University Names New Head of Administration/Finance

Veteran higher education administrator Carl Carlucci has been named vice chancellor and vice president for administration and finance at the University of Houston and the UH System. Expected to take office in May, Carlucci will serve as the university’s chief financial officer and oversee UH Plant Operations, Human Resources and the Department of Public Safety.

“Carl is a seasoned and talented administrator who has been actively recruited by highly regarded universities nationally, and we are fortunate to have him accept this important position,” said Renu Khator, UH System chancellor and UH president. “Our university and the entire UH System will benefit from his broad administrative experience and financial acumen.”

Carlucci served for seven years as executive vice president and chief financial officer at the University of South Florida (USF), where he is credited with spearheading the development of USF’s Research Park. His leadership led to nine new buildings on the USF campus during his tenure, including two clinics and a faculty office building for the Health Sciences Center, two research buildings with research labs, core facilities and incubator space for spinoff biotech companies, 1,000 beds of student housing and three new parking garages.

UH Chemist One of America’s Rising Stars in Science

Earlier this month, the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation selected UH chemist Vassiliy Lubchenko as one of only 16 researchers in the nation to receive the Beckman Young Investigator Award. The coveted award recognizes Lubchenko as one of America’s most promising young scientists for research that ultimately could lead to breakthroughs in solar cells and memory devices such as flash drives.

Lubchenko, an assistant professor of chemistry at UH, researches the electronic structure of amorphous materials – a category that includes glass, porcelain and plastics. He was among a select group of award winners that included scientists from Columbia University, the University of California at Berkeley and other renowned institutions.

The three-year, $300,000 grant that comes with the award will be used by Lubchenko to tackle one of chemistry’s most difficult and fascinating puzzles. Very little is known about the underlying physics and chemistry of electrical properties of amorphous materials. While scientists have understood crystalline materials – such as rocks and most metals – for decades, only recently have scientists appreciated how amorphous materials form.

Lubchenko is not the only Beckman Award winner on UH’s chemistry faculty. Assistant professor Shiv Halasyamani was a 2002 recipient.

African American Studies Program Receives National Award

The National Council for Black Studies recently honored the African American Studies (AAS) Program at the University of Houston with its Sankore Award. The award is given annually and recognizes the outstanding African American Studies program of the year and its contributions to the field of Africana Studies. “We are proud to receive this award that is a testament to our dedicated and hardworking staff and faculty,” said James Conyers, professor of African American Studies and director of the program. “We look forward to advances in our program and to strengthening our faculty recruitment and development components.”

The organization announced the award during its 32nd Annual convention in Atlanta, Georgia. Judges considered faculty research production and publication, partnerships in the community and academic excellence. Past Sankore Award recipients have included the African American Studies programs at Georgia State, Dillard and Purdue universities.

The University of Houston’s African American Studies program was established in 1969 and focuses on the history, culture, life and contributions of people of African descent. Currently, more than 170 UH students are pursuing minors in African American Studies. For more information about the UH African American Studies Program, visit www.class.uh.edu/aas/index.asp.

For the latest news from UH, visit www.uh.edu/news-events/.