Nearly 30 faculty members honored with Awards of Distinction
Meg Lota Brown, professor, Department of English
John Palumbo, professor, Department of Entomology
Kelly Simmons-Potter, professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
The University has announced the names of 29 faculty members who have been selected to receive awards for excellence in teaching, mentoring and research, including two new honors: the University Faculty Service Award and the Distinguished Mentor Award.
"These awards are the highest faculty honors that our University bestows," Liesl Folks, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost, wrote in an April 21 announcement of the awards. "They allow us to recognize the contributions of outstanding colleagues who have had significant impacts locally, nationally and globally."
The awards are presented annually by the Office of the Provost, the W.A. Franke Honors College, the Graduate College, the Postdoctoral Affairs office and the GIFT Center at the University of Arizona Foundation.
A recognition event is planned for the spring of 2024.
This year's honorees are listed below.
University Distinguished Awards
University Distinguished Professor Award
Meg Lota Brown | Professor, Department of English
The University Distinguished Professor Award was created in 1995 by President Manuel Pacheco to recognize faculty members who have a long-term commitment to undergraduate education and have made outstanding contributions at the University of Arizona. In addition to the title of University Distinguished Professor, the award carries a $5,000 increase to base salary.
University Distinguished Outreach Faculty Award
John Palumbo | Professor, Department of Entomology
Kelly Simmons-Potter | Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
The University Distinguished Outreach Faculty awards recognize outstanding faculty members whose scholarship-based outreach to the state, nation and world has demonstrated sustained excellence in the University's outreach mission. In addition to the title of University Distinguished Outreach Faculty, the award carries a $5,000 increase to base salary.
University Faculty Service Award
Wolfgang Fink | Associate Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Department of Biomedical Engineering
Paul Wagner | Associate Professor of Practice, College of Applied Science and Technology
The University Faculty Service Award, created in 2022, recognizes faculty members who have made exceptional contributions to the University's service mission within their department or college, across campus or in their scholarly community. The award includes a $7,500 prize.
Distinguished Head/Director's Award
Diane Austin | Director, School of Anthropology
The Distinguished Head/Director's Award recognizes outstanding performance by an academic department head or director. Honorees receive a citation from the president and provost as well as a $1,000 prize.
University Innovation and Entrepreneurship Awards
Joyce Schroeder | Professor and Department Head, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology (distinguished)
Tsu-Te "Judy" Su | Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering (early-career)
The Innovation and Entrepreneurship Awards recognize individuals who have made exceptional contributions at the University by demonstrating significant impact in any aspect of research, commercialization or education through innovation and/or entrepreneurship. The distinguished and early-career awards come with $5,000 and $2,500, respectively.
Henry and Phyllis Koffler Prize
Hendrikus Granzier | Professor, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine
This award, made possible by donations from late President Emeritus Henry Koffler and his wife, Phyllis, recognizes outstanding accomplishments in three categories: teaching; research, scholarship and creative activity; and public service and outreach. The award is given in only one category each year. This year's award is for research, scholarship and creative activity. The award comes with a $10,000 prize, a medallion and certificate.
Midcareer and Early-Career Distinguished Faculty Awards
Distinguished Scholar Award
David Baltrus | Associate Professor, School of Plant Sciences
Michael Marty | Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Mónica Ramírez-Andreotta | Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Science
The Distinguished Scholar Award recognizes outstanding midcareer faculty members for innovations in their disciplines and contributions to teaching, research and outreach at the University. The award includes a $10,000 prize.
Early Career Scholar Award
Alex Craig | Assistant Professor, Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
Andrew Curley | Assistant Professor, School of Geography, Development and Environment
Yuanyuan "Kay" He | Assistant Professor, Fred Fox School of Music
Anna Josephson | Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics
Jeehey Kim | Assistant Professor, School of Art
Andrew Paek | Assistant Professor, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology
This award recognizes early-career faculty members at the forefront of their disciplines for highly valued contributions to teaching, creative activity and service. The award includes a $5,000 prize.
Teaching Awards
Gerald J. Swanson Prize for Teaching Excellence
Amy Graham | Associate Professor of Practice, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Patrick Baliani | Professor of Practice, W.A. Franke Honors College
Maria Letizia Bellocchio | Associate Professor of Practice, Department of French and Italian
Susan Holland | Assistant Professor of Practice, Department of Communication
Darin Knapp | Associate Professor of Practice, John and Doris Norton School of Human Ecology
This award, which recognizes excellence in undergraduate teaching, was created through a gift from the Thomas R. Brown Foundation in honor of Gerald J. Swanson, professor emeritus of economics. The award includes a $5,000 prize.
University of Arizona Foundation Leicester and Kathryn Sherrill Creative Teaching Award
Jennifer Wolfe | Associate Professor, Department of Mathematics
This award, presented by the University of Arizona Foundation, recognizes excellence in the art of teaching at all levels, with particular emphasis on the undergraduate level. The award includes a $2,500 prize and a plaque placed in the Donna Swaim Honors Lounge in the Student Union Memorial Center.
Mentoring Awards
Distinguished Mentor Award
Judith Gordon | Professor and Associate Dean of Research, College of Nursing
The Distinguished Mentor Award recognizes outstanding tenured or continuing-status faculty members at the full professor rank who have mentored early-career faculty members and made highly valued contributions to the mentoring of graduate students. The award comes with a $5,000 prize.
Graduate Student Peer Mentor Award
Romy Cerón Canché | Doctoral Candidate, Department of Spanish and Portuguese
This award recognizes outstanding graduate students who provide peer mentoring to other graduate students to help them persist toward their degree, progress in their program or engage in scholarly activities in order to achieve success within their program. The award includes a $1,000 prize.
Faculty Peer Mentor Award
Jeannette Hoit | Professor, Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences
The Faculty Peer Mentor Award recognizes outstanding faculty members who mentor faculty peers through promotion. The award comes with a $2,000 prize.
Mentoring Future Scholars Award
Lillian Gorman | Assistant Professor, Department of Spanish and Portuguese
Kevin Gosner | Associate Professor, Department of History
The Mentoring Future Scholars Award recognizes faculty mentors who are extraordinary in their mentoring of graduate students toward becoming future scholars. The award includes a $2,000 prize.
The award below was announced by the W.A. Franke Honors College on April 11.
The Margaret M. Briehl and Dennis T. Ray Five Star Faculty Award
Teresa Rosano | Assistant Professor of Practice, School of Architecture
The Five Star Faculty Award, established in 1983, is the only Universitywide teaching award whose honoree is chosen by undergraduates. Each year, a committee of students reviews nominations and interviews finalists before selecting a winner. The award includes a $2,000 prize. Rosano will be recognized on May 11 at the W.A. Franke Honors College Convocation ceremony.
Read about the 2022 honorees in a previous Lo Que Pasa story.