Cheers is a monthly listing of honors and awards received by faculty, staff and students plus recent appointments and promotions. Contributions must be submitted in writing and be accompanied by a phone number.

APL

Gwen Boyd, of the Director's Office, has been elected president of the board of directors of the United Way of the National Capital Area, which covers eight political jurisdictions of the Washington Metropolitan Area. Boyd also has been elected national president of Delta Sigma Theta sorority, an international service organization of more than 200,000 college-educated women.

Keith Raney, of the Space Department, received an IEEE Third Millennium Medal for lifetime achievement at the organization's annual International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium, held in Honolulu in July.

Arts and Sciences

John Baldwin, the Charles Homer Haskins Professor of History, has been elected correspondant etranger to the Academie des Inscriptions et Belles Lettres. The Academie des Inscriptions was founded by the French minister Colbert in 1663, making it the second oldest, after the Academie Francaise, of the five academies of the Institut de France. Its purpose is to promote learning in historical studies, in particular antiquity, the Middle Ages and the Orient. Baldwin is a specialist in medieval French history.

Ludwig Brand, a professor of biology and biophysics, Department of Biology, has been elected a fellow of the Biophysical Society.

Health System

David Bricker has joined the Hopkins Children's Center's Public Affairs Office as a senior media relations representative. Bricker, who has seven years' experience in lab and field research, will report on faculty research and work with reporters to develop stories on basic science and clinical research advances at the center.

Colene Y. Daniel, co-chair of the university's Council on Urban Health and vice-president of corporate services, community health and services for JHHS, has been awarded the Women of Color Technology Award for Corporate Responsibility. She will be honored in Essence and Ebony magazines. In addition, Daniel has been reappointed to the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners.

Ronald R. Peterson, president of The Johns Hopkins Hospital and Health System, has been appointed to chair the Mayor's Work Force Investment Board. The board works with the city government to serve the employment and training needs of Baltimore's employers, employees and future workforce.

James Wong recently joined the vascular surgery team at Bayview and has been named medical director of the certified vascular lab. Wong, a registered vascular technologist, will develop Bayview's endovascular surgery program.

For the fifth year in a row, Ophthalmology Times has named Hopkins' Wilmer Eye Institute the best overall ophthalmology program in the country. Wilmer ranked first in all the categories evaluated by the magazine, including best overall eye program, best research, best clinical care and best residency training program--the first time that any eye program has done so.

Medicine

Susan Akridge, clinic manager and education program coordinator for the Comprehensive Diabetes Center, received the Diane Bredar Award from the Maryland Association of Diabetes Educators. Akridge is a past president of the organization.

Bernard Cohen, associate professor of dermatology and director of pediatric dermatology, has been elected president of the Society for Pediatric Dermatology. Cohen's two-year term, which begins in July, puts him in charge of implementing policies among doctors, nurses and other health care professionals that broaden awareness of pediatric skin diseases.

Julie Gottlieb, special assistant for research affairs, has been promoted to senior director of the School of Medicine's new Office of Policy Coordination. Gottlieb will report to the executive vice dean and will work closely with Research Affairs, Faculty Affairs, the Office of Technology Licensing, the Office of the General Counsel and other administrative offices.

Daniel F. Hanley, professor of neurology, neurosurgery and anesthesiology/critical care medicine and director of the Brain Injury Outcomes Division, was one of five charter members to be inducted into the National Stroke Association's newly created Visionary in Practice Society. An active volunteer with the NSA since 1997, Hanley serves on the board of directors and executive committee, and is chairman of the professional advisory council.

Peter S. Staats, associate professor of anesthesiology/critical care medicine and director of the Division of Pain Medicine, has been selected by the American Pain Society to serve a two-year term as third director at large on its board of directors.

John R. Burton, Mason F. Lord Professor of Medicine and director of the Bayview Geriatrics Center, has been appointed chairman of the Professorial Promotions Committee for 2000-2001. Jeremy M. Berg, professor and director of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, has been named vice chairman and will take over as chairman in 2001. New to the committee this year are Nancy Davidson, professor of oncology; Anna Mae Diehl, professor of medicine; Risa Mann, professor of pathology and oncology-administration; Justin McArthur, professor and deputy director of Neurology; and Jeremy Nathans, professor of molecular biology and genetics and neuroscience.

Nursing

Jerilyn Allen has been promoted to professor and also has been named director of the school's doctoral program.

Fannie Gaston-Johansson, professor and Elsie M. Lawler Chair, received the Oncology Nursing Society Foundation/Astra-Zeneca Pharmaceuticals Excellence in Pain Management Award.

Christine E. Kasper, associate professor and M. Adelaide Nutting Chair, received the Medal of Honor from the Universidade Federal de Penambuco in Brazil for her contributions to nursing research.

Kathleen M. White, associate professor, was appointed to the Howard County Commission for Women. The commission works for diversity by promoting the economic, social and political equality of women in all phases of public and private life.