Uwe Happek

on March 2, 2016

Creative Research Medal 2004

Uwe Happek, Associate Professor of Physics, studies dynamic processes that occur in condensed matter, an area of physics devoted to understanding materials and their properties. Condensed matter physics research drives development of new materials to run computers faster, convert sunlight into electricity efficiently or operate trains on frictionless tracks. Dr. Happek has made important contributions to understanding the underlying physics that control light-emitting efficiency in phosphor materials, widely used in fluorescent lighting, TV screens and medical imaging equipment. He has developed two new methods to determine energy levels in phosphors, which are made of rare earth or transition metal ions embedded in a “host” material. In lighting devices, UV radiation generated by a gas discharge or a UV emitting diode optically excites the ions. As the ions return to the normal state, visible light is released. The light-emitting efficiency of this process depends on the relative position of the energy levels of the ions and the host material, because some (in special cases all) of the energy is transferred to the host material, resulting in so-called quenching of the luminescence. Measuring the relative energy levels of rare earth ions and host materials has proved difficult. Dr. Happek’s new techniques will advance development of new, high-efficiency materials. He has collaborative projects with other scientists and research groups in the United States, Europe and Asia, and with industry.

Ming-Jun Lai and Paul Wenston

on March 2, 2016

Creative Research Medal 2003

Ming-Jun Lai, professor of mathematics, and Paul Wenston, associate professor of mathematics, have developed a method that reduces approximation errors for Navier-Stokes equations. Mathematicians apply these equations to describe and predict how fluids move, for example when designing faster boats and creating such animations as the huge waves in the movie The Perfect Storm. While Navier-Stokes equations may look like advanced calculus problems from a textbook, no one has been able to explicitly solve them. The Clay Mathematics Institute in Cambridge, Mass., offers a $1 million prize for solving these equations and considers them one of the seven greatest unsolved mathematical puzzles both because of their difficulty and because of their central importance to modern mathematics. Instead of explicit solutions, approximate solutions to these equations are numerically computed. Drs. Lai and Wenston have created a method using multivariate splines to numerically approximate solutions to Navier-Stokes equations. Their method has reduced approximation errors compared to the popular finite element method.

Richard N. Winn

on March 2, 2016

Creative Research Medal 2003

Richard N. Winn, associate professor of biotechnology and toxicology, develops new methods that test the potential of chemicals and physical agents to cause genetic damage. He recently received a second U.S. patent on a transgenic fish he developed. These guppy-sized Japanese fish contain specific DNA sequences that serve as targets for mutations. Researchers analyze tissues for changes in the target gene’s DNA after exposing the fish to a potential contaminant. Studies conducted by Winn and his research team have many biomedical and environmental applications, including assessments of chemicals in drinking water, studies on UV radiation and potential cancer chemopreventative methods.

Thomas A. Eaton J. Alton and Susette M. Talarico

on March 2, 2016

Creative Research Medal 2003

Thomas A. Eaton, J. Alton Hosch Professor of Law, and Susette M. Talarico, Albert Berry Saye Professor of American Government and Constitutional Law, have conducted the most systematic and in-depth study of tort litigation in any state. Tort cases – or civil suits that seek damages for wrongful conduct – have been the subject of much public debate. While medical and insurance communities demand tort reforms that limit damage awards, consumer advocates and trial lawyers refute the need for change. Professors Eaton and Talarico’s study provides Georgia public policymakers with research-based evidence about tort litigation and how the state’s legal system works. They have analyzed more than 27,000 tort cases in Georgia and have used this data to ask important public policy questions about the legal system, such as whether tort reform is necessary. Their findings show that tort cases represent a small percentage of civil litigation, are not increasing in number, usually involve simple disputes, and rarely go to trial. For cases that go to court, plaintiffs and defendants are equally successful, but when plaintiffs win, the awards tend to be modest and rarely punitive. Their comprehensive study continues to inform debate on tort reform in Georgia and the nation.

Michael P. Terns

on March 2, 2016

Creative Research Medal 2003

Michael P. Terns, associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, has contributed to understanding the process of RNA localization and transport. RNAs (ribonucleic acids) serve important roles in cellular function such as gene expression and organismal development. Terns’ research has increased knowledge about RNA movement within the cell through a technique he developed. He fluorescently labeled RNA and microinjected it into frog egg cells. Subsequent visualization of these RNAs led to the discovery of structures and proteins involved in making RNA. The Terns research group is working to translate their findings into applications for anti-cancer therapies and other gene-therapy agents through effective delivery and targeting of specific RNAs.

