UNLV President David B. Ashley and representatives from the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) marked Academic Recognition Month recently by honoring several outstanding faculty and students for their contributions to the university during the 2006-07 academic year.

Assistant Professor of Geoscience Matthew Lachniet and Associate Professor of English Stephen Brown were the recipients of this year's Barrick Scholar Awards, which recognizes faculty members for distinguished research and excellence in the area of creative activity. The awards are funded by long-time UNLV supporter Marjorie Barrick and are made following recommendations from a committee of former recipients.

Lachniet's research on paleoclimatology-the study of Earth's climatic history-is focused on the rarely studied tropical climate of Central America and has improved the scientific community's understanding of long-term climate change and its impact on global warming. Brown, director of the English department's composition program, has authored numerous award-winning publications on composition theory and American nature writing, bringing home the coveted W. Ross Winterowd Award in 2001 for "Words in the Wilderness: Critical Literacy in the Borderlands."

The Barrick Distinguished Scholar Award is bestowed upon faculty with at least 10 years of service to the university who have attained marked success in the areas of research and creative

activity. Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering Professor Biswajit Das and department of philosophy Professor Paul Schollmeier were this year's recipients.

Das, director of the College of Engineering's new Nevada Nanotechnology Center, is one of the world's leading nanotechnology researchers and has been credited with pioneering the field of Spintronics, a term used for electronics based on electron spin. Das's development of the nanotechnology center has engendered interdisciplinary collaboration within the university and has allowed UNLV to stand out for its unique contributions to the field.

Schollmeier's research focuses on analyzing the great philosophical works of ancient Greece and interpreting how past cultural achievements can have practical applications in our present society. He has published numerous works on understanding ancient philosophy, culminating in his most recent work, "Human Goodness: Pragmatic Variations on Platonic Themes," which revives the classic Greek concept of happiness.

School of Architecture Assistant Professor Alfredo Fernandez-Gonzalez received The Alex G. and Faye Spanos Distinguished Teaching Award. Associate Professor of Management Joseph Gilbert and Associate Professor of History Paul Werth were honored with UNLV Foundation Distinguished Teaching Awards.

Two UNLV students, Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering undergraduate Kristal Sauer and department of psychology graduate student Amy Lykins, received the Regents' Scholar Awards for their outstanding research and service to the university.