Four Faculty Earn Hettleman Prizes

Posted on Sept. 23, 2005

Singled out for their innovative work, four of the University’s top up-and-coming faculty have been named recipients of the 2005 Phillip and Ruth Hettleman Prizes for Artistic and Scholarly Achievement by Young Faculty.

The award, which includes a $5,000 stipend, has honored outstanding junior tenure-track or recently tenured faculty since 1986.

Dr. Aysenil Belger, who came to UNC in 2000 and is an associate professor in the department of psychiatry, was honored for her ground-breaking research on schizophrenia. Employing functional magnetic resonance imaging  and electrophysiology, she has provided significant insight into normal brain function and how the brain malfunctions in neuropsychiatric disorders.

Chris Clemens, an associate professor in physics and astronomy, who came to UNC in 1998, is described as an eloquent teacher and a technological pioneer. On a modest budget, he recently developed an instrument that expands the capacity of large telescopes such as the University’s Southern Astrophysical Research Telescope (SOAR), on which he works.

Assistant Professor Pat Davison of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication is a Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer for his coverage of the Columbine High School shootings. Since he joined the journalism school in 2001 he is credited with bringing the school and his students to the forefront in multimedia photojournalism. He’s also organized a popular guest lecture series for photojournalism students and contributed to several award-winning international student projects.

Associate Professor Bob Goldstein of the biology department came to UNC in 1999. He was honored for his work focused on cell development and recent research that has shed significant light on cell interactions in several human cancers. Already, he is considered an international leader in his field, according to his colleagues.

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