Cheers ----------------------------------------------------------------- Once each month, Cheers recognizes achievement of consequence among faculty, staff and students, as well as some promotions and new hires. We welcome contributions submitted in writing accompanied by a telephone number. Submissions may be edited for length,clarity and content. Items not included for reasons of space will be published in the next Cheers. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Honors, awards and appointments ------------------- Applied Physics Lab Associate supervisor and chief scientist Frederick S. Billig was elected to the National Academy of Engineering for analytical and experimental contributions to supersonic/hypersonic combustion and ramjet engine technologies. Election to the NAE is one of the highest recognitions an engineer can receive. Centers and affiliates Sandy Fleming, journals marketing coordinator for the Johns Hopkins Press, was awarded an Honorable Mention in the ArtScape '95 Literary Arts Awards Competition for Poetry, Short Story and One-Act Play. Her entry was runner-up in the short story category, judged by author Rita Mae Brown. A version of "Eastern Peaches" will appear in the fall as a chapbook from Dragonfly Press. Medicine The Alan M. Chesney Medical Archives has been selected as recipient of the Distinguished Service Award of the Society of American Archivists, the highest honor the society bestows on an institution. Neil M. Bressler, associate professor of ophthalmology, has received the $30,000 Olga Keith Wiess Scholar Award from the Research to Prevent Blindness organization to support research into age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of severe visual loss in the elderly. Morton F. Goldberg, director of the Department of Ophthalmology, has received a $100,000 grant from the Research to Prevent Blindness organization to support research into blinding diseases. Antony Rosen, assistant professor of medicine, has received a $200,000 Pew Scholar in the Biomedical Sciences award to support his research on rheumatology for the next four years. Arts and Sciences John P. Toscano, assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry, was one of 11 national winners of the Camille and Henry Dreyfus New Faculty Award. The $25,000 prize is made to provide external research support to a new faculty member no later than the beginning of their first full-time academic appointment. The award is intended to assist outstanding scientists realize their promise as educators. University-wide The Black Faculty and Staff Association is a new association whose mission is dedicated to promoting and enhancing identity, sense of community, professional welfare and development among black faculty, staff and students. Its newly elected officers include president Alison Pullins, human resources manager in the School of Continuing Studies; vice president Vernon Savage, assistant director of the Counseling and Student Development Center; treasurer William Caffee III, accounting assistant in the Office of the Controller; corresponding secretary Sabree Akinyele, program assistant with the information technology department in the School of Continuing Studies; recording secretary Denise Madden, administrative secretary in Homewood Human Resources; and parliamentarian Franklin Knight, professor in the Department of History. Changing places, new faces ------------------ The Real Estate Roundtable in the Allan L. Berman Real Estate Institute has elected three alumni as new officers for the 1995-96 academic year: Julie Brand as chair, Patricia Ralston as vice chair and Martin Lutsky as secretary/treasurer. The Berman Institute is part of the Division of Business and Management in the School of Continuing Studies. Paul Cantabene has joined the Blue Jays as assistant lacrosse coach. He will primarily work with the Blue Jay mid-fielders and face-off specialists, as well as being actively involved in the recruiting process. John C. Cook, previously director of the Annual Fund, has been named senior associate director of development for the School of Arts and Sciences. Lisa Callahan, of Metro Traffic Control, has joined the WJHU-FM news team. She will be the local anchor to National Public Radio's All Things Considered, heard on 88.1 Monday through Fridays from 5 to 7 p.m.