Six Rutgers Alumni to Receive Graduate School Awards for Distinguished Accomplishments

      NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. – Six alumni will be recognized by Rutgers’ Graduate School–New Brunswick for their significant contributions to the biological sciences, humanities, physical and mathematical sciences and engineering, and social and behavioral sciences. Awards also will be presented for lifetime achievement and early career distinction.

      The award recipients are Vladimir A. Aksyuk, recognized for early career achievement; Bruce B. Clark for distinction in the biological sciences; Margaret M. Phelan for her work in the humanities; Paul L. Lioy for the physical sciences; Concetta Stewart in the social sciences; and Kelly D. Brownell for lifetime achievement. The awards will be presented at a reception and dinner on Friday, March 7, from 5 to 9 p.m. in the Life Sciences Building on the Busch Campus.

About the honorees:

Vladimir D. Aksyuk (Ph.D., Physics and Astronomy, 1999) is being recognized for early career distinction. Aksyuk made his first contributions to microelectronic mechanical systems as a graduate student, publishing in Science and Nature. At Bell Labs, he developed the micromirror array, a core component of a new optical switching network that enables optical communication signals to be manipulated without conversion to electrical pulses. His recent findings enable precise control of laser beams, which is important for military communication and space vehicle applications. He is now with Alcatel-Lucent in Murray Hill.

Bruce B. Clarke (Ph.D., Plant Pathology, 1982), recognized for distinction in the biological sciences, is a world authority on turfgrass pathology and is the first occupant of the Ralph Geiger Chair in Turfgrass Science at Rutgers. His research has produced turfgrass maintenance methods that have reduced the use of fungicides and that have promise for reducing the use of pesticides. His academic contributions include teaching, mentoring, academic leadership, administrative and committee service, public and professional service, and development of the Center for Turfgrass Science and its facilities.

Paul J. Lioy (Ph.D., Environmental Science, 1975) is being recognized for distinction in the physical sciences. Lioy is known for his expertise in exposure science – the study of environmental pollutant and toxin exposure effects on humans. He served as one of the first presidents of the International Society of Exposure Analysis and has been published widely in his field. Lioy is also vice chair of the Department of Environmental and Occupational Medicine at UMDNJ, and active in the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute.

Margaret M. Phelan (Ph.D., English, 1987) recognized for distinction in the humanities, is the Ann O’Day Maples Professor in the Arts and professor of drama and English at Stanford University. She is the author of many influential works in drama and performance studies and is a world-renowned scholar of feminist performance studies. Phelan has been innovative in bringing film and visual arts into the field of performance studies, expanding its reach to feminist and psychoanalytical forms of analysis.

Concetta Stewart (Ph.D., Communication, Information and Library Studies, 1989) recognized for distinction in the social sciences, is dean of the School of Communications and Theater at Temple University.  She has been influential in the adaptation of communication technologies such as smart classrooms and cybermedia to higher education. Stewart is known for her dedication to the Temple school, her ability to excite donors about its mission, and her institutional leadership.

Kelly D. Brownell (Ph.D., Psychology, 1977) who is being recognized for lifetime achievement, is a professor of psychology at Yale, director of its Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, and a member of the Institute of Medicine. Brownell was one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people in 2006 and is among the most cited people in the field of psychology. He is noted for his efforts to understand and address the problem of obesity and his role in New York City’s effort to ban junk food in schools. Brownell is being honored for his scholarship and dedication to helping others.