Professor Josh Feinberg receives a multitude of honors for excellence
Josh Feinberg has had a busy year. The 2023-24 school year marked Josh’s first year away from his department role of director of undergraduate studies (DUGS)–a role he excelled at. His term as DUGS was marked with challenges but even more incredible successes, including the design and launch of the Environmental Geosciences B.S. and B.A. major programs and the organization of the annual ESCI Career Fair. However, when Josh transitioned away from DUGS, he certainly did not slow down.
Josh is now the system-wide UMN Director of Undergraduate Research. This position came after serving on university committees, like the campus curriculum committee, responsible for evaluating all newly proposed courses, and the CORE 2025 committee, tasked with reexamining and reformulating the liberal education requirements for all UMN undergraduates. The opportunity to serve on these committees had Josh interacting with others across the university which cultivated a system-wide perspective. When the position for director within the Office of Undergraduate Research opened up, Josh was invited into the role. “I was very, very grateful to be considered. I get really excited about giving back to the students and contributing to other people’s success.” said Feinberg.
This opportunity to run the undergraduate research program at all 5 campuses is really exciting, because it’s an opportunity to amplify a lot of the work I was doing in Earth and Environmental Sciences, and to get involved at a much broader level within the University. I was really surprised to be considered for the role. It was a very pleasant shock. - Prof. Josh Feinberg
The Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) is a unit within the Office of Undergraduate Education whose purpose is to facilitate undergraduate participation in faculty-mentored research projects. It serves as a connection between students and research opportunities throughout the university primarily through the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP). “One of the really exciting things about this role is that it allows me to appreciate all of the incredible research that undergraduates are doing across the university and their different motivations for getting involved in research. It's humbling,” he explained.
One of Josh’s main priorities is to increase the number of UMN students participating in the UROP program. Changes to how UROP was administered as well as challenges associated with COVID contributed to a dip in student participation over the last decade. Josh is moving diligently to turn those turn numbers around. “This program represents one of the most direct ways for students to get involved in the world-class research that regularly happens here on our campus! With all of the benefits associated with undergraduate research experiences, we’ve got to make sure this program is successful.”
In addition to becoming Director of Undergraduate Research, Josh has also become Director of the Institute for Rock Magnetism (IRM) after the retirement of Bruce Moskowitz in the spring of 2024. Bruce had served as director for 17 years, and as Josh tries to fill Bruce’s shoes, he’s excited to welcome Prof. Nicholas Swanson-Hysell as associate director of the lab. Like his role with OUR, the IRM also allows Josh to help others achieve their research goals. “It’s a big reason why I love working at the IRM. The whole lab is set up to help each other be successful in their research. It’s also the reason why I love teaching because I get to help students have these ‘ah-ha’ moments,” said Josh.
Josh’s dedication to and excellence in research, teaching, and service also contributed to him being elected a 2023 Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). “Election as a Fellow honors members whose efforts on behalf of the advancement of science or its applications in service to society have distinguished them among their peers and colleagues,” according to AAAS. When asked what this honor meant to him he replied “It makes me feel genuinely grateful to all of my lab mates here at the IRM (Bruce Moskowitz, Mike Jackson, Max Brown, Peat Solheid, and Dario Bilardello), without whom I would be far less productive. Everything I do is deeply, deeply collaborative. I never published a single author paper in my life. So to get recognized in this way is a really humbling honor and it gives me confidence in the way I've been running my research group.” He joins 17 peers from across the country within the fields of “Geology & Geography” who were elected as fellows in 2023.
As if the aforementioned achievements were not enough, Josh was also awarded a Distinguished McKnight University Professorship by the University of Minnesota. This university award “recognizes outstanding faculty members who have recently achieved full professor status. Recipients hold the title “Distinguished McKnight University Professor” for as long as they remain employed at the University of Minnesota. This honor comes with additional financial support that gives the Feinberg Research Group more flexibility to attend meetings and conduct field research.
It is very safe to say, Josh has had an incredible year. “I feel like I've peaked. I don't think I'm going any higher than I've gone already,” Josh said jokingly, “It's been a really good year, and I do not expect every year to be like this one,” he added. Though if he continues down this path of excellence, who’s to say another year like this one won’t be possible?