Honors and Awards - 2015

December 2015

Regents professor R. Lawrence Edwards  (earth sciences) was one of only 12 scientists elected as a foreign member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences for his excellence in original scientific research studying climate patterns, notably in China. He is the first member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences from the University of Minnesota.

Professor and department head Shri Ramaswamy (bioproducts and biosystems engineering) was elected Fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

November 2015

Professor Sally Gregory Kohlstedt (History of Science and Technology) has won the 2015 Joseph H. Hazen Education Prize for excellence in education from the History of Science Society.

Professor Frank Kulacki (mechanical engineering) was awarded the 2015 ASME Heat Transfer Memorial Award for fundamental contributions to the understanding of convective heat transfer in porous media, and natural convection in volumetrically heated fluids and in tube bundles.

October 2015

Professor and department head Uwe Kortshagen (mechanical engineering) has been awarded the Plasma Prize (The Plasma Science and Technology Division, American Vacuum Society [AVS]), presented at the AVS 62nd International Symposium & Exhibition, for his pioneering work on plasma synthesis of luminescent silicon nanocrystals.

Research associate Mark Stolzenburg (mechanical engineering) has been awarded the 2015 Benjamin Y.H. Liu Award for contributions to aerosol instrumentation and experimental techniques that have significantly advanced the science and technology of aerosols.

Assistant professor Xiang Cheng (chemical engineering and materials science) is among 18 of the nation's most innovative early-career scientists and engineers to receive the 2015 Packard Fellowship for Science and Engineering. Cheng will receive a grant of $875,000 over five years to pursue his research.

Assistant professor David J. Flannigan (chemical engineering and materials science) is one of only eight recipients nationwide to be named a 2015 Beckman Young Investigator (BYI) and will receive a grant of $750,000 to support his research in ultrafast electron microscopy that uses revolutionary technology with an ultrafast electron microscope and enables scientists to explore ultrafast events and processes that occur at the atomic and molecular spatial scale.

September 2015

Associate professor Andre Mkhoyan (chemical engineering and materials science) received a 2015 University of Minnesota Postdoctoral Association Outstanding Mentor Award in recognition of his extraordinary performance and achievement in mentoring postdoctoral fellows, postdoctoral associates and research associates at the University of Minnesota.

Professor Satish Kumar (chemical engineering and materials science) was elected a Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS) in the Division of Fluid Dynamics for fundamental contributions to interfacial and non-Newtonian fluid mechanics and for exemplary leadership in the engineering of liquid-applied coating and printing processes.

July 2015

Professor Thomas Kuehn (mechanical engineering) was recognized as an ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers) Distinguished Service Award recipient for members of any grade who have served the Society faithfully with distinction, and who have given freely of their time and talent in chapter, regional and Society activities.

Professor R. Lee Penn (chemistry) has been named a 2014 American Chemical Society (ACS) Fellow, honored for her outstanding contributions and service to chemistry, science, the profession, and the ACS.

June 2015

Ph.D. students Katharine Hunter (adviser Professor Kortshagen) and Jesse Fosheim (adviser Professor Davidson) (mechanical engineering) were each awarded the 2015–16 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Award. This award recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported STEM disciplines who are pursuing research-based Master's and doctoral degrees at accredited U.S. institutions.

May 2015

Professor Mitchell Luskin (mathematics) has been named a 2015-16 Harvard Radcliffe Institute Fellow for pursuing "an ambitious individual project within the Institute's multidisciplinary community." Luskin received the award for his work in "Multiscale Mathematical Modeling of 2D Materials."

Professor Doug Arnold (mathematics) has been selected for the J. Tinsley Oden Medal of the U.S. Association of Computational Mechanics "for seminal contributions as a research mathematician and educator specializing in computational mathematics, interdisciplinary research, numerical analysis, finite element methods, partial differential equations, mechanics, the interplay between these fields, and finite element exterior calculus."

Professor Willard Miller (mathematics) has been awarded the 2015 University of Minnesota President's Award for Outstanding Service, in recognition of his many years of exceptional service to the Department, the IMA, the College of Science and Engineering, and the University.

Assistant professor Jarvis Haupt (electrical and computer engineering) has received the Young Faculty Award from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) providing rising research stars in junior faculty positions with funding, mentoring, and industry and DoD contacts to develop their research ideas.

Assistant professors Arya Mazumdar, Sairaj Dhople, and Jeong-Hyun Cho (electrical and computer engineering) have been awarded the Faculty Early Career Development Award from the National Science Foundation.

Professor Catherine French (civil, environmental, and geo- engineering) received the Joe W. Kelly Award for her outstanding service and long-term efforts toward the education of students.

Professor Carol Shield (civil, environment, and geo- engineering) received the Delmar L. Bloem Distinguished Service Award for her work as chair of Committee 440 Fiber Reinformce Polymer (FRP) Reinforcement.

Professor Lawrence Que Jr. (chemistry) will receive the Japan Society of Coordination Chemistry (JSCC) International Award.

Professor Donald Truhlar (chemistry) has received a 2015 Council of Graduate Students (COGS) Outstanding Faculty Award.

Graduate student Tuoqi Li (chemical engineering and materials science) is the recipient of the 2015 John Bowers Excellence in Teaching Assistance Award in the College of Science and Engineering.

April 2015

On April 24, 2015, The Department of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics held a dedication ceremony for the Akerman Hangar, renaming it the Gary J. Balas Atrium, in honor of professor Gary Balas (aerospace engineering and mechanics) who died in November, 2014.
Professor Bin He (biomedical engineering) received the Academic Career Achievement Award from the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society for outstanding contribution and achievement in the field of Biomedical Engineering.

