Awards & Accolades

Congratulations to these recent honorees.

Pyun Elected Fellow, Named Senior Member of National Organizations

Jeffrey Pyun, professor of chemistry and biochemistry, was elected as a fellow in the Division of Polymeric Materials: Science and Engineering of the American Chemical Society. He also was named to the inaugural class of senior members of the National Academy of Inventors.

Pyun will be inducted as a fellow at the American Chemical Society's national meeting and exposition in Orlando, Florida, in April. Later that month, he will be honored by the National Academy of Inventors at its annual meeting in Houston.

The American Chemical Society aims to "improve people's lives through the transforming power of chemistry." Its Division of Polymeric Materials: Science and Engineering has a vision of being "a community of polymer scientists and engineers equipped to solve global challenges." Division fellows are members who "have made significant contributions to the science and engineering of polymeric materials."

The National Academy of Inventors' mission is to "recognize and encourage inventors with patents issued from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, enhance the visibility of academic technology and innovation, encourage the disclosure of intellectual property, educate and mentor innovative students, and translate the inventions of its members to benefit society."

The academy's senior member program honors active faculty, scientists and administrators who have been successful with patents, licensing and commercialization, and "have produced technologies that have brought, or aspire to bring, real impact on the welfare of society." Senior members also are recognized for fostering the spirit of innovation in their communities.

Pyun began at the UA in 2004 as an assistant professor.

Read more about Pyun's National Academy of Inventors senior member recognition on UANews.

Bosch Receives Lifetime Achievement Award From National Library Association

Stephen Bosch, a librarian in University Libraries, has been chosen to receive the Ross Atkinson Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association for Library Collections & Technical Services. Bosch will be honored at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., in June.

The Association for Library Collections & Technical Services is a division of the American Library Association. The division is the national association for those who work in areas such as acquisitions, cataloging, collection development, preservation and continuing resources in digital and print formats. Its Ross Atkinson Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes "the contribution of a library leader through demonstrated exceptional service to ALCTS and its areas of interest."

In his 35 years at University Libraries, Bosch has "been central to their emergence as a leader in innovative collection strategies," which are frequently emulated by other research libraries, according to the association.

Gephart, Shea Named Western Academy of Nursing Fellows

Two faculty members in the College of Nursing have been named fellows of the Western Academy of Nurses. Sheila Gephart, an associate professor of nursing, and Kimberly Shea, a clinical associate professor of nursing and assistant professor of practice of biomedical informatics, will be inducted during a conference in San Diego in April.

The Western Academy of Nurses is overseen by the Western Institute of Nursing, a regional nursing organization whose mission includes advancing nursing science, education and practice to improve health outcomes. The academy aims to "recognize and honor nurses who have demonstrated excellence in nursing practice and have advanced practice in direct care, education or research."

Gephart's research focus includes reducing the burden of necrotizing enterocolitis, which affects the intestines of premature infants. She has been a nurse for more than 20 years, and has worked as a nurse-scientist since 2012.

A nurse for more than 25 years, Shea investigates technology-based delivery of health care in patients' homes. Her research combines serious-illness care and technology, and her current studies focus on tele-palliative care using video conferencing software.

Van Kolck Named 'Outstanding Referee' by American Physical Society

Ubirajara van Kolck, a professor of physics, has been named a 2019 Outstanding Referee by the American Physical Society. The society announced the honor on Feb. 26.

The American Physical Society is a membership organization that aims to advance the knowledge of physics. Its Outstanding Referee program recognizes "scientists who have been exceptionally helpful in assessing manuscripts for publication in the APS journals." APS editors choose honorees "based on the quality, number, and timeliness of their reports." Van Kolck was recognized alongside 142 scientists from 29 countries.

Van Kolck's fields of study include atomic physics, molecular physics, optical physics, high-energy physics and nuclear physics. He began at the UA in 2000 as an assistant professor.

Arizona Online Receives Strategic Innovation Award

Arizona Online has received the 2019 Award for Strategic Innovation in Online Education from the University Professional and Continuing Education Association. The award will be presented this week at the association's annual conference in Seattle.

The University Professional and Continuing Education Association is a membership organization for those working in professional, continuing and online education. Its Award for Strategic Innovation in Online Education "recognizes an institution of higher education that has set and met innovative goals focused on online education and been strategic in the planning, development, implementation and sustainability in line with the institutional mission."

Arizona Online recently rose to the top 10 percent of all online bachelor's programs in the U.S., according to U.S. News & World Report. The jump in rankings came only four years after Arizona Online was launched. It offers 32 undergraduate majors, 31 graduate-level majors, 32 graduate certificates and nine doctoral degree programs.

Katirai Recognized by WFSA for Community Impact

Negar Katirai, director of the Domestic Violence Law Clinic at the James E. Rogers College of Law, has been selected to receive the 2019 Laura Penny Community Impact Award from the Women's Foundation of Southern Arizona. Katirai will be presented with the award at the foundation's annual luncheon on April 24.

The Women's Foundation of Southern Arizona advocates for social, political and economic change that empowers women and girls. The Laura Penny Community Impact Award annually recognizes mid-career women from Southern Arizona who make a difference in the lives of women and girls.

Katirai, also an associate clinical professor and associate scholar of law, is being recognized for dedicating her career to "empowering women and girls by providing holistic legal and non-legal advocacy services to survivors of domestic violence." She joined the UA in 2014.

UA Mineral Museum Named Best Exhibit at Tucson Gem and Mineral Show

The UA Gem and Mineral Museum was awarded the Betty and Clayton Gibson Memorial Award for Best Museum Exhibit by the Tucson Gem and Mineral Society. The museum, which is housed at the Pima County Courthouse in downtown Tucson, presented an exhibit during the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show in February at the Tucson Convention Center.

The society, a nonprofit organization established in 1946, aims to further the knowledge and appreciation of minerals. The society organizes the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, which is at the center of the annual Tucson Gem, Mineral and Fossil Showcase. Clayton Gibson served as society president in 1954 and 1958. He and Betty Gibson served as co-chairs of the show in 1961 and 1973.

The awardee is selected by a team of judges from the Tucson Gem and Mineral Society. The museum's exhibit, the team said, included "top-notch" graphics and well-selected specimens from Arizona, adding, "there was not another museum exhibit that was as well done."

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We want to know about your good news. If you, your team or a colleague has won any major awards, been honored nationally or internationally, or accomplished some other major feat that deserves recognition, let us know about it.

To submit your news, please send us an email with the following information:

• Name of the person, team or unit receiving the honor with full UA titles.
• Information about the award/honor and the organization that granted it. Please include a link to the official announcement of the award/honor.
• When the honor was announced and when it will be presented (or was presented).
• A photo of the honoree. If others appear in the photo, please provide their names and identifying information, such as their UA title or other affiliation.

Questions? Contact Lo Que Pasa at uaatwork@email.arizona.edu.