Awards & Accolades

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Wolfgang Fink earns PHM Society's Inaugural Scott Clements MVP Award

Wolfgang Fink, associate professor of biomedical engineering and electrical and computer engineering, won the inaugural Scott Clements MVP Award at the Annual Conference of the Prognostics and Health Management Society.

The Scott Clements MVP Award recognizes "significant, sustained contributions to the PHM Society by an individual or group. Example contributions are: outreach, community engagement, cross-sector initiatives, course development and/or delivery, planning/operation of events, or active support in other society roles," according to the PHM Society website.

Fink served as the general conference chair for the society's 2019 conference, which was the organization's most successful conference in its history.

According to Fink's University bio, his research "comprises human and brain-machine interfaces, smart service systems, autonomous systems, biomedical engineering for health care, and computer-optimized design." He has over 257 publications and 21 patents so far in his career.

The Prognostics and Health Management Society is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of prognostics and health management as an engineering discipline.

Read more about Fink and the award in this story on the College of Engineering website.

Amanda Sokan named Gerontologist of the Year

Amanda Sokan, assistant professor of public health, has been named Gerontologist of the Year by the Arizona Geriatrics Society. The organization presented the award at its annual meeting in November to honor Sokan's contributions to gerontology and public health education in Arizona.

Sokan is an advocate and practitioner of translational research, which applies knowledge gained in the laboratory to medical and social practices in the community. Her work emphasizes a knowledge-based approach to health equity in aging populations. She also provides consulting, advocacy and counseling services on supportive caregiving to family members and caregivers of people with dementia and is a trained facilitator in dementia caregiving.

The Arizona Geriatrics Society, an affiliate of the American Geriatrics Society, is a nonprofit organization "dedicated to supporting health and human service professionals that advance the care of older adults throughout Arizona," according to its website.

Read more about the honor on the University of Arizona Health Sciences website.

Several School of Architecture faculty members win AIA Arizona awards

Faculty members from the School of Architecture have been honored by the American Institute of Architects Southern Arizona.

Arizona Architects Medal: Robert Miller, director of the School of Architecture, for his work in advancing the profession of architecture and "outstanding professional achievement and sense of social responsibility."

Research-Design Award: Christopher Domin, associate professor, for the book "Powerhouse: The Life and Work of Judith Chafee," which he co-authored with Tucson architect Kathy McGuire.

Design Pedagogy Award: Dan Hoffman, professor of practice, for the development and delivery of the School of Architecture's B Arch Foundation program.

Community Education Award: Lisa Schrenk, associate professor, for work including serving as education director of the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust and initiating the College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture's Women in Architecture Society.

Presidential Citation: Oscar Lopez, lecturer, for his service to the state and Southern Arizona chapters of AIA.

Design Award and Distinguished Building Merit Award: Mary Hardin, distinguished professor, and the Drachman Design-Build Coalition for "Stadium Rowhouse #1: Urban Infill to Stabilize a Challenged Neighborhood," a CAPLA Design/Build project completed in 2020.

Distinguished Building Award: Michael Kothke, associate professor of practice, and his wife, Kathy Hancox of HK Associates, for the Ventana House.

Read more about the winners on the CAPLA website.

Bruce Walsh celebrated with Lifetime Achievement Award

Bruce Walsh, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2020 International Congress in Quantitative Genetics, held virtually in November.

Walsh, also a member of the BIO5 Institute, has been with the University since 1986 and focuses his research on using mathematical models to explore the interface of genetics and evolution. He has co-authored two textbooks – "Genetics and Analysis of Quantitative Traits" and "Evolution and Selection of Quantitative Traits" – and has taught undergraduate and graduate students in nearly 25 countries, including an estimated 20,000 undergraduate students at the University of Arizona, according to a profile on the BIO5 Institute website.

Walsh is also an instructor for two global plant breeding initiatives – the Tucson Plant Breeding Institute, held at the BIO5 Institute, and the African Plant Breeding Academy, organized by the University of California, Davis.

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 University 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 University title or other affiliation.

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