Two professors elected to the American Philosophical Society, America's first learned society.

Dateline staff

The American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists has presented its Henry S. Fitch award to Thomas Schoener, with the association’s Copeia journal describing Schoener as “one of the greatest zoologists of our time.”

Schoener, a professor of evolution and ecology, and the department’s first chair, was one of the youngest scientists ever elected to the National Academy of Sciences. He has conducted research in the West Indies, Australia, New Guinea, New Caledonia, Malaysia, Fiji, New Zealand and the United States.

“His contributions to theoretical ecology and evolutionary biology are immense … and he early on defined the ‘fundamental questions’ most ecologists ask of their organisms,” Copeia declared in an article about Schoener’s receiving the Fitch award for excellence in herpetology.

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John Dewey, distinguished professor emeritus of geology, has been named a fellow of the Australian Academy of Sciences. In addition, he is due to receive an honorary doctorate from the University of Rennes, France.

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The Association for Psychological Science plans ahead, announcing recently that it will present a 2012 James McKeen Cattell Fellow Award to UC Davis’ Gail Goodman, recognizing her for a lifetime of outstanding contributions to applied psychological research. Goodman is a distinguished professor of psychology.

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The American Ceramic Society has selected Zuhair Munir, a professor emeritus in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, to receive the 2011 W. David Kingery Award, recognizing career achievement in ceramic science.

The society comprises more than 9,500 scientists, engineers, researchers, manufacturers and others involved in ceramic components — often hidden but nevertheless critical in nearly everything that makes modern life possible, from computers, cell phones, jet engines and armor, to skis, tennis rackets and hip replacements, according to the society.

Munir joined the UC Davis faculty in 1972. He served as associate dean of Graduate Studies in the College of Engineering from 1980 to 2000, and as dean from 2000 to 2002.

He received the Faculty Research Lecture Award in 2006, and Dateline UC Davis reported at the time: “The current running through Munir's career is how electric fields can influence materials processing. He is interested in ways to make new kinds of materials with unique mechanical, optical or electrical properties. …

“In the 1980s, Munir's laboratory group began applying its knowledge of electric fields to combustion synthesis, and soon found that this had a profound effect on the chemical reaction, speeding it up, broadening the list of materials that can be made and fine-tuning the nature of the final material.”

The American Ceramic Society announced that it will present the Kingery award on Oct. 17 in Columbus, Ohio, during the society’s annual meeting, held in conjunction with the Materials Science and Technology Conference and Exhibition.

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Claire Pomeroy, chief executive officer of the UC Davis Health System, vice chancellor for Human Health Sciences and dean of the School of Medicine, is a Safety Net Hero.

Serotonin Surge Charities, a nonprofit organization that raises money for health care-related charities, designated her so during the organization’s Spring Break 2011 fundraiser, benefitting safety net clinics in the greater Sacramento region.

The award recognizes Pomeroy for her commitment to ensuring health care for medically underserved people.

“Claire Pomeroy is a go-getter who cares deeply about building and maintaining a sustainable health-care system that meets the needs of those in need,” said Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Sacramento, who introduced Pomeroy via video.

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The Western Institute of Nursing recently honored UC Davis’ Debra Bakerjian for her research aimed at enhancing the care of older adults. Bakerjian is an assistant adjunct professor in the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing.

The institute annually presents two awards in this field of study, one to a senior researcher, the other to a new researcher. Bakerjian received the latter: the John A. Hartford Foundation Regional Geriatric Nursing Research Award for a New Researcher. It recognizes her use of interprofessional models to enhance the quality, safety and cost-effectiveness of care-delivery systems in nursing homes.

The presentation came April 14 in Las Vegas, during the institute’s 44th annual conference. The institute includes more than 25 nursing schools in 12 states.

Bakerjian’s research primarily focuses on the work of nurse practitioners, physicians and physician assistants in nursing homes, and linking patient care to outcomes. She also researches the transitions among acute-care facilities, nursing homes and assisted-living centers; chronic disease management; pain management; quality of care and of life; and education for health care workers.

“Nurses need to work to the full scope of their practice within a collaborative, interdisciplinary environment,” as recommended by the Institute of Medicine’s recent Future of Nursing report,” Bakerjian said. “The research I conduct will provide a better understanding of ways to model best collaborative practices while supporting that recommendation and will also have a direct impact on how nurses are educated.”

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Dateline UC Davis welcomes news of faculty and staff awards, for publication in Laurels. Send information to dateline@ucdavis.edu.