Chicago Journal ::

Race expert returns
Michael Dawson, a leading race and politics expert, returns to the University July 1 as a professor in political science and the College. On Harvard’s faculty since 2002, Dawson said Chicago “has made enormous progress in building African American studies specifically and racial studies more generally.” He had taught at Chicago for ten years and founded the Center for the Study of Race, Politics, and Culture.

New OMSA head
Ana Vazquez, who directed the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs at DePaul University, moves to Chicago June 13 as deputy dean of students in the University and director of the Office of Minority Student Affairs. Vazquez holds a PhD in higher education.

Frankly, a big award
Yoichiro Nambu, the Harry Pratt Judson distinguished service professor emeritus of physics, won the 2005 Benjamin Franklin medal in physics. Nambu helped solidify modern conceptions of subatomic particles and was a string-theory pioneer. For 180 years the Franklin Institute has honored scientific innovations that have “benefited humanity, advanced science, launched new fields of inquiry, and deepened our understanding of the universe.”

Teens hit Hyde Parkers
In April University police arrested 33 people, mostly high-school and grammar-school students, in connection with 39 neighborhood attacks. “A striking aberration during a period of many years in which crime has been steadily declining in Hyde Park,” according to University Vice President for Community and Government Affairs Hank Webber, the incidents may have been part of a school trend. The attacks resulted in no major injuries.

Gender Studies names director
Deborah Nelson, associate professor of English language & literature, has been named director of the Center for Gender Studies, replacing Romance languages & literature professor Rebecca West. Because Nelson will be on leave next year, history professor George Chauncey will serve as interim director in 2005–06.

Top honor for top quark research
Physics professor Young-Kee Kim has received the Ho-Am Prize in Science. Prestigious awards given in Korea, the Ho-Am prizes honor advances in science, engineering, medicine, arts, and community service. A member of the Collider Detector at Fermilab team for 15 years, Kim helped to discover the top quark and measure its mass.

Islamic scholar arrives
Michael Sells, AM’77, PhD’82, a top Islam expert, joins the Divinity School faculty this summer as the John Henry Barrows professor of Islamic history and literature. With Malika Zeghal, associate professor of anthropology and sociology of religion, Sells will add to the University’s Islam program. On Haverford College’s faculty since 1984, he has written seven books and is widely lauded as the world’s top Koran translator and interpreter.

Guggenheim trio
Three University faculty members—Woowon Kang, associate professor in physics and the College; John Lucy, PhD’87, the William A. Benton professor in comparative human development, psychology, and the College; and Trevor Price, professor in ecology & evolution—have received 2005 Guggenheim fellowships in the 81st annual U.S. and Canadian competition.

More U of C secondary schools
With $6 million from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, up to seven secondary schools will open on Chicago’s South Side in the next three years, two run by the University and the others aided by the U of C’s Center for Urban School Improvement. The University-sponsored schools will be additional campuses of the University of Chicago Charter School, which the Center for Urban School Improvement has operated since 1998.

Wedded bliss amid the Gates
On a bitter cold February 27, the last day of Christo’s Gates exhibit in New York’s Central Park, University dean of admissions Ted O’Neill, AM’70, helped officiate at the wedding of a longtime friend. O’Neill had met groom Zachary Zises through his brother, Bryan Zises, AB’90. The wedding story made the March 13 New York Times.

Medicine gets a breather
Joe “Skip” Garcia has joined the University from Johns Hopkins, heading the Department of Medicine and bringing along $30 million in grants, two physicians, and 10 researchers. Garcia’s team studies ways to treat and prevent fluid buildup in the lungs. He replaces Harvey Golomb, AB’64, now dean of clinical affairs.

Smart choice for museum
Anthony Hirschel, former director and CEO of the Indianapolis Museum of Art, is the new director of the Smart Museum. He replaces Kim Rorschach, who left in June 2004 to head Duke University’s art museum. Jacqueline Terrassa, MFA’94, has served as interim director.

Chicago medal of honor
At the Chicago Convenes dinner to recognize University supporters, President Don Randel awarded the University of Chicago Medal to Gerald Ratner, PhB’35, JD’37. Cited for “distinguished service of the highest order,” Ratner, who gave the naming gift for the two-year-old athletics center and has advocated for the University for 70 years, became the 11th person to receive the award, established in 1976.