University Relations 202 Eielson Fairbanks, Alaska 99775-7520
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$10,000 USIBELLI AWARD-WINNERS
NAMED
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 7, 1998
Fairbanks, Alaska - Recipients of the 1998 Emil Usibelli Distinguished Teaching, Research and Service awards were announced today at a convocation sponsored by Provost John Keating at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Each of the faculty recognized for their achievements and contributions to UAF will receive a check for $10,000. The awards are funded annually from a $600,000 endowment made to UAF in 1992 by Usibelli Coal Mine.
The recipients for 1998 are: Professor of Wildlife Ecology Terry Bowyer, Usibelli Research Award; Associate Professor of Chemistry Tom Clausen, Usibelli Teaching Award; and Professor of Music Ted DeCorso, Usibelli Service Award. DeCorso was recently given a Governor's Award for the Arts in Art Education by Alaska Gov. Tony Knowles.
Terry Bowyer has been with UAF since 1986. He is being recognized for his contributions to the field of wildlife behavior and mammalian ecology, including his pioneering work in the area of sexual segregation, which examines why large mammals live apart for most of the year. Bowyer is also a leader in the field of studies examining environmental factors affecting wildlife reproduction.
After the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, Bowyer's work on river otters in Prince William Sound resulted in major breakthroughs in blood-based determinations of animal stress levels or "biomarkers."
Tom Clausen has been with UAF since 1982.
His students credit him with the unique ability to translate the
complex and often intimidating equations and procedures of organic
chemistry into concepts that are understandable Students consistently
rank him as one UAF's best teachers, even though some of his courses
are among the toughest students must tackle.
Students also praise Clausen for inspiring them by example, through
his own passion, love of work and commitment of time to help them
master the reactions and mechanisms of unknown chemical processes.
Clausen's own research is in the area of chemical interactions
between plants and animals, which he conducts while carrying a
full teaching load and through volunteering his time to community
activities, including high school science fairs and the annual
Science Potpourri sponsored by the College of Science, Engineering
and Mathematics. Clausen is a co-founder of Science Potpourri
which attracts hundreds of young children and their families to
the campus for hands-on science activities. Most recently, Clausen
was instrumental in obtaining a $200,000 National Science Foundation-funded
magnetic resonance spectrometer, which will benefit students throughout
the university system by conducting real time experiments over
the Internet.
Ted DeCorso has been with UAF since 1974. He has been the director of the UAF Summer Fine Arts Camp since 1979, and overseen the growth of the program from a music-only workshop for a small group of Interior junior and senior high school students, to a multi-faceted fine arts camp which attracts thousands of students from throughout the nation.
DeCorso's numerous contributions include being founding Conductor of the Fairbanks Community Band, Conductor of the Fairbanks Youth Symphony, principal clarinetist with the Fairbanks Symphony and Arctic Chamber Orchestra, music conductor for three Fairbanks Light Opera Theater productions and one Fairbanks Drama Association production, music department head, student adviser, teacher and mentor.
CONTACT:
UAF Public Information Officer
Debra Damron, (907) 474-7122.
UAF NEWS RELEASES AVAILABLE ELECTRONICALLY AT:
http://www.uaf.edu/univrel/media/index.html
DPD/4-6-98/98-048(a)
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