Lin, Bonnicksen, Gonzales win
NIU’s top prize for research

by Tom Parisi

NIU faculty members Andrea Bonnicksen in political science, Michael Gonzales in history and Chhiu-Tsu “C.T.” Lin in chemistry have been awarded 2004 Presidential Research Professorships.

Given out annually since 1982, the prize is the university’s top recognition for outstanding research.

“The Presidential Research Professorship is a fitting award for Andrea Bonnicksen, Michael Gonzales and C.T. Lin,” said Rathindra Bose, NIU vice president for research and dean of the Graduate School.

“Their research has gained international attention. While their fields of study vary, they share a common passion for creating new knowledge about the world around us. And they bring that new knowledge into the classroom, providing us with prime examples of the synergy between outstanding research and teaching. It’s no surprise that the three are faculty leaders on campus as well,” Bose added.

Presidential Research Professors receive special financial support of their research for four years, after which they carry the title of Distinguished Research Professor. (Click here for a list of past winners.)

Here’s a closer look at this year’s award recipients.

Biomedical policy expert

Andrea Bonnicksen shines a light on some of society’s most complex modern issues, exploring the dilemmas that arise when scientific discovery and technological innovation collide with public perception and issues of policy.

As a political scientist, her research efforts aim to help government officials and medical professionals identify and manage the thorny policy issues that often accompany reproductive technologies such as cloning, egg donation, in vitro fertilization, embryonic genetic testing and stem cell science.

“She consistently provides a clear, careful and useful policy perspective on issues and developments that are all too often clouded with apocalyptic fears and moralistic pronouncements,” says John Robertson, a writer and lecturer on bioethical issues who serves as Vinson and Elkins Chair at The University of Texas School of Law at Austin.

“Based on my knowledge of the field of bioethics policy and her writings and contributions to the field, I would rate her as one of the top three political scientists working on these issues today in the United States, ” Robertson says.

Bonnicksen’s interest in biomedical policy began in the 1980s, when reproductive technologies were in their infancy. While doing research for a book chapter on in vitro fertilization, she visited clinics, witnessed egg-retrieval surgery and embryo-transfer procedures and interviewed patients, doctors and administrators.

“I came away fascinated with the many ethical and policy dimensions,” Bonnicksen says. “As a political scientist, I was interested in policy making, which partly because of controversies surrounding the technologies, was avoided by publicly elected policy makers.”

The experience led to her book, “In Vitro Fertilization: Building Policy from Laboratories to Legislatures,” and ultimately launched her exploration of genetic technologies.

In 1991, Bonnicksen came to NIU, serving as chair of the Department of Political Science from 1996 to 1999. She is one of three NIU faculty members who train graduate students in the specialized field of politics and the life sciences, also known as biopolitics. NIU’s program is believed to be the only one of its kind nationwide.

Bonnicksen has received international speaking invitations and has written many scholarly articles. Her 2002 book, “Crafting a Cloning Policy: From Dolly to Stem Cells,” earned widespread praise and was nominated for several awards. One impressed reviewer wrote, “If only we could clone Andrea Bonnicksen!”

“Her research is influential, not just to other academics but to people in the medical and biological research community who are struggling to make policy on some very difficult issues,” says Daniel Kempton, political science chair. “She’s been a leader in helping us understand the ramifications of various policies being made by governments worldwide.”

The recipient of travel grants and fellowships, Bonnicksen also participates in national advisory groups that produce reports to guide policy makers, professionals and citizens. Her research keeps her students on the cutting edge.

“By being up to date with new technologies and issues and by interviewing people, I am able to integrate timely topics in class,” she says. “Also, I use my involvement with policy advisory groups to illustrate how biomedical policy develops.”

History south of the border

He grew up in San Diego, the son of a Mexican national. And while he long ago moved away, Michael Gonzales continues to straddle the border – through his research.

Gonzales, a history professor, has devoted his scholarly career to helping Americans better understand their neighbors to the south. His research focuses on the social, economic and political history of modern Latin America, particularly Mexico and Peru. It’s an increasingly important area of study in the United States, since Latinos represent the largest and fastest growing minority (and the fastest growing segment of NIU’s student population).

“The more we know about one another, the better our chances of living in harmony and making democracy work,” Gonzales says.

His passion for Latin American history has led him to exotic locales, from the sugar cane plantations of Peru to the isolated copper mining camps of the Mexican desert. Though the circumstances were trying, the work paid off, resulting in numerous scholarly articles and two highly regarded books, including “The Mexican Revolution, 1910-1940.”

