UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Two faculty members in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences -- Dr. Gabriella Varga, professor of animal sciences, and Dr. Fern Willits, professor of rural sociology -- have been honored as distinguished professors by the university.

Established by the Office of the President, the title of Distinguished Professor recognizes a select group of professors who have achieved exceptional accomplishments in teaching, research and service.

"Dr. Varga has established an internationally recognized research program in dairy nutrition," says Terry Etherton, head of Penn State's dairy and animal science department. "In addition to her professional achievements and the many contributions she makes to enhance the department, college and university, she is a remarkably considerate individual who always puts the good of the whole ahead of her personal objectives. She is a marvelous role model for our students and a strong proponent of women in science and agriculture."

Varga has published or co-authored 57 articles in 11 peer reviewed scientific journals and 61 abstracts. In addition, she has presented 53 invited seminars in five countries. She has mentored 23 graduate students and has been a strong advocate of undergraduate research, mentoring many honor students and sponsoring students in the Ronald McNair program, the National Conference on Undergraduate Research, and the Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) program.

She received her bachelor's degree in biology from Duquesne University, her master's degree in animal science from the University of Rhode Island and her doctorate in animal science from the University of Maryland. She was a postdoctoral fellow at West Virginia University.

Willits is a survey methodology expert who has pioneered the use of longitudinal studies, including a longitudinal study of rural Pennsylvania residents that spans more than 50 years. Her innovations for tracking respondents have been widely adopted across the social sciences.

"The quality of Dr. Willits' research and its disciplinary contribution are reflected by the fact that several of her journal articles have been reprinted widely," says David Blandford, head of the department of agricultural economics and rural sociology. "For example, an article on youth subcultures, first published in the journal 'Children,' has been reprinted in no less than four collections of readings dealing with adolescent behavior. She also has made a significant contribution to the college's efforts to strengthen diversity. Her recent research on the role of women in U.S. agriculture and the perceptions and use of urban parks and forests by various ethnic groups are particularly noteworthy."

Willits has published more than 60 articles in refereed publications and has authored or edited 14 books or book chapters. She has served on more than 100 advanced-degree committees at Penn State, and devotes nearly half of her professional time to teaching courses in applied statistical analysis and rural sociology. She was recipient of the 1994 College of Agricultural Sciences Gamma Sigma Delta Teaching Award and the 1995 Penn State Alumni Association Teaching Fellow Award. The Rural Sociological Society honored her with its 1988 Award for Excellence in Instruction and, in 1998, named her a Distinguished Rural Sociologist.

Much of Willits' current research focuses on assessing, through opinion surveys, public perceptions of current social issues. She also conducts research to improve the quality of survey data by exploring response rates and measurement validity, including the effects of question form, order and context on the respondents' answers to survey questions.

Willits received her bachelor's degree in agricultural economics and rural sociology and her master's degree and doctorate in rural sociology, all from Penn State. Her 1964 doctoral dissertation, which explored the meaning of rurality, was awarded the Rural Sociological Society Award for Outstanding Ph.D. Dissertation, and her research has continued to define how urban and rural residents view rural places.

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EDITORS: To contact Gary Abdullah, call 814-863-2708.

Contact:

Gary Abdullah gxa2@psu.edu 814-863-2708 814-865-1068 fax