The Featured Faculty web site

Photo Caption: "IPFW lauds research"
"Susan Hannah, vice president for academic affairs at IPFW, presents Adam Coffman, associate professor of mathematics, a Featured Faculty award Thursday at a ceremony honoring him and five other faculty members for their research work."

Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne recognized six faculty members Thursday as exemplifying the depth and diversity of the research done at the university.

The Featured Faculty will become an annual recognition to highlight some of the most exciting research happening on campus, said Carl Drummond, associate vice chancellor for research.

“We want to promote the overall understanding of IPFW’s intellectual contribution to the area,” he said.

The faculty honored were chosen because their research has regional, national or international significance, Drummond said. He said they were selected by administrators, but it was not a competition.

Drummond said there were many more faculty who could have been chosen and likely will be in the future. The Featured Faculty this year are:

•Adam Coffman, associate professor of mathematics. Coffman is currently researching four-dimensional objects and is known for his work on Steiner surfaces, two-dimensional objects in a three-dimensional space.

•James Lutz, professor of political science and chairman of the department of political science. Lutz is an internationally known expert on terrorism and has written several books on the subject.

•Elizabeth Thompson, associate professor of electrical engineering. Thompson researches human-brain mapping using functional magnetic resonance imaging, which is relevant for studying and treating Alzheimer’s disease, strokes, chronic pain, dyslexia and epilepsy.

•Audrey Ushenko, professor of fine arts. Ushenko’s paintings are featured in public settings across the country, and she serves as an invited artist-in-residence at the Center for Advanced Medicine at the University of Chicago.

•Robert Visalli, assistant professor of biology. Visalli has studied the eight different human herpes pathogens since 1986. His research group discovered antiviral compounds that inhibited the virus that causes chicken pox and shingles.

•Stephen Ziegler, assistant professor of public and environmental affairs. Ziegler researches pain treatment and end-of-life issues and recently returned from Zurich, Switzerland, where he studied the regulation of assisted death.

Coffman said the program is a wonderful way to show what IPFW faculty are doing.

“I’d say that IPFW already has a nationally recognized math department,” he said. “I’m hoping this program will increase our positive exposure in the local community.”

He said many people don’t even realize that there is research going on in mathematics.

“There’s a lot of problems we haven’t solved,” Coffman said.

Ushenko said it is gratifying to be recognized by the university.

“Something like this, I think, helps people understand the nature of the university better.”