Olga Kagan has been named director of the UCLA Language Resource Program, a unit of International Studies and Overseas Programs. Kagan, a senior lecturer in the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures and coordinator of the Russian language program, is currently focusing her main research and teaching interests on "heritage learners" -- those students who speak a language other than English at home, but who do not possess a complete command of that language.... Sascha Jovanovic of the Oral Biology and Medicine Division was elected the general secretary of the Osseointegration Foundation. The foundation is the charitable arm of the Academy of Osseointegration and provides monetary support for indigent patients and research projects in the field of dental implants.

Lonnie Zeltzer, a researcher at the Jonsson Cancer Center and director of the Pediatric Pain Program at the Mattel Children's Hospital, received the Robert Angarola Excellence in Pain Management Award from the Southern California Cancer Pain Initiative (SCCPI). The award recognizes the individual who has made the greatest contributions to cancer pain relief over the course of their career and especially in the past year. Other UCLA award winners included Sheila Stinnett, nurse manager of the Oncology Clinic, and Cathy Luabeba, an oncology nurse, who received Awards of Excellence from SCCPI for their contributions to cancer-related pain management during the past year.... Michael Newman, adjunct professor in periodontics, was presented the American Academy of Periodontology Fellowship Award at the academy's annual meeting in Philadelphia.... Robert Gunsalus, professor of microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics, was awarded an honorary professorship from the Göttingen Academy of Sciences in Germany. The Gauss Professorship for 2001 enabled him to carry out research in the area of microbial genomics last summer at the Institute of Microbiology and Genetics at the University of Göttingen.

Several External Affairs units have been recognized with awards from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education. University Communications received a 2001 Circle of Excellence Silver Award for the UCLA Gateway. Development Communications won an Award of Excellence for its publication, UCLA Foundation's 1999-2000 Annual Report. The distinction marks the second consecutive year that this publication has received significant industry recognition. The UCLA Alumni Association won a Seal of Excellence Award for the Alumni Academy, a 10-month program that prepares alumni volunteers for leadership roles in the association.

Carl Hopkins, 90, a biostatistician and medical-care scholar who taught at both UCLA and USC during a long academic career, died Feb. 4 in Los Angeles after a short illness. Born in Seattle, Wash., Hopkins graduated from Dartmouth University and went on to earn a master's degree in public health from Johns Hopkins University and a doctorate from Harvard University. Hopkins was a professor at the USC School of Medicine from 1962 to 1964 before joining the UCLA faculty, where he was professor of public health in the School of Public Health from 1964 to 1980. He was chairman and associate dean of the public health school from 1971 to 1974. At UCLA, Hopkins was regarded as a dedicated statistical consultant on many medical studies. He also engaged in research on the organization, financing and evaluation of health services. A memorial service will be held at 3:30 p.m. on March 1 at the UCLA Faculty Center.