Awards and Accolades
Hua wins American Innovator Award
Hong Hua, Professor, James C. Wyant College of Optical Sciences
Hong Hua, professor of optical sciences, is one of five inventors to be honored with the 2024 American Innovator Award from the Bayh-Dole Coalition. She is also featured in the organization's 2024 "Faces of American Innovation" report, which highlights people behind groundbreaking inventions.
The American Innovator Award honors individuals who demonstrate commitment, sacrifice and determination to move a federally funded invention from the laboratory to the marketplace, where it can benefit the public.
Hua has worked at the university for 20 years. She collaborated with Tech Launch Arizona to develop the eSight, electronic eyeglasses that can help the legally blind see. The glasses use a wedge-shaped prism eyepiece, which provides high resolution, and a large exit pupil, which is the part of the eyepiece where light projects into a viewer's eye. The design allows a larger image and more visual data to move to the brain.
The Bayh-Dole Coalition is made up of organizations and individuals committed to protecting and promoting the Bayh-Dole Act, which enables universities, small businesses and nonprofit institutions to take ownership of inventions made during federally funded research. Hua and the other honorees were recognized Sept. 18 at an award ceremony in Washington, D.C.
Daijiang Li, Assistant Professor, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Li named Ecological Society of America 2024 Fellow
Daijiang Li, assistant professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, was named a 2024 Ecological Society of America Fellow in recognition of outstanding contributions that advance or apply ecological knowledge in academics, government, nonprofit organizations and more.
The ESA recognized Li for his work studying the impacts of global environmental change on ecological communities. His current projects focus on climate change, land use change and global environmental change.
The Ecological Society of America is a nonprofit organization of more than 9,000 scientists that aims to promote ecological science and advocate to policy-makers on behalf of the field. The 2024 fellows were named in April and recognized in August during a ceremony in California. Fellows are named to lifetime appointments.
Li started at the university this fall.
Arizona Public Media wins award for 'The Buzz' podcast
"The Buzz" won a Public Media Award for the episode "El Tour de Mayor of Tucson."
Arizona Public Media's podcast "The Buzz" won a Public Media Award from the National Educational Telecommunications Association for an episode on mayoral candidates.
The piece, called "El Tour de Mayor of Tucson," won in the Radio – News & Public Affairs content category. It featured host Chris Conover and producer Zac Ziegler driving around Tucson with the three candidates running for mayor and asking them about issues including infrastructure, housing and crime.
The Public Media Awards honor excellence in community engagement, content, education and marketing and communications.
NETA is a professional association that aims to promote and strengthen public media's education mission. Winners were celebrated at the 56th Public Media Awards in Pittsburgh on Sept. 15.
Learn more about the honor and the podcast on the Arizona Public Media website.
Kelle Hyland, Outreach and Engagement Program Manager, BIO5 Institute
Hyland named 2024 Michael A. Cusanovich Arizona Bioscience Educator of the Year
Kelle Hyland, outreach and engagement program manager at the BIO5 Institute, was named the 2024 Michael A. Cusanovich Arizona Bioscience Educator of the Year by the Arizona Bioindustry Association.
The award recognizes biosciences educators for their leadership, creativity and the inspiration of students. Hyland was selected for her leadership and dedication to the BIO5 Institute's KEYS Research Internship program for the past eight years.
The KEYS program allows high school students to develop STEM skills during a seven-week summer program in which they work on immersive, real-world projects under the mentorship of University of Arizona scientists.
The Arizona Bioindustry Association is a nonprofit trade association the supports the growth of Arizona's life science sector.
The 2024 AZBio Awards were presented on Sept. 18 in Phoenix.
Xubin Zeng, Professor, Department of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences
Zeng named 2024 Bert Bolin Global Environmental Change Award and Lecture recipient
Xubin Zeng, professor in the Department of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences and director of the Climate Dynamics and Hydrometeorology Collaborative, was named the 2024 recipient of the Bert Bolin Global Environmental Change Award from the American Geophysical Union. The award celebrates those who have greatly contributed to earth and space sciences.
The AGU recognized Zeng, who holds the Agnese Nelms Haury Endowed Chair in Environment, for his research on land-atmosphere-ocean interface processes, weather and climate modeling, hydrometeorology, remote sensing, nonlinear dynamics and big data analytics.
AGU is a global organization that strives to advance discovery and solution science. Zeng and other honorees will be celebrated in December at the group's annual meeting in Washington, D.C. Zeng will deliver the Bert Bolin lecture at the event.
James Powell, Professor and Head, Department of Economics
Powell selected for Big 12 Faculty Recognition Program
James Powell, professor and head of the Department of Economics, has been selected to represent the University of Arizona in the Big 12 Faculty Recognition Program.
According to a congratulatory email sent to Powell from President Robert C. Robbins, the program is designed to recognize outstanding faculty at Big 12 institutions who have excelled in areas of innovation and research.
In the letter, Robbins praised Powell, noting that his work "has reshaped how economists have approached complex economic relationships."
The Big 12 will highlight the faculty members throughout the academic year with spotlights on social media channels.
Powell joined the university in 2022 and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Read more about Powell and the award on the Eller College of Management website.
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