Chancellor honors long-time faculty

Two IU professors who have already distinguished themselves in numerous ways added another award to their resumes Tuesday.\nDistinguished chemistry professor Victor Viola was named the winner of the Tracy M. Sonneborn Award, and history department chairman and professor John Bodnar was named the Chancellor's Professor of History. Both awards honor faculty whose contributions have been acclaimed in many arenas, from IU to international realms.\nViola, who is also an adjunct professor of physics, was introduced by physics professor Tim Londergan. He described Viola as "an excellent teacher" who is "passionately devoted to raising the quality of Indiana University." Londergan also complimented Viola's determination to explain to people in other fields what his research entails.\nThe Sonneborn Award is named after Tracey M. Sonneborn, a former distinguished professor of zoology. He died in 1981, and in 1985, IU started the award to honor a faculty member who has achieved distinction as a teacher and a scholar or artist.\nBloomington Chancellor Kenneth Gros Louis explained the history of the Sonneborn Award during the ceremony. He said Sonneborn was a one-of-a-kind professor and researcher.\n"We may wonder if Indiana University, at the turn of the century, will produce or sustain scholars like this," Gros Louis said.\nDuring Viola's acceptance speech, he thanked all of Sonneborn's former colleagues who contacted him and expressed disbelief at his winning the award, saying, "What am I doing here anyway?"\nBodnar, at IU since 1981, was introduced by colleague Phyllis Martin as "an influential and prolific historian." \nMartin went on to describe Bodnar's many achievements outside of IU, including a Fulbright award. He is also the director of the IU Oral History Center.\nBodnar gave credit to the deans who have supported his teaching and research and also thanked the professors who take time to carefully prepare their syllabi and class notes, to meet with students and to impress a love for learning onto their classes.\n"These people are the crown jewels of Indiana University," Bodnar said. "For the last 19 years, I can only describe my relationship with the University as positive"