Milestones

Rachel Brenner, Department of Hebrew and Semitic Studies, was named the Max and Frieda Weinstein-Bascom Professor, effective July 1.

R. Alta Charo, Law School, will be a senior adviser in the Office of the Commissioner at the Food and Drug Administration. She will remain a UW–Madison employee during her one-year tenure.

First-year Wisconsin assistant women’s rowing coach Megan Cooke has been chosen the 2009 Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association Central Regional Coach of the Year.

Cameron Currie, Department of Bacteriology, received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the nation’s highest honor for researchers beginning their independent careers. He also recently participated in the the second World Summit on Evolution organized by the Universidad San Francisco de Quito at the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, a gathering of leading scientists from around the world.

David DeWitt, professor emeritus of computer science, was honored by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers for his work with database systems.

The Turkish National Agency announced that Kemal H. Karpat, Department of History, received the Turkish Grand National Assembly’s highest Parliament Honorary Award of 2009 for his outstanding achievements in the international arena and contributions to Turkish and Ottoman studies.

Rachel Kipp, a certified veterinary technician in the School of Veterinary Medicine, recently attained specialty credentials in large animal internal medicine.

Steve Lund, director of the Academic Personnel Office, was named interim director of the Office of Human Resources following the retirement of the office’s longtime director, Carla Raatz.

Developmental biologist Margaret McFall-Ngai was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship, a one-year grant that will support her investigation into how animals interact with their natural complement of microbes.

Daniel Meyer, School of Social Work, was named the May C. Jacoby Distinguished Professor in the School of Social Work, effective July 1.

Phil Miller, assistant dean for research programs in the Wisconsin School of Business, received the 2009 Sterling H. Schoen Achievement Award at the 43rd annual Orientation Program and Conference of The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management, presented annually to an individual “in recognition of their courageous leadership and commitment to advancing the goal of equal opportunity and access to higher education for people of color.”

The Board of Regents selected tobacco-control leader Lezli Redmond as the winner of its 2009 Award for Excellence.

Jeffrey S. Russell, chair of the Department of Civil Engineering, was recently named a Distinguished Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the organization’s highest accolade.

Aliko Songolo, Department of French and Italian, was named the Halverson-Bascom Professor, effective July 1.

Jim Turk was named biological safety officer in the Environment, Health and Safety Department.