Rodney Ewing, a professor in the Department of Geological Sciences, has been elected to the 19-member board of governors of the Gemological Institute of America. Ewing is a leading researcher in his field. He has authored or co-authored approximately 500 research publications and served as editor or co-editor of seven monographs, proceedings volumes, and special issues of journals. He also holds appointments as a professor in the Department of Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences and the Department of Materials Science and Engineering.

John Tropman, professor in the School of Social Work, and his family received the National Association of Social Workers-Pennsylvania Southwest Division's first Social Work Legacy Award on Nov. 17 for the work of his late father Elmer Tropman and his family in advancing social work practice and in establishing the Forbes Fund (now Copeland Fund) in 1982 to provide emergency financial assistance to nonprofit organizations.

Howard Hu, chair of the School of Public Health Department of Environmental Health Sciences, has been selected by the New England College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine as recipient of this year's Harriet Hardy Award. This award in occupational medicine recognizes outstanding service and dedication by a clinician. Presentation of the award took place at the organization's annual conference Dec. 1.

Associate Professor Edith Lewis of the School of Social Work has been selected to be a Distinguished Fellow by the National Council on Family Relations. This status honors her "outstanding and enduring contributions that have broad impact on the field of family science."