Awards and Accolades
Jennifer Duan wins national civil engineering award
Jennifer Duan, professor in the Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering and Mechanics, has received the Margaret S. Petersen Award from the American Society of Civil Engineers. The award honors women "who have demonstrated exemplary service to the water resources and environmental science and engineering community," according to the society.
Jennifer Duan, Professor, Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering and Mechanics
Duan, who joined the university in 2006, uses computer simulations to better understand and predict how water and sediment move through rivers. Her work supports the development of advanced models to address real-world challenges in river systems.
The award's namesake is a former University of Arizona faculty member who made significant contributions to the fields of hydraulics and water resources. She died in 2013.
Read more about Duan's award and Petersen on the College of Engineering website.
Four U of A professors named AAAS fellows
Four University of Arizona faculty members have been elected fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world's largest general scientific society and publisher of the Science family of journals.
(From left) Liesl Folks, Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering; Luciano M. Matzkin, Professor, Department of Entomology; Armin Sorooshian, Professor, Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering; Dr. Jil C. Tardiff, Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering
The following faculty members are among 471 scientists, engineers and innovators in the new AAAS class, announced in March.
- Liesl Folks, Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Luciano M. Matzkin, Professor, Department of Entomology
- Armin Sorooshian, Professor, Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering
- Dr. Jil C. Tardiff, Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering
The new fellows will be celebrated at a forum in Washington, D.C., on June 7. Read more about the university's fellows in a story on the university's news website.
Michael Worobey, Professor and Department Head, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Michael Worobey named to 2025 STATUS List
Michael Worobey, professor and head of the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, has been named to the 2025 STATUS List by STAT, a national news site focused on health, medicine and life sciences. The annual list highlights 50 influential figures in fields including biotechnology, health care policy, artificial intelligence and patient advocacy.
Worobey was recognized for his research on the origins of HIV, avian influenza in dairy cows and SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19. His work uses molecular and computational biology to trace how pandemics emerge, evolve and spread. His recent research has focused on the likely origins of SARS-CoV-2 in late 2019.
Bill Neumann named Advisor of the Year by American Indigenous Business Leaders
Bill Neumann, professor of practice in the Department of Management Information Systems, was named Advisor of the Year by American Indigenous Business Leaders, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering Indigenous business students in the United States.
The award honors one AIBL chapter adviser each year for their dedication, hard work, support and community engagement efforts supporting the organization's mission.
Bill Neumann, Professor of Practice, Department of Management Information Systems
Neumann received the award March 11 at AIBL's National Business and Leadership Student Conference in Las Vegas.
Arizona International and Lara Pfaff recognized for excellence in global education
Arizona International and Lara Pfaff, senior business analyst for International Student Services, were honored by Arizona International Educators for their contributions to global education. Arizona International received the Distinguished Contributions to Global Initiatives in Arizona Award, and Pfaff won the Exemplary Global Leadership and Service Award.
Lara Pfaff, Senior Business Analyst, International Student Services
The Distinguished Contributions award recognized Arizona International's initiatives to fulfill the university's land-grant mission and extend its global impact. These programs include the microcampus network, which allows students in 12 countries to earn University of Arizona degrees at a location convenient to them, and partnerships with Kazakhstan and Oman focused on sustainability, water resource management and food security.
Pfaff was recognized for advancing international student services through innovative use of technology and data. Her contributions include developing a dashboard that provides institutional insights into the university's international student population.
Arizona International Educators is a professional organization that promotes the values and practices of international education in Arizona.
Read more about the awards in a story on the Arizona International website.