Elham Izadi

on March 2, 2016

Creative Research Medal 2002

Elham Izadi, Associate Professor of Mathematics, has made an enormous contribution to her field by providing the final step of an algebraic geometry problem that has eluded world experts for more than three decades. The theory of algebraic curves is vital to the development of mathematics and has led to the advancement of such fields as differential geometry, algebraic geometry, complex analysis, and calculus. During the mid-19th century, mathematicians realized that the geometry and analysis of algebraic curves could be better understood from an associated abelian variety called the Jacobian, and specific functions on the Jacobian named theta-functions. Through her research, Dr. Izadi has solved the final, most technically difficult step in the analysis of the Jacobian of a curve and of its theta divisor. Her work was published in a leading journal and has attracted significant funding from the National Science Foundation. Solving a problem of this magnitude – one that lies at the center of mathematical development – has established Dr. Izadi as a leading expert in the field.

Joseph H. Bouton

on March 2, 2016

Creative Research Medal 2002

Joseph H. Bouton, Professor of Crop and Soil Sciences, has developed a new tall fescue product that is significantly improving livestock performance. In humid areas of the United States, tall fescue is the most widely grown pasture grass with nearly 40 million acres in production. Inside these plants, however, lives a fungus that produces ergot alkaloids. These alkaloids are toxic to livestock, substantially reduce their growth and reproduction, and constitute an annual loss of $1 billion to U.S. beef producers alone. Because the fungus is essential for fescue growth, survival, and drought protection, killing it is an unacceptable option. Dr. Bouton, in collaboration with Dr. Garrick C.M. Latch of New Zealand’s Grasslands Research Centre, successfully solved this problem by isolating naturally occurring fungal strains incapable of producing ergot alkaloids and re-introducing these strains into elite tall fescue cultivars previously developed by Dr. Bouton at UGA. After extensive animal and pasture testing, the most successful strain was commercialized under the name “MaxQ” tall fescue. Such revolutionary new products have gained a reputation among producers for their immense success and positive impact on the productivity and financial profitability of the livestock industry.

Hubert H. McAlexander

on March 2, 2016

Creative Research Medal 2002

Hubert H. McAlexander, Professor of English, has devoted a significant part of his career to studying the life and work of Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Peter Taylor. During the course of his research, he edited a collection of critical essays about Taylor’s work and a collection of Taylor interviews. The publication ofPeter Taylor: A Writer’s Life last summer culminates more than two decades of Dr. McAlexander’s scholarly pursuit. Recently the biography was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and Dr. McAlexander was nominated as Georgia Author of the Year in Creative Nonfiction. The biography also is part of the prestigious Southern Literary Studies series published by the Louisiana State University Press and has garnered outstanding reviews in many publications, including Publisher’s Weekly, The Washington Post Book World and The New York Times Book Review. Tennessee-born Taylor is regarded by critics as one of the finest writers of short fiction in 20th century America. Reviewers praised Dr. McAlexander’s biography for the picture it paints of the literary world in the latter half of the 20th century and his ability to blend the personal and professional aspects of Taylor’s life. Because of Taylor’s friendships with many accomplished literary figures such as Robert Penn Warren, Robert Lowell and Randall Jarrell, one reviewer noted that reading this biography is like reading a literary history of modern American literature.

Yen-Con Hung

on March 2, 2016

Creative Research Medal 2002

Yen-Con Hung, Professor of Food Science and Technology, has developed an alternative to chemical and heat treatments used by the food industry to sanitize the food we eat. This alternative method uses electrolyzed oxidizing water (EO water), which effectively destroys harmful bacteria and preserves nutrients destroyed by heat while eliminating excess chemicals in wastewater. EO water is produced by electrolyzing a very dilute sodium chloride (or table salt) solution, creating an acid and a base fraction. The solution is separated to obtain the acid fraction, which exhibits potent anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties. Dr. Hung was the first to use EO water in the food industry and interest in his work is spreading across the globe. Both the Functional Water Society of Japan and the National Science Council in Taiwan have invited Dr. Hung to give numerous lectures on EO water. He currently is collaborating with Kagoshima University, the National Food Research Institute, and the National Institute of Infectious Diseases in Japan to apply his EO water technology.

Michael H. Kernis

on March 2, 2016

Creative Research Medal 2001

Michael H. Kernis has been at the forefront in demonstrating the existence of individual differences in self-esteem stability by designing and implementing a valid procedure to capture them. His theoretical and empirical work has been instrumental in advancing our understanding of the role of self-esteem in psychological functioning and well-being. As a result of his efforts, it is now generally recognized that achieving this understanding will be greatly facilitated by taking into consideration self-esteem stability as well as self-esteem level. This research has many important educational and therapeutic implications. Dr. Kernis’ research had direct implications for the diagnosis and treatment of depression and related emotion disorders, behavior disorders among children and adolescents (e.g. temper tantrums, oppositional behavior, aggression) and academic underachievement (e.g. procrastination and other self-defeating patterns).