|
P E O P L E
|
|
|
|
|
Stokes
|
Spotlight
Name: Velga Stokes.
Position: Web specialist in the Web services group
of the Office of Information Technology. Working with other
offices to create and update Web pages. Maintaining the
University Web pages in collaboration with the Office of
Communications and maintaining the Office of Information
Technology Web pages in collaboration with OIT
colleagues.
Quote: "Princeton has so many amazingly dedicated
people. Supporting their efforts to provide information on
the Web is very gratifying. Being in such excellent company
has made my work at Princeton enjoyable for 34 years."
Other interests: Keeping in touch with family in
this country and in her native Latvia; preserving her
heritage with Latvian books, music, poetry and cultural
traditions.
Briefs
Paul DiMaggio, a professor of sociology, has won
the 2001 Theory Prize of the American Sociological
Association.
DiMaggio received the prize for his
article "Culture and Cognition," published in the 1997
volume of the Annual Review of Sociology. His article was
unanimously selected as the award-winner by the Theory
Section of the association, a non-profit group with 13,000
members in sociological fields.
DiMaggio has been a professor of
sociology at Princeton since 1992. He has researched and
written extensively on topics such as analysis of
organizations, social stratification, sociology and
economics, and the sociology of art and literature.
Biophysicist John Hopfield, who applies techniques
of physics and mathematics to the study of the brain, has
been awarded the 2001 Dirac Medal.
The medal is awarded annually to "an
individual who has made significant contributions to
theoretical physics and mathematics," according to the
citation from the Abdus Salam International Centre for
Theoretical Physics. The center, located in Trieste, Italy,
established the award in 1985 in honor of the English
physicist Paul Dirac. Medalists receive a $5,000 prize.
Hopfield, a professor of molecular
biology, is developing a theoretical understanding of how
the neural circuits of the brain perform complex
calculations. He investigates the way in which nerve cells
work together to process sensory perceptions such as the
recognition of odors. The Hopfield model of neural
processing, which provides insight into the differences
between computation in computers and the brain, has become
widely referenced in the field.
The prize citation also recognizes
significant contributions Hopfield made in the field of
condensed matter physics before shifting his focus to
biology. In 1969, as a professor in the University's physics
department, he received the Buckley Prize for his research
into light-emitting diodes.
The Society of Automotive Engineering has named Erik
VanMarcke, professor of civil and environmental
engineering, the recipient of its Distinguished
Probabilistic Methods Educator Award for 2001.
Nominations for this award were solicited
from the international engineering community. VanMarcke was
selected on the basis of his outstanding contributions to
the field of risk and probabilistic analysis methods.
|
|
|
October 15, 2001
Vol. 91, No. 6
previous
archives
next
Contents
In the news
• Seminars put writing
at the forefront for freshmen
• Basis for 'just war'
is redress, prevention of aggression
• University signs
agreement to acquire land in West
Windsor
• Milberg inspires
celebration of Jewish-American writing
• Tilghman launches
lecture series
People
• Spotlight
• Briefs
Sections
• By the
numbers
• Nassau
Notes
• Calendar
of events
The Bulletin is published weekly during the academic year, except
during University breaks and exam weeks, by the Office of
Communications, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544. Permission
is given to adapt, reprint or excerpt material from the Bulletin for
use in other media.
Deadline. In general, the copy deadline for each issue is the
Friday 10 days in advance of the Monday cover date. The deadline for
the Bulletin that covers Nov. 5&endash;11 is Friday, Oct. 26. A
complete publication schedule is available at <deadlines>
or by calling (609) 258-3601.
Subscriptions. The Bulletin is distributed free to faculty,
staff and students. Others may subscribe to the Bulletin for $28 for
the academic year (half price for current Princeton parents and
people over 65). Send a check to Office of Communications, Stanhope
Hall, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544.
Editor: Ruth Stevens
Calendar editor: Carolyn Geller
Staff writers: Jennifer Greenstein Altmann, Steven Schultz
Contributing writers: Karin Dienst, Marilyn Marks
Photographer: Denise Applewhite
Design: Mahlon Lovett, Laurel Masten Cantor
Web edition: Mahlon Lovett
|
|