September 18, 2006

Gibson Named New Drummond Chair in Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering

The UA College of Engineering recently named Dr. G. Edward Gibson Jr. as the Garry Neil Drummond Endowed Chair in civil, construction and environmental engineering and as founding director of the construction engineering and management program.

As the Garry Neil Drummond Endowed Chair, Gibson will work to advance research in areas such as organizational change, front end planning, risk management, construction productivity, alternative dispute resolution, and electronic data management. In addition, Gibson will oversee the development of the new construction engineering and management program by working closely with faculty on construction engineering research projects and directing students in pursuit of the new bachelor’s degree in construction engineering. He also will serve as research director for UA’s Aging Infrastructure Systems Center of Excellence.

Most recently, Gibson served as the W.R. Woolrich Professor of Engineering in the department of civil, architectural and environmental engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. His previous experience also includes work as a project engineer for Texas Instruments Inc. and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Gibson has also consulted with many organizations including Amgen, Frontier Oil, American Electric Power, NASA, 3M, BroadWing, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, BE&K and Union Carbide.

Active in many professional organizations, Gibson recently was elected as president of the Architectural Engineering Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers. Gibson will begin serving a one-year term as president beginning in October.

Gibson has been recognized with numerous fellowships and awards, including induction into the National Academy of Construction in 2005, a Fulbright Senior Specialist Grant to Norway in 2004, and the National Society of Professional Engineers Outstanding Engineering Educator Award in 2002. In addition, he has published more than 60 papers in technical journals and conferences and taught more than 170 short courses to industry.

Gibson holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Auburn University, a master’s of business administration from the University of Dallas, and a doctorate from Auburn University in 1990.

The UA Board of Trustees established the Garry Neil Drummond Chair of Mining Engineering at the Capstone in 1977 with gifts from Dr. Garry Neil Drummond, the coal mining companies in the state of Alabama, along with colleagues of Drummond in the mining industry. In 1997, the Board amended the Garry Neil Drummond Chair such that it was transferred to the department of civil and environmental engineering and was renamed the Garry Neil Drummond Chair of Civil Engineering.

Bishop Named Coach Paul W. Bryant Professor of Education at UA

Dr. Phil Bishop

Dr. Phil Bishop, professor of kinesiology at The University of Alabama, has been appointed to the inaugural Coach Paul W. Bryant Endowed Professorship in the UA College of Education.

A member of the UA faculty since 1984, Bishop studies problems of environmental and work physiology and physiological measurement. As director of the Human Performance Lab, he has brought in nearly $1 million in research funding over his career. His research has ranged from studying the effects of different variables on hydration to the impact of protective clothing such as bioterrorism suits on physical reactions to ergonomics.

He has served as a visiting research scientist or professor for the U.S. Military Academy, the Johnson Space Center, the U.S. Army Biomedical Research and Development Lab, U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine, and the New Chalcedonia (formerly the Queen’s) College in Scotland.

“Phil Bishop is a coach for students in much the same way that Coach Bryant was a coach to the Crimson Tide. He expected more and got more from them than they, themselves, thought they could give. He is an excellent choice as the first holder of the Coach Paul W. Bryant Professorship,” said Dr. James McLean, dean of the UA College of Education.

Robert “Bud” Moore, who played on Bryant’s first team at UA, and other friends established the professorship to honor the memory of the legendary UA football coach, who inspired many student athletes to pursue a career of teaching and coaching young people, and to promote faculty excellence in UA’s College of Education.

Bryant earned his bachelor’s degree in health and physical education from the College of Education while he played football for UA. When he returned to the University as head coach, he led the Crimson Tide to six national championships, 12 SEC championships, and participated in 24 consecutive bowl games. In 1982, he became the “winningest” coach to date with 323 wins.

Bishop’s research has been published in numerous academic and professional publications including the Journal of Exercise Physiology; European Journal of Applied Physiology; Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research; American Industrial Hygiene Association Journal; and the International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics.

Bishop earned his bachelor’s degree in oceanography from the U.S. Naval Academy; his master’s in physical education and higher education from James Madison University; and his doctorate in exercise physiology from the University of Georgia.

