Awards and Recognition

This year, the 2022 Mpls.St.Paul Magazine “Rising Stars” list recognized 175 talented University of Minnesota Medical School faculty physicians from 18 departments.

JP Leider is quoted in the NBC News story, “Doctors fighting racial health disparities faces threats, harassment”; Kim Todd was featured at Nieman Storyboard for her book, Sensational: The Hidden History of America's “Girl Stunt Reporters”; David Boulware is quoted in the Factcheck.org story, “Evidence Still Lacking to Support Ivermectin as Treatment for COVID-19”; Kathleen Collins and Mark Bell are interviewed in a KSTP-TV story about Putin’s plan for Ukraine, and why nuclear war is likely off the table; Alexandra Klass co-authors “Clean Energy Is Grid Reliability’s Best Hope, Not Enemy” at Bloomberg Environment; Minnesota Public Radio interviewed Tracy Twine about a study showing that Minnesota could see 55 fewer days with snow on the ground by 2100; Murray Frank is interviewed at WCCO in a story about what the Fed’s interest rate hike means for you; Michael Osterholm is quoted in Politico’s “The virus isn't done with us”; Myron Frans is quoted in the Axios Twin Cities story, “Dinkytown grows up”; Cynthia Zwicky is quoted in a Star Tribune article about why class sizes have been a sticking point in Minneapolis, St. Paul teacher contract negotiations; Aaron Sojourner is quoted in Minnpost about the state’s labor force participation rate.

Sri Zaheer, dean of the Carlson School of Management, has announced her plan to step down as dean next year to return to her tenured faculty position as the Elmer L. Andersen Chair in Global Corporate Social Responsibility.

As dean for the past decade, Dean Zaheer has significantly advanced the Carlson School as a globally engaged leader in business education, research, and outreach. She has deepened engagement with the business community, recruited field-shaping faculty, generated significant external and philanthropic funding, increased enrollment, and expanded innovative degree programs and experiential learning opportunities for the next generation of business leaders. Through her leadership, the school raised $190 million during the University’s Driven campaign and made large investments in student scholarships and initiatives advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion. Among many other notable accomplishments, Zaheer also oversaw the development of cross-institutional international academic programs and the launch of a military veterans initiative supporting the transition from military to business careers.

Paul Iaizzo and Tim Laske are quoted in a CBS Local story about bear research and the secrets of hibernation; Kate Beane and Rose Brewer are quoted in the MPR News story, "Minnesota names reveal our connections, struggles for inclusion"; Tadd Johnson is quoted in MPR News story about a judge's ruling that the 61,000-acre Mille Lacs Reservation still exists; Michael Osterholm is quoted in Forbes Magazine about how to avoid future COVID-19 mistakes; Ed Usset is quoted in a KARE 11 story about the impact of Russia's war in Ukraine on Minnesota wheat farmers; Morris Kleiner is quoted in an NPR story about the nursing shortage and licensing delays; Joyce Serido and Vivan Fang are quoted in the Investopedia story, “How to Teach Your Child About Cryptocurrency”; Jeffrey Allen is quoted in the Wall Street Journal about a block on blood-plasma donors from Mexico that is threatening the blood supply; Julia Nerbonne is interviewed in the MPR News story, “The spiritual response to climate change; Mark Bergen is interviewed for the KARE 11 story, “Navigating options when it comes to saving at the pump.”

The recipients of the 2022-24 McKnight Land-Grant Professorship award have been announced. The McKnight Land-Grant Professorship Program is a two-year award designed to advance the careers of highly promising junior faculty members who are judged to have the potential to make significant contributions to their departments and to their scholarly fields. 

Newly named McKnight Land-Grant Professors

• Adam Bledsoe, Geography, Environment and Society, College of Liberal Arts
• Martina Cardone, Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Science and Engineering
• Xue Feng, Civil, Environmental, and Geo-Engineering, College of Science and Engineering
• Jacob Jungers, Agronomy and Plant Genetics, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences
• Patrick Kelly, Physics and Astronomy, College of Science and Engineering
• Jason Kerwin, Applied Economics, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences
• Michael Bennett McNulty, Philosophy, College of Liberal Arts
• Noelle Noyes, Veterinary Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine
• David L. Poerschke, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, College of Science and Engineering
• Xavier Revelo, Integrative Biology and Physiology, Medical School

The Morse-Alumni and the Graduate-Professional teaching awards recognize teachers' commitment to the ongoing improvement of teaching and learning at the University of Minnesota. Recipients of these systemwide awards are inducted into the Academy of Distinguished Teachers and carry the designation of Distinguished University Teaching Professor or Distinguished University Teacher throughout their careers at the University of Minnesota.

Horace T. Morse - University of Minnesota Alumni Association Award for Outstanding Contributions to Undergraduate Education

• Barbara Frey, Institute for Global Studies - Human Rights Program, College of Liberal Arts, Twin Cities 
• David Karjanen, American Studies, College of Liberal Arts, Twin Cities
• Harouna A. Maiga, Agricultural and Natural Resources, Crookston
• Benjamin Munson, Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences, College of Liberal Arts, Twin