Awards and Accolades
Justin Dutram, left, accepts the Ohtli award from Rafael Barceló Durazo at the Mexican Consulate in Tucson.
Justin Dutram, assistant vice president for Mexican and Latin American affairs in Arizona International.
Armin Sorooshian, professor in the College of Engineering.
Kevin Anchukaitis, professor in the School of Geography, Development and Environment.
Marcia J. Rieke, Regents Professor and Elizabeth Roemer Endowed Chair in the Department of Astronomy and Steward Observatory
Don McCarthy, retired Distinguished University Outreach Professor and astronomer in Steward Observatory.
Wolfgang Fink, associate professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Justin Dutram honored by Mexican government
Justin Dutram, assistant vice president for Mexican and Latin American affairs with Arizona International, has been honored by the Mexican government with the Ohtli Award. The award is the Mexican government's highest recognition of those who have worked for the benefit of Mexican nationals living abroad.
"This is a testament to Justin Dutram's commitment and dedication to fostering connections between the University of Arizona and Mexico," said University President Robert C. Robbins. "It is a truly well-deserved honor."
For more than 25 years, Dutram has helped coordinate bilateral programs and initiatives with Mexico. He was presented with the award at an event held at the Mexican Consulate in Tucson in September.
"The U.S. and Mexico have so much to gain by growing together," Dutram said. "I am honored and privileged that I have the opportunity to be able to contribute in a small way."
Previous members of the University community to receive the Ohtli award include: Joaquin Ruiz, vice president for global environmental futures, who received the honor in 2009; William Beezley, professor in the Department of History, who was recognized in 2017; and Cecilia Rosales, associate dean for community engagement and Phoenix programs in the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, who received the award in 2019.
Read more about Dutram and the honor on the University's news website.
American Geophysical Union elects Sorooshian as a fellow
The American Geophysical Union has elected Armin Sorooshian, professor in the Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, as a fellow, enabling him to advise government agencies and related organizations on Earth science-related issues.
Sorooshian has also been named the recipient of AGU's Joanne Simpson Medal, which celebrates mid-career scientists for significant contributions to Earth and spatial sciences. Sorooshian was selected for his research on airborne aerosol particles and their effects on Earth's climate.
"Having been a student in the Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, I do not ever take for granted the education and opportunities that got me to this point as a faculty member of the same department," Sorooshian said. "I feel very lucky to have been a student here and to bring back some recognition to our department and the area of atmospheric sciences."
Kevin Anchukaitis, professor in the School of Geography, Development and Environment, will receive AGU's Willi Dansgaard Award, which recognizes significant contributions to the fields of paleoceanography or paleoclimatology from a mid-career scientist. Anchukaitis' research focuses on analyzing climate dynamics across the past, present and future. He also serves as chair for the University's Global Change Graduate Interdisciplinary Program, which aims to deepen students' understanding of change in natural and environmental science.
AGU, a global association that supports professionals in the Earth and space sciences, announced the awards on Sept. 13 and will recognize Sorooshian and Anchukaitis at its annual meeting in December.
Two Steward Observatory astronomers receive honors
Marcia J. Rieke, Regents Professor and Elizabeth Roemer Endowed Chair in the Department of Astronomy and Steward Observatory, has been honored with the Astronomical Society of the Pacific's Catherine Wolfe Bruce Gold Medal.
ASP, an international nonprofit promoting public interest in astronomical science, offers the medal in recognition of a lifetime of outstanding achievement and contributions to astrophysics research.
Rieke was selected for her groundbreaking contributions to infrared astronomical research, specifically regarding observations of the Milky Way galaxy. She is widely considered to be one of the "founding mothers of infrared astronomy," the society wrote in its announcement. Rieke is also principal investigator for the Near-Infrared Camera on the James Webb Space Telescope.
The society also named Don McCarthy, who retired in 2022 as Distinguished University Outreach Professor and astronomer at Steward Observatory, the winner of its Klumpke-Roberts Award, which recognizes an individual who has made outstanding contributions to the public understanding and appreciation of astronomy. He was selected for the honor in commemoration of his 40-year commitment to astronomy education and outreach, including his development of a teenage astronomy camp in the Tucson area.
Rieke and McCarthy will be presented with their awards at an awards gala on Nov. 11 in San Francisco.
Fink honored with SPIE Meinel Technology Award
Wolfgang Fink, associate professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, is the recipient of this year's SPIE Aden and Marjorie Meinel Technology Achievement Award. The award recognizes outstanding technical accomplishments in optics, electro-optics, photonic engineering or imaging.
Fink, who joined the University in 2009, holds 20 U.S. and six foreign patents for innovations including accessible visual performance tests, smartphone-based ophthalmic examination devices and performance improvements for visual prostheses.
SPIE, formerly the Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers, is an international nonprofit society for optics and photonics technology. The Meinel award is named after Aden Meinel – founding director of the University of Arizona Optical Sciences Center (now the James C. Wyant College of Optical Sciences) and Kitt Peak National Observatory – and Marjorie Meinel, his wife and research partner, who worked with him to develop next-generation space telescope and solar energy innovations.
Read more about Fink and the honor on the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering website.
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@arizona.edu.