction of one of the highest hydroelectric dams in the world. In recognition of his leadership and service, the Colombian government has honored him with the Orden al Mérito Julio Garavito en el Grado de Gran Cruz and the Condecoración Francisco de Paula Santander en el Grado Máximo.

Mankin, who currently serves as a senior research consultant for the Orthopaedic Oncology Service at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and was chief of orthopaedic surgery at MGH from 1972 to 1996, earned both his bachelor's degree in business in 1952 and his medical degree in 1953 at the University of Pittsburgh. He also was honored as a Pitt Legacy Laureate in 2002

Mankin's clinical interests include orthopaedic biologic research in the fields of cartilage, osteoarthritis, bone and cartilage allografting, and Gaucher disease. He has served as president of the Orthopaedic Research Society, the American Orthopaedic Association, the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society, the Academic Orthopaedic Society, and the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery. He is an Honorary Fellow in the Royal College of Surgeons of London and an honorary member of the Thai, Japanese, Australian, New Zealand, Argentine, Israeli, Canadian, and British Orthopaedic societies.

McNairy, who is a member of the Pennsylvania State Board of Education and served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Millersville beginning in 1994, received the Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology in 1968, the Master of Arts degree in social work in 1970, and the Ph.D. degree in speech rhetoric/communication in 1978, all from the University of Pittsburgh. Prior to her appointment at Millersville, McNairy was associate provost at West Chester University of Pennsylvania and dean of academic support services and assistant to the vice president for academic affairs at Clarion University of Pennsylvania.

McNairy's scholarship consists of publications, presentations, and consultations focusing on retention, the freshman seminar program, outcomes assessment, Black student retention, minority curriculum development, and academic support services. Most recently she was named Outstanding First Year Advocate by the National Resource Center for First-Year Experience and Students in Transition.

Receiving the Chancellor's 2005 Distinguished Teaching Award will be Pat K. Chew, professor of law; Kevin P. Kearns, associate professor in the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs; James E. Seitz, associate professor of English; Mark S. Strauss, associate professor of psychology; and Linda A. Winkler, associate professor in the Titusville campus' Division of Natural Sciences.

Receiving the Chancellor's Distinguished Research Award in the junior scholar category will be Rick Relyea, assistant professor of biological sciences, and Judith Yang, associate professor of materials science and engineering. Recipients in the senior scholar category will be Marcia Landy, professor of English; Malcolm R. McNeil, professor and chair in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences' Department of Communication Science and Disorders; and Hrovje Petek, professor of physics.

Receiving the Chancellor's Distinguished Public Service Award for 2005 will be Isabel L. Beck, professor in the School of Education and senior scientist in the Learning Research and Development Center, and Sharon E. Connor, assistant professor of pharmacy.

Winners of the teaching and public service awards each will receive a $2,000 cash award and a $3,000 grant to support the faculty member's teaching functions; winners of the research award will receive a $2,000 cash prize and a $3,000 grant to support the faculty member's research.

The University holds the Honors Convocation annually to recognize undergraduate, graduate, and professional academic achievement; student leadership; and faculty and staff accomplishments.

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