Dr. Valerie Castle, professor and chair of the Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, has been elected vice chair of The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Michigan's board of directors.

James Koopman, professor of epidemiology, recently was appointed to the National Institutes of Health study section on AIDS Clinical Studies and Epidemiology. His appointment runs through 2007.

Amy Perry, director of nursing clinical information at the U-M Health System, has been appointed by Gov. Jennifer Granholm to the Michigan Board of Nursing.

Timothy Slottow, executive vice president and chief financial officer, has been named to the board of directors of The Make-a-Wish Foundation of Michigan.

Don Chaffin, the Richard G. Snyder Distinguished University Professor of Industrial and Operations Engineering, has been elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Chaffin will be recognized for his contributions to science Feb. 14 in Seattle.

Chaffin also recently received an honorary doctor of engineering degree from Kettering University.

Suman Das, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, will receive the Society of Manufacturing Engineers' 2004 M. Eugene Merchant Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineer Award. The award is conferred in recognition of Das' significant achievements and leadership in the field of manufacturing engineering as a young engineer.

Charles Doering, professor of mathematics, is the recipient of the Humboldt Research Award for Senior U.S. Scientists from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. The award is given to researchers with internationally recognized academic qualifications, and honors the academic achievements of the award winner's lifetime.

John Hayes, professor of electrical engineering and computer science, has been awarded a Humboldt Research Award for Senior U.S. Scientists. The award, presented by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, recognizes past accomplishment in research and teaching.

Kimberly Haynes, administrative assistant in the Lloyd Hall Scholars Program, won the 7th Montreal International Czech and Slovak Voice Competition Nov. 30. As a result, Haynes will travel to the Czech and Slovak republics in 2004 for recitals in Prague, Brno and Bratislava.

Edna Reese and Debrha Tyler, health aides with the U-M Health System's Michigan Visiting Nurses, are recipients of the Frances Dillard Home Health Aide Service Award for 2003 for their dedication and commitment to patients and families for more than 20 years.

David Williams, professor of sociology and senior research scientist at the Institute for Social Research, has been selected as a recipient of the 2004 Decade of Behavior Research Award. Williams was honored for his research on health issues that has contributed to the use of social and behavioral science knowledge in policy settings and has enhanced public understanding of behavioral and social science principles.