Cora Marrett Honored by American Sociological Association

Cora Marrett, NSF's assistant director for the Education and Human Resources directorate, is this year's winner of the American Sociological Association's (ASA) Cox-Johnson-Frazier Award. Created in 1971, the award honors the intellectual traditions and contributions of Oliver Cox, Charles S. Johnson and E. Franklin Frazier. The award is given annually to either a sociologist for a lifetime of research, teaching and service to the community or to an academic institution for its work in assisting the development of scholarly efforts in this tradition.

Marrett was recognized for her work as an advocate for inclusion in her positions as teacher, researcher, administrator and program officer. In letters nominating Marrett for this recognition, her contributions to the ASA's Minority Opportunity Summer Training program (MOST) were highlighted, along with the gains made by scholars of color and women through Marrett's contributions to the field in her various roles.

One of the letters of nomination noted, "Whether it was at the University of Wisconsin at both the Madison campus and the system as a whole, the University of Massachusetts, Western Michigan University, the National Science Foundation, the Social Science Research Council, the Russell Sage Foundation or the American Sociological Association, they have all benefited from her intellect and commitment to making these institutions and those that they serve more inclusive and diverse. It has been said of her that "she has herself not only opened doors directly for African American scholars but set up expectations for excellence and opportunities to excel that have directly paid dividends across the profession of sociology and related social science disciplines."

For more information, go to http://www.asanet.org/cs/root/leftnav/awards/cora_marrett_award_statement

-NSF-

Team USA Brings Home the (Linguistics) Gold

The summer games in Beijing may have just gotten underway, but the United States can already claim gold medal bragging rights. The sixth International Linguistics Olympiad ended today in Slanchev Bryag, Bulgaria, and U.S. high school students captured 11 out of 33 awards, including gold medals in individual and team events. This was only the second time the U.S. has ever competed in the event. Their achievement brings a new focus on computational linguistics. This year's Olympiad ... More at http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=112073&govDel=USNSF_51 This is an NSF News item.

Robot Vehicle Surveys Deep Sea Off Pacific Northwest

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Scientists to Assess Beijing Olympics Air Pollution Control Efforts

As the Summer Olympics in Beijing kicks off this week, the event is giving scientists a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to observe how the atmosphere responds when a heavily populated region substantially curbs everyday industrial emissions.The National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded "Cheju ABC Plume-Monsoon Experiment" (CAPMEX) will include a series of flights by specially equipped unmanned aircraft known as autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles (AUAVs). The aerial ... More at http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=112022&govDel=USNSF_51 This is an NSF News item.

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We don't have spacecraft to take us outside our solar system--not yet, at least. Still, astronomers thought they had a pretty good understanding of how our solar system formed and in turn, how others formed. In the last dozen years, nearly 300 exoplanets have been discovered. Are the solar systems in which they reside indeed like our own? Without knowledge or observations to the contrary, conventional knowledge said yes. Three Northwestern University researchers questioned that assumption ... More at http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=112024&govDel=USNSF_51 This is an NSF News item.

The Shape of Things to Come

Instead of using a flat microchip as the light sensor for their new camera, a team of engineers has developed a sensor that is a flexible mesh of wire-connected pixels. The mesh is made from many of the same materials as a standard digital-camera sensor, but has the unique ability to conform to convoluted, irregular surfaces.The technology is already showing promise for photography, as the researchers conformed the array to a hemispherical shape and incorporated the device into ... More at http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=112012&govDel=USNSF_51 This is an NSF News item.