Professor Donald Truhlar (chemistry) has been elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences for his preeminent contributions to his field and the world.

Professor Doug Arnold (mathematics) has been awarded the J. Tinsley Oden Medal from the U. S. Association of Computational Mechanics for "seminal contributions as a research mathematician and educator."
Associate professor Vincent Noireaux (physics) has received a program grant from the Human Frontiers Science Program Organization (HFSPO). Noireaux is the principal investigator of the grant for his research in biological physics.

Professor Max Donath (mechanical engineering) was awarded the 2014 Kathy Swanson Outstanding Service Award for his contributions in transportation safety research.

Assistant professor Jake Bailey (earth sciences) will receive a 2015 Simons Early Career Investigator Award in Marine Microbial Ecology and Evolution.

Professor Wayne Gladfelter (chemistry) has received the 2015 George W. Taylor Award of Distinguished Service in recognition of his service to others.

Professor William Pomerantz (chemistry) has received the Kimmel Scholar Award from the Sidney Kimmel Foundation for Cancer Research. He will receive a two-year grant totaling $200,000.

March 2015

Professor Cathy French (civil, environmental, and geo- engineering) has been selected to receive the American Concrete Institute's Joe W. Kelly Award for her outstanding and long-term efforts toward the education of students in behavior and design of concrete structures and for her dedicated contributions to the advancement of reinforced concrete design through distinguished service to the ACI Building Code Committee.

Professor Philippe Buhlmann (chemistry) has received a 2015 award for Outstanding Contributions to Graduate and Professional Education.

Professor R. Lee Penn (chemistry) has received the 2015 Horace T. Morse-University of Minnesota Alumni Association Award for Outstanding Contributions to Undergraduate Education.

Professor Timothy Lodge (chemistry) has been chosen to receive the 2015 Herman F. Mark Polymer Chemistry Award from the Polymer Chemistry Division of the American Chemical Society.

Professor Thomas Hoye (chemistry) has received the 2015 Ernest Guenther Award in the Chemistry of National Products from the American Chemical Society.

Professor Donald Truhlar (chemistry) has been recognized as a 2015 American Physical Society Outstanding Referee of the Physical Review and Physical Review Letters.

Professor Frank S. Bates (chemical engineering and materials science) and professor Chris Leighton (chemical engineering and materials science) have been awarded a 2014 Cozzarelli Prize from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) in Engineering and Applied Sciences.

Professor Robert Tranquillo (biomedical engineering) was elected a Fellow of the International Academy of Medical and Biological Engineering (IAMBE), in honor of his distinguished contributions to and leadership in the field of medical and biological engineering at an international level.
Associate professor Filippo Coletti (aerospace engineering and mechanics) has received the National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award for his work on fluid mechanics of human airways. The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program offers the NSF's most prestigious awards in support of junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education and the integration of education and research within the context of the mission of their organizations.

February 2015

Professor Marc Hillmyer (chemistry) has been awarded the McKnight Presidential Endowed Chair that acknowledges the critical contributions of important University faculty who have distinguished themselves and their departments in the missions of research, education and public engagement.

Professor Chris Leighton (chemical engineering and materials science) has been awarded the 2014-15 John Tate Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Advising.

Professor George Barany (chemistry) was honored with a Murray Goodman Scientific Excellence & Mentorship Award from the American Peptide Society (APS) for his career-long research excellence in the field of peptide science.

Professor Max Donath (mechanical engineering) and Director of the Roadway Safety Institute was awarded the 2014 Kathy Swanson Outstanding Service Award for his contributions in transportation safety research.

Professor Gregg Musiker (mathematics) has been awarded the George Taylor Career Development Award, which recognizes exceptional contributions to teaching by a candidate for tenure during the probationary period.

Professor Nikos Sidiropoulos (electrical and computer engineering) has been appointed to a five-year term as ADC Chair of Digital Technology based on his records of academic excellence and his contributions to the Digital Technology Center.

Professor Sally Kohlstedt (earth sciences) received the president's award from the Council of Graduate Students.

Paul Morin (earth sciences) director of the Polar Geospatial Center, will receive an honorary degree from Colorado College this spring.

Professor Michael Tsapatsis (chemical engineering and materials science) has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering for his design and synthesis of specialized nanomaterials, called zeolites, that are used for selective separation and reaction.

Assistant professor Mo Li (electrical and computer engineering) has received the Guillermo E. Borja Career Development Award for 2015, which recognizes exceptional research and scholarly accomplishments by a candidate for tenure during the probationary period.

January 2015

Five CSE faculty were named McKnight Land-Grant professors, which recognizes the most promising junior faculty members who are at the beginning stages of their professional careers. They are: assistant professor Rafael Fernandes (physics); assistant professor Matthew Johnson (biomedical engineering); assistant professor Dan Knights (computer science and engineering); assistant professor Will Northrop (mechanical engineering); and assistant professor Kechun Zhang (chemical engineering and materials science).

Assistant professor Sairaj Dhople (electrical and computer engineering) has received an NSF Early Career (CAREER) Development award.

Assistant professor Stefano Gonella (civil, environmental, and geo- engineering) has received a prestigious CAREER award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for his work on programmable metamaterials.

Associate professor Paul J. Dauenhauer (chemical engineering and materials science) is part of a team of researchers at the University of Delaware's Catalysis Center for Energy Innovation (CCEI) that recently invented the Quantitative Carbon Detector (QCD), a new device that identifies and quantifies chemical compounds in complex mixtures such as fuels, oils, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and food.