3 U professors awarded Guggenheim fellowships

Three University of Minnesota faculty members have received 2008 fellowships in the 84th annual U.S. and Canadian competition sponsored by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation.

In announcing the selections Monday, the university said this is the first time since 1980 that the school's faculty have won multiple Guggenheims in consecutive years (U faculty won four last year). This year's recipients are:

Kathryn Sikkink, political science professor, was heralded by the foundation for her work on the origins and effects of human rights trials in the world. Her research also includes U.S. human rights policy, women's rights, transnational advocacy networks, social justice, political activism, Latin America politics, grass-roots politics, war crimes tribunals, and international human-rights norms and law.

Robin Stryker, sociology professor, was recognized for her work in government regulation of equal employment opportunity. In general, Stryker's areas of focus include law and society, political sociology, economic sociology, comparative and historical sociology, theory, stratification, historical methods and culture.

Douglas Arnold, professor in the Institute of Technology's School of Mathematics, has focused his research on developing and understanding mathematical algorithms that enable the computer simulation of physical phenomena ranging from the deformation of elastic plates and shells to the collision of black holes.

The 2008 fellowship winners include 190 artists, scholars and scientists selected from almost 2,600 applicants for awards totaling $8.2 million. Decisions are based on recommendations from hundreds of expert advisers and are approved by the Guggenheim Foundation's board of trustees.

PAUL WALSH