Thurman Receives Honor, Publishes Chapter

Demondrae Thurman

The Sotto Voce Quartet, a tuba/euphonium ensemble, won the Roger Bobo Award for Best Chamber Music Recording awarded at the 2006 International Tuba/Euphonium Conference held this summer in Denver, Col.

The award was for its second recording titled, Viva Voce! The Complete Recordings of John Stevens. Demondrae Thurman, UA assistant professor of tuba/euphonium, is one of the founding members of Sotto Voce Quartet.

Thurman’s debut recording titled Soliloquies was nominated for Best Euphonium recording by the International Tuba and Euphonium Association. Also, Thurman commissioned and premiered Prelude, Fantasy, and Scherzo. The piece was written by alumus Doug O’Grady, DMA 2005.

Thurman premiered the composition at conference. Thurman also has a chapter published in a book titled The Brass Player’s Cookbook: Creative Recipes for a Successful Performance. Brass players from all over the world are published in this collection of mini-lessons tailored for brass players.

The UA Tuba Quartet was chosen as a finalist for the 2006 International Tuba/ Euphonium Conference quartet competition. There were 22 quartets that sent recordings and only six made it to finals.

The UA Tuba/Euphonium Ensemble also has been invited to perform at the 2007 U.S. Army Band Tuba Euphonium Conference to be held in Washington, D.C.

Graduate Student Named Fulbright Scholar at the Capstone

UA graduate student Shaw Gargis of Muscle Shoals has received a Fulbright Scholarship to study abroad during the 2006-2007 academic year.

Gargis is the third UA student to receive the prestigious award this year. His appointment marks the largest number of student Fulbright Scholars UA has had in an academic year.

One of 10 individuals in the U.S. chosen to receive a Fulbright to study in New Zealand, Gargis will be going to the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand, to conduct research in the department of microbiology.

Gargis’ wife, Amy, will accompany him and she will be working in the same lab. Their research deals with extracellular enzymes that some bacteria produce that can kill other closely related organisms.

Both are graduate students in the UA department of biological sciences, and they both received their undergraduate degrees at UA. Shaw graduated magna cum laude in microbiology; Amy graduated summa cum laude in biology.

Fulbright scholars receive round-trip transportation, tuition, book and research allowances, supplemental health and accident insurance, and living expenses for an academic year in an effort to increase mutual understanding between people of the U.S. and people of other countries.

Leading Internationalist Named to Bickley Teaching Chair of Insurance, Financial Services at UA

Dr. William H. Rabel, who has been recognized globally for his work in risk and insurance education, has been appointed to the John and Mary Louise Loftis Bickley Endowed Teaching Chair in Insurance and Financial Services at UA’s Culverhouse College of Commerce.

Bickley, himself a legendary figure on campus and in the insurance field, said Rabel “is a great teacher with wonderful leadership abilities and research capabilities. He will provide a true international perspective to our insurance program, and his contacts in the industry will lend an important ‘real world’ dimension to the curriculum.”

“A sound insurance industry is a prerequisite for a sound economy,” said Dr. Billy Helms, head of the department of economics, finance and legal studies. “Dr. Rabel’s appointment will enhance our ability to produce graduates who understand the role of insurance and risk management in society.”

Rabel is a Fellow of the Life Management Institute and a Certified Life Underwriter. He received his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Texas A&M University, where he was a Munnerlyn Scholar, and his master’s and doctorate degrees from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he was an S.S. Huebner Foundation Fellow.

Prior to joining UA, Rabel was active in writing and consulting as head of his own firm. He started his business after retiring early from LOMA, an international education and research association that has financial services company members in some 60 countries. Under his leadership, LOMA’s education programs became the largest in the world; they are offered in seven languages.

Rabel started his career on the business faculty at Syracuse University and later was dean at The American College. He also served as economic affairs officer with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, Geneva, Switzerland.

His current or recent board memberships include The American Risk & Insurance Association, the Asia Pacific Risk & Insurance Association, and the Wharton School’s Huebner Foundation. Rabel has been appointed as Fellow Professor by Peking and Renmin Universities, both of Beijing, China, and as a member of the Council of Senior Advisors, China Center for Insurance and Social Security Research.

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