Jon Christopher Nelson, professor of composition studies and associate dean for operations for the College of Music, won the America's Region Award for his composition, Turbulent Blue, at the International Computer Music Association conference. The organization is made up of composers, engineers, researchers and musicians who work in the field of computer music. Nelson's work ranked highest from the North and South American region.

His winning piece was released on the conference's CD and was featured at the opening concert of the annual conference this September in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The CD also includes a work by Panayiotis Kokoras, new assistant professor of composition studies, whose work was among the top eight at the conference last year.