Awards & Accolades

Congratulations to these recent honorees.

Straight Among EdTech's 'Higher Education IT Influencers'

Ryan Straight, co-director of education technology and an assistant professor at UA South, has been included on a "Dean's List" of the top 30 information technology "influencers" in higher education. The list was compiled by the magazine EdTech: Focus on Higher Education.

The magazine covers the intersection of technology and higher education. Its Dean's List is "a compilation of the must-read bloggers and social media influencers who are exploring the role of technology on campus."

Straight produces a biweekly podcast called "The New Professor," in which he and his guests discuss the changing landscape of higher education. He began at the UA in 2012 as an instructional technology training specialist in University Information Technology Services.

Major Elected President of National Distance Learning Association

Janet Major, associate director for education and facilities at the Arizona Telemedicine Program, based at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson, has been elected president of the United States Distance Learning Association. Major was honored at the association's national conference last month in Nashville.

The United States Distance Learning Association supports distance learning research and development.

Major's one-year term began May 20. Following her term as president, she will serve for a year as chair of the association's board of directors.

The association also honored the Arizona Telemedicine Program and its subsidiary, the Southwest Telehealth Resource Center, with its 21st Century Distance Learning Award for outstanding leadership in distance education. Major also is in charge of distance learning outreach for the Southwest Telehealth Resource Center.

Major joined the Arizona Telemedicine Program in 1997.

Milward Receives National Award for Career Contributions

H. Brinton Milward, director and professor in the School of Government and Public Policy, has been given the H. George Frederickson Award from the Public Management Research Association. He was recognized at the association's annual conference at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill earlier this month.

The Public Management Research Association is a membership organization that aims to advance research on public organizations and provide professional and academic opportunities for those working in public management. Its H. George Frederickson Award "honors a senior scholar for career contributions to the field of public management."

Milward's "interdisciplinary efforts – which bridge and merge ideas from political science, sociology, organizations and management, and history among others – has pushed the boundaries of public management research and encouraged us to think in new ways about old problems," the award committee wrote, adding that Milward is one of the most cited public administration scholars. Milward also holds the Melody S. Robidoux Foundation Fund Chair in Collaborative Governance.

Read more about Milward's award on the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences website.

Chomsky Wins Frontiers of Knowledge Award

Renowned linguist and UA professor Noam Chomsky has been given a Frontiers of Knowledge Award by the BBVA Foundation. Chomsky was honored at a ceremony in Bilbao, Spain, earlier this month.

The BBVA Foundation is affiliated with BBVA, a Spanish banking group. Since 2008, the foundation's Frontiers of Knowledge Awards have recognized and rewarded "contributions of singular impact in science, art and the humanities, privileging achievements that significantly expand the frontiers of the known world, open up new fields, or emerge from the interaction of various disciplinary areas."

Awards are given in eight categories. Chomsky is the inaugural recipient in the newly established humanities and social sciences category. The award comes with a prize of 400,000 euros.

Chomsky is largely considered the founder of modern linguistics, and is one of the most cited scholars in modern history. He joined the UA faculty in 2017, having served as a guest speaker and teacher at the UA for several years prior.

Read more about Chomsky's award on the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences website.

Dorsey Receives National Service to the Citizen Award

Michelle Dorsey, a clinical assistant professor of radiology at the College of Medicine – Phoenix, has received a Service to the Citizen Award related to her work as a fellow in the White House Leadership Development Program. Dorsey was honored at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., in May.

Dorsey is also chief of radiology at the Phoenix VA Health Care System – the youngest person and first woman to hold the position. In October, she was selected as the first physician to represent the Department of Veterans Affairs in the White House Leadership Development Program. The program provides yearlong fellowships to federal government employees.

Dorsey has spent her fellowship working in the White House Office of Management and Budget, where she worked on one of the federal government's Cross-Agency Priority Goals, which aim to improve progress on a variety of policy areas. Dorsey was part of a team that worked toward transforming the customer experience for those seeking federal services, including health care for veterans, Medicare, federal student aid and passport services.

The Service to the Citizen Awards are administered by the Service to the Citizen: Champions of Change Program, which recognizes public servants "who demonstrate excellence in their delivery of services that impact the publics' lives."

Colleges of Medicine Faculty Members Honored by Az Business Magazine

Five faculty members from the College of Medicine – Tucson and College of Medicine – Phoenix were honored by Az Business magazine as 2019 Arizona Healthcare Leaders of the Year. The magazine, one of several published by AZ BIG Media, featured the honorees in the May/June issue.

The awards recognize "influential health care leaders, innovators, researchers and advocates who make health care in Arizona an economic engine that betters everyone's lives." They are chosen by the magazine's editorial board.

The UA honorees were:

• Anna Burke
  Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry
  College of Medicine – Phoenix
  Health Care Innovator of the Year
• Kevin Foster
  Clinical Professor of Surgery
  College of Medicine – Phoenix
  Physician of the Year
• Akinlolu Ojo
  Associate Vice President for Clinical Research and Global Health Initiatives, UA Health Sciences
  Professor, College of Medicine – Tucson
  Researcher of the Year
• Michael Ritchey
  Professor, College of Medicine – Phoenix
  Physician of the Year
• Frederic Zenhausern
  Director, UA Center for Applied NanoBioscience and Medicine
  Professor of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine – Phoenix
  Health Care Innovator of the Year

Tech Parks Arizona Named Business Leader of the Year

Tech Parks Arizona has received the 2019 High Flyer Business Leader of the Year Award from the Greater Vail Area Chamber of Commerce. The award was presented at the chamber's Vail Takes Flight Gala in Tucson last month.

The award recognizes "outstanding leadership achievements by an organization in the local business community." Tech Parks Arizona operates at the UA Tech Park at Rita Road, about 10 miles northwest of Vail. Tech Parks Arizona also includes the UA Tech Park at The Bridges, and the Arizona Center for Innovation, a research incubator.

Specifically, Tech Parks Arizona was recognized for developing strong community relationships, mentoring up-and-coming leaders, and "contributions to the positivity of the overall business climate" in the greater Vail area, the chamber said.

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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.