Described as path-breaking, the 2002 book on the Mexican Revolution presents an overview of the first social revolution of the 20th century. It already is being used in advanced courses at Princeton, Harvard, Vanderbilt and other universities across the country. The book also was named as a selection of the prestigious History Book Club, advised by a panel of distinguished historians.

“He is widely recognized as a leading scholar among specialists in this country,” says Eric Van Young, a Latin American history specialist at the University of California, San Diego. “With the publication of his Mexican Revolution book, his stock and name recognition are likely to rise even higher.”

The book even has found an audience among the public.

“With scholarly research, that’s a difficult jump to make,” says Presidential Research Professor David Kyvig, also a historian. “Michael successfully presents sophisticated ideas in a way that makes them understandable to people who are not specialists.”

Gonzales received his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley. He came to NIU in 1984 and is now the university’s senior Latin American historian. For the past 16 years, he also has served as director of the university’s Center for Latino and Latin American Studies.

Gonzales has served as a scholar in residence at the University of Chicago and as a Fulbright Fellow to Lima, Peru. He also has presented numerous invited talks abroad in such countries as Argentina, Mexico, Israel and the Netherlands.

At NIU, he remains active in numerous departmental and university-wide committees. He also teaches a wide variety of history courses at all levels.

“I try to research historically significant topics and to incorporate my information and conclusions into my lectures and discussions,” Gonzales says.

“I am also interested in making history accessible to students and to the general public,” he adds. “That was one of my motivations in writing an overview of the Mexican Revolution. I wanted to write a scholarly book that could be picked up and readily understood by college students and educated persons with an interest in the topic.”

Creative chemistry

Winning the Presidential Research Professorship completes a triple crown for Chhiu-Tsu “C.T. ” Lin.

The veteran professor of chemistry and biochemistry has now won all three of NIU’s major faculty awards, including the Presidential Teaching Professorship (2001) and the Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award (1999).

His teaching credentials are awe-inspiring. Consider that Lin has directed three honors capstone theses, a dozen Ph.D. dissertations (with two more pending) and 20 master’s theses. He also has mentored scores of students. Lin’s research credentials, however, are equally impressive. He has written 131 scientific papers and attracted about $2.5 million in research funding. He also has five U.S. and three international patents.

A native of Taiwan, Lin earned his Ph.D. at UCLA, where he received the Bronze Medallion for the top dissertation in the physical sciences. He taught in Taiwan, Singapore and Brazil before coming to NIU in 1985.

Lin’s research pursuits include environmentally friendly chemistry, materials processing at the nano-scale and the development of optical sensors through laser technology.

“C.T.’s focus is basic research,” NIU Chemistry Chair James Erman says. “But he always has practical applications in mind, which is why he has been so successful. He also oversees one of the most diverse research programs in our department.”

Those diverse interests have produced a broad range of specialties. For example, in one area, Lin is conducting research for the military, developing sensors that would identify chemical and biological agents. In another area, he is developing glass-like cages to encapsulate nano-materials.

Lin’s invention of an environmentally friendly metal-surface coating technology led to the creation of ChemNova Technologies, Inc. The 5-year-old university spin-off company is marketing the process, called “in-situ phosphatizing coatings.” It eliminates the health, safety and waste disposal concerns of standard metals-coating technology. The innovation led then-Gov. George Ryan to honor ChemNova in 2000 with the Governor’s Pollution Prevention Award.

Lin believes his “green technology” will replace the standard coatings practice. As one example of its usefulness, he points to rusted bridges seen along the way to Chicago.

“With my technology, it will be possible to repaint these bridges in an environmentally friendly manner and prevent further corrosion,” he says.

“My research activities seem to be very diverse but can be summarized in only four words: ‘better materials through chemistry,’ ” Lin adds. “My industrial consortium and collaborators demand innovative technologies and products that lead me to generate many new ideas.”

Lin has received national and international recognition for his work, which has led to 100 lectures and invited talks worldwide. “Dr. Lin is an accomplished and extremely creative scientist,” says John Simon, chemistry chair at Duke University. “He continually comes up with new ideas in science. This is a very rare ability, and it is impressive that Dr. Lin just becomes more innovative with age.”

While Lin’s research has influenced everything from industry and academia, his students also benefit. Over the years at NIU, 29 graduate students, 25 undergraduate students, seven postdoctoral research associates and nine high school students have participated in his research groups.

5-3-04