Joe O'Rourke wins major award!

[jsbm at ams.sunysb.edu]

Dear Fellow Computational Geometers,

Please join us in congratulating Joe O'Rourke on being
one of the first recipients of NSF's highest honor for
excellence in teaching and research -- The Director's
Awards for Distinguished Teaching Scholars.

See the press announcement at:

http://www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/news/press/01/pr0170.htm

(some of the text pasted below)

This is an outstanding achievement by one of the leaders in our field.
Joe has been one of the "founding fathers" of the computational
geometry community, initiating the ACM Symposium on Computational
Geometry series.  Most of us have used his books for both 
research and teaching purposes; they are gems.  We look forward to
his continuing series of Computational Geometry Columns (in SIGACT News
and IJCGA).  Joe has been an inspiration to "generations" of researchers
in our young community.

It is with great pride that I learned that Joe O'Rourke, one of our
own, is among the distinguished few in the USA selected for this high
honor!

Way to go Joe!!


Sincerely,
Joe Mitchell
Chair, CG Steering Committee



** PRESS RELEASE **

NSF Selects First "Director's Awards for Distinguished Teaching Scholars" 

 Awards highlight excellence and promise in both research and education

This week the National Science Foundation (NSF) took a step to further
encourage scientists and engineers to apply their talents to
education, inside the classroom and out, by announcing the first
Director's Awards for Distinguished Teaching Scholars. Five men and
two women, whose research excellence has been shared liberally through
education efforts among their student bodies and the public at large,
have received $300,000 each over four years to continue and expand
their work beyond their institutions.

The recipients, Arthur B. Ellis (University of Wisconsin-Madison),
Leah H. Jamieson (Purdue University), Gretchen Kalonji (University of
Washington), Eric Mazur (Harvard University), Joseph O'Rourke (Smith
College, Mass.), H. Eugene Stanley (Boston University) and Carl
E. Wieman (University of Colorado) will share NSF's "highest honor for
excellence in both teaching and research." They will be honored at a
ceremony on November 8 at the National Academy of Sciences in
Washington, D.C.

During her tenure as NSF director, Rita Colwell has encouraged
scientists and engineers to be involved in education, both in the
classroom on subjects in which these scientists are already
well-versed, or by engaging students and citizens in public fora on
contemporary issues. She said the new awards should stimulate broader
efforts.

"This award embodies our priority to recognize the outstanding
contributions of scientists and engineers to the leading edge of
scientific knowledge at the same time they are advancing the frontiers
of education in science, mathematics, engineering and technology,"
Colwell said.

An interdisciplinary panel reviewed nearly 70 proposals from
universities and colleges, with almost 25 percent submitted by women.

"These awards are far-reaching because they will foster innovative
educational developments. They will increase and expand awareness of
career opportunities in science and engineering. And they will further
enhance connections between fundamental research and undergraduate
education," said Judith Ramaley, NSF's assistant director for
education and human resources. "These distinguished scholars are doing
much to improve science and mathematics education to benefit
non-majors as well as majors in science and engineering. In addition,
they are raising to a higher level knowledge and literacy of the
general public, which is very important to the nation's future
prominence in science, engineering and technology."

                              -NSF-

 Attachment: Distinguished Teaching Scholars - 2001

 Attachment 

 DISTINGUISHED TEACHING SCHOLARS - 2001

  Recipient/Field
                   Institution
                                       Accomplishments & Basis of
                                       Award
  Joseph O'Rourke
  Olin Professor of
  Computer Science 
                   Smith College
                                       Research in computational
                                       geometry has had applications
                                       for computer graphics, robotics
                                       and manufacturing. A 1984
                                       Presidential Young Investigator.
                                       He co-authors many
                                       publications with undergraduates
                                       and a leader in supporting
                                       women to pursue careers in
                                       computer science. Project will
                                       take his recent research work in
                                       computational geometry into
                                       classrooms from 6th grade
                                       upward, connecting the physical
                                       models to real-world problems. 




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