chapelhillnews.com | Rashkis math team a winner

The Rashkis Elementary School Math Olympiad team was named to the National Math Olympiad Honor Roll. A team must be in the top 10 percent of all elementary school teams to win this award. Math Olympiads serves more than 4,000 teams and 100,000 students nationally and about 1,800 teams and 35,000 students in 32 other countries.

Students participated in a series of five monthly contests of five problems each, from November to March, and weekly practice sessions under the supervision of Rashkis organizers Amanda Foster (Rashkis ESL specialist) and Donna Bauman (parent volunteer).

Fifth-grader Hans Wu Singh was the team high scorer and received the gold pin award for finishing in the 98th percentile of contestants. The silver pin, awarded to those in the 90th to 97th percentiles, was awarded to fifth-graders Justin Patzer, Yong-hun Kim, Vinay Kshirsagar, Arnav Subramanya and Jordan Cho and fourth-grader Albert Kim. Justin Patzer won the team honorable mention trophy for his second-highest team score. Albert Kim also won a trophy for being the top scoring fourth-grader.

Laura M. Gaillard of Chapel Hill received bachelor's degree in nursing from UNC-Greensboro on May 15. She graduated with honors and received the School of Nursing Community of Nursing Award for significant achievement and leadership to the community in general, and the School of Nursing in particular, in promoting a greater appreciation of persons from the various races, ethnic backgrounds, and cultures served by the profession of nursing. She is the daughter of Richard and Harriet Gaillard of Chapel Hill and a 2003 graduate of East Chapel Hill High School.

Tova Boehm, the daughter of Nancy Luberoff and Bruce Boehm of Chapel Hill, received a bachelor's degree from Earlham College during commencement ceremonies on May 3. She majored in art and graduated Phi Beta Kappa. She received College and Departmental Honors.

Air Force Airman Herson G. Larin has graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. During the six weeks of training, Larin studied the Air Force mission, organization and military customs and courtesies; performed drill and ceremony marches, and received physical training, rifle marksmanship, field training exercises, and special training in human relations. He is the nephew of Silvia Rodriguez of Chapel Hill.

Mary Lorenz and John Squires, both of Chapel Hill, were named to the president's list for the spring semester at Wake Technical Community College in Raleigh. To qualify for the list, a student must maintain a grade-point average of 4.0.

Chapel Hill residents Philip Dobrosky, Abigail Hileman, Gale Hilton, Melissa Holland, Richard Lepore, Yannick Lloyd, Thanhngoc Ma, Achara Manorangsun and Christopher Richter were named to the dean's list for the spring semester at Wake Technical Community College in Raleigh. To qualify for the list, a student must maintain a grade-point average of 3.5 or better.

UNC faculty members Maureen Berner of the School of Government and Alice Ammerman, director of Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, have received grants from the UNC Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity, based in the School of Law.

Berner, associate professor of public administration and government, received $10,478 to launch the N.C. Hunger Pilot Project. Ammerman, who also holds faculty appointments at the UNC Schools of Medicine and Public Health, received $10,000 to gather data related to local sustainable agriculture and food systems, especially as related to the loss of black-owned farms in North Carolina.

Jean Folkerts, dean of the UNC School of Journalism and Mass Communication, was elected to serve on the executive committee of the Association of Schools of Journalism and Mass Communication. Folkerts, who will begin a three-year term in August, was one of three at-large members elected.

Mauricio G. Cohen, an assistant professor in the UNC School of Medicine and director of the UNC Healthy Heart Latino Initiative, has been appointed associate editor of a newly launched Spanish-language Web site called Cardiosource en Espanol. Sponsored by the American College of Cardiology, Cardiosource en Espanol (www.cardiosource.com/espanol.asp) is aimed at Spanish-speaking cardiology professionals around the world.

David Ammons, Albert Coates professor of public administration and government at UNC, has been appointed to the National Performance Management Advisory Commission. This commission is charged with creating a principles-based framework for public sector performance measurement and management.