Dawn Crim has been chosen to lead community relations initiatives for the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Chancellor Biddy Martin announced last week.

Crim has been acting director of the Office of Community Relations since LaMarr Billups left the job for a position at Georgetown University in March 2007. She was selected after a national search process, university officials said.

The office works on policy issues related to curbing high-risk drinking and assists in planning for major events such as Halloween and the Mifflin Street block party.

Crim will work closely with the mayor and City Council, the Dane County executive and board and other governmental bodies.

From 1996 to 2000, Crim served as an assistant basketball coach at UW-Madison. From 2000 to 2004, she worked at Learning Innovations, an e-learning support organization run by UW-Extension.

Engineer gets Presidentail Early Career Award

A University of Wisconsin-Madison engineer was honored with a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers on Dec. 19 at the White House.

Zhenqiang "Jack" Ma, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, was one of 67 promising researchers to earn the award. Ma works in the field of flexible electronics, devices created with nanomembranes — sheets of semiconductors only a few atoms thick.

He will receive $1 million over five years to continue his work.