FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 26, 2000

Fairbanks, Alaska - A mathematician, an ecologist and a plant pathologist from the University of Alaska Fairbanks will receive this year's Emil Usibelli Awards for Distinguished Teaching, Research and Service at the final UAF Faculty Senate meeting of the year Monday, May 1 at 3 p.m. in the Wood Center Ballroom. Each winner will receive a check for $10,000 in recognition of their achievements and contributions to UAF.

The awards are funded from a $600,000 endowment made to UAF in 1992 by Usibelli Coal Mine and are named in honor of Alaska pioneer Emil Usibelli, who founded the family coal mining business in Healy in 1943. Both Emil's son, Joe Sr., and his grandson, Joe Jr., are UAF graduates and are ongoing supporters of the university. The younger Usibelli serves on the University of Alaska Board of Regents.

The recipient of the teaching award is John Bruder, assistant professor of mathematics at UAF's Bristol Bay Campus in Dillingham; the research recipient is Terry Chapin, professor of wildlife and biology; and the award for service will go to Jenifer McBeath, professor of plant pathology and biotechnology.

Whether by phone, email, or small plane, Bruder really knows how to reach out and touch his students. With a classroom that stretches from McGrath to Ft. Yukon, he has worked to set the standard of excellence in teaching through distance delivery to rural Alaska students since coming to UAF nine years ago. According to his students, Bruder easily meets the challenge of distance delivery by finding new and creative ways to teach not only the fundamentals of mathematics, but lessons on life.

"He adds stories, anecdotes and humor to illustrate concepts and expand upon ideas," said Daniel Van Meter, one of several former and current students who supported Bruder's nomination. "Frequently I would hang up the phone after class knowing more not only about math, but about astronomy, engineering, biology and even art."

This year's research award recipient has a tendency to get really fired up about science. Known internationally for his work in plant physiological ecology, Chapin has been published more than 250 times during his career, including a feature last month in "Science," one of the nation's most prestigious weekly science journals.

In letters of nomination, Chapin's colleagues noted that he is considered one of the top ecosystem ecologists in the world. Chapin's current research focuses on the boreal, or northern, fires. He and his colleagues are examining ecological factors, such as changes in vegetation and game animals, and social factors, such as the firefighting wages in Native villages and fire suppression policy.

Chapin has also received a number of prestigious honors, including the Kempe Award for Distinguished Ecology from the University of Umea, Sweden– one of the highest honors for ecology in the world.

This year's service award recipient has also been recognized globally for her research. Using her cultural background and fluency in Chinese language and customs, McBeath located export markets for agricultural products from Interior Alaska and from the Matanuska-Susitna valley near Anchorage, first in Taiwan and then in mainland China.

Through research performed on plant diseases at her UAF laboratory, McBeath convinced the Taiwanese government to accept seed potatoes imported from Alaska– the only source in the world allowed to export potatoes into that country. Recently, McBeath's efforts have opened additional markets for Alaskan carrots in Taiwan, and allowed for special clearance to send off a test shipment of Alaskan potatoes to mainland China.

When she isn't busy identifying plant pathologies, McBeath helps local and statewide agriculturists and horticulturists with voluntary advice on how to combat plant disease using naturally occurring microorganisms. During her 23 years at UAF, McBeath has advised everyone from the Alaska Division of Forestry on how to handle nursery seedlings and forest tree diseases to the Ester Community Park Committee on how to reduce snow mold and reseed baseball fields.

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JCS/4-26-00/00-072