Faculty excellence takes center stage at the 2025 Luminaries Awards

By Andy Ober, University Communications
Tuesday
A group of people stand outside the Stevie Eller Dance Theatre, smiling and waving toward the camera. The group includes men and women in a variety of professional and traditional attire, gathered in front of the building’s glass entrance during a reception.

Honorees and their colleagues were invited to a post-ceremony reception outside of the Stevie Eller Dance Theatre.

Chris Richards/University Communicaitons

Thirty faculty members were honored for groundbreaking research, service to the community and excellence in teaching and mentoring at the 2025 Luminaries Outstanding Faculty Awards, held Oct. 16 at the Stevie Eller Dance Theatre.

"Today, we honor and celebrate faculty excellence," said Provost and Chief Academic Officer Patricia Prelock at the ceremony. "We are proud to have outstanding faculty here at the University of Arizona, leaders in their fields, both nationally and internationally, who generously share their time, their talent and expertise to elevate teaching and learning across our campus."

The event was highlighted by the awarding of Regents Professorships, the highest faculty rank at the university. The designation is reserved for professors whose exceptional achievements merit national and international recognition. Regents Professor appointments are limited to no more than 3% or the university's tenured and tenure-track faculty.

Faculty members in academic regalia stand on stage during the Luminaries Outstanding Faculty Awards ceremony at the University of Arizona. A large screen behind them shows a live feed of the event, and banners featuring the university’s logo hang on the stage.

Thirty faculty members were honored for groundbreaking research, service to the community and excellence in teaching and mentoring at the 2025 Luminaries Outstanding Faculty Awards, held Oct. 16 at the Stevie Eller Dance Theatre.

Words of wisdom

Ahead of the ceremony, the awardees shared reflections, advice and perspectives in a series of video interviews recorded before the ceremony. Read some inspiring quotes from colleagues below.

What advice do you have for early-career faculty about staying the course?
Alex Braithwaite, Director and Professor, School of Government and Public Policy

"I'd start by suggesting that they trust their gut. I'd also add that we've got jobs that require that we do research, that we do teaching, that we do service, and faculty should take advantage of that. They should lean into the elements of their job that they find satisfying, that brings them some joy."

What does receiving this award mean to you?
Clayton Morrison, Associate Professor, College of Information Science

"The receipt of the Excellence in Mentorship Award means a whole lot to me. Mentors have played a very important part in my career, helping me along the way. I changed disciplines some time ago, but I had many mentors that were able to help me understand the different levels that I was at. So it's always been very important to me to feel that I could give that back to the students that I work with."

When did you realize your research or your teaching was your passion?
Dennis Zaritsky, Professor, Department of Astronomy

"It was during my first research project as an undergraduate. I got to go to a telescope for the first time. When you realize that you're doing something where you're the first person to actually see something or think about something – it's just so inspiring when you are trying to advance knowledge. Then I knew that's what I wanted to do.

Melanie McKay Cody, Assistant Professor, Department of Disability and Psychoeducational Studies

Three University of Arizona faculty members in academic regalia smile as they take a selfie together before a ceremony. One wears a purple gown, another a blue cap and gown, and the third a red gown. Other faculty in similar regalia are visible in the background.

Regina Deil-Amen (center), interim dean of the College of Education, takes a selfie with Melanie McKay-Cody (left), assistant professor in the Department of Disability and Psychoeducational Studies and Desiree Vega, associate professor in the Department of Disability and Psychoeducational Studies.

Chris Richards/University Communicaitons

"I started learning about Indian Sign Language, which we've termed North American Indian Sign Language, back when I was at the age of 10. I was in the library, surrounded by books, and I pulled a book off the shelf, and I saw that there were signs in that book that were different than the standard American Sign Language, and I've just been entranced with it since."

What makes you proud to be at the U of A?
Kristy Doran, Associate Professor of Practice, Department of Spanish and Portuguese

"I value and thrive on the authentic and genuine interaction that I have with my students. It's so exciting to be a witness, a catalyst and a sense of support for our students during this time of transition during their life. There is nothing better than seeing our students leave the University of Arizona and take the next steps in their life."

View images from the ceremony and reception in this gallery.
Celebrating the honorees

The honorees are listed below, along with links to their interview videos. More information on the awardees is available at the Luminaries website. Information on the nomination and selection process can be found on the Faculty Awards and Honors website. Read more about the awards and winners in a story on the university's news website.

Regents Professor

University Distinguished Professor

University Distinguished Outreach Faculty

  • John Ehiri, Senior Associate Dean for Academic and Faculty Affairs and Professor, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health (Video)

    Three people stand together smiling at a reception outside the Stevie Eller Dance Theatre. The man on the left wears a blue shirt and red patterned tie, the woman in the center wears a red jacket, and the woman on the right wears a patterned jacket and glasses. Other guests mingle in the background.

    (From left) John Ehiri, senior associate dean for academic and faculty affairs and professor in the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, Provost and Chief Academic Officer Patricia Prelock and Iman Hakim, dean of the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health enjoy the reception after the awards ceremony.

    Chris Richards/University Communicaitons
  • Josephine "Jo" Korchmaros, Director and Research Social Scientist, Southwest Institute for Research on Women (Video)

Distinguished Scholar

  • Ladd Keith, Associate Professor, School of Landscape Architecture and Planning (Video)
  • Kristopher Klein, Associate Professor, Department of Planetary Sciences and Lunar and Planetary Laboratory (Video)
  • Michelle Téllez, Associate Professor, Department of Mexican American Studies (Video)

Distinguished Department Head

  • Kimberly Ogden, Chair and Professor, Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering (Video)
  • Judd Ruggill, Associate Dean for Academic Services, Graduate College, and Department Head and Professor, Department of Public and Applied Humanities (Video)

University of Arizona Foundation Leicester and Kathryn Sherrill Creative Teaching Award

  • Diana Daly, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Academic Affairs and Student Success and Associate Professor of Practice, College of Information Science (Video)

Margaret M. Briehl and Dennis T. Ray Five Star Faculty Award

  • Kristy Doran, Associate Professor of Practice, Department of Spanish and Portuguese (Video)

Henry and Phyllis Koffler Prize in Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity

University Faculty Service Award

  • Amy Kimme Hea, Senior Associate Dean, Academic Affairs and Student Success and Professor, Department of English (Video)
  • Sabrina Helm, PetSmart Endowed Chair and Associate Professor, John and Doris Norton School of Human Ecology (Video)

Distinguished Mentor Award

  • Gary Rhoades, Professor, Department of Educational Policy Studies and Practice (Video)

Mentoring Future Scholars Award

Graduate Student Peer Mentor Award

Graduate Teaching and Mentoring Award

  • Suzanne Panferov Reese, Professor, Department of Public and Applied Humanities and Director, Critical Languages Program (Video)

  • Jessica Retis, Professor and Director, School of Journalism (Video)

    A woman helps a man adjust his academic regalia before a ceremony. The man, dressed in a red gown with black panels, smiles slightly while the woman, wearing a red top, focuses on the adjustment. The background shows an indoor space with soft lighting and blurred details.

    Nina Bates, director of operations and strategic initiatives in the Office of the Provost, helps Jiang Wu, Regents Professor in the Department of East Asian Studies, don his regalia ahead of the Luminaries Outstanding Faculty Awards ceremony.

    Chris Richards/University Communicaitons

Postdoc-as-Mentor Award

  • Adrienne Brown, Community Engagement Postdoctoral Researcher, Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy (Video)

Excellence in Postdoctoral Mentoring

Early Career Scholar Award

Outstanding Postdoctoral Scholar

  • Nicole Jimenez, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (Video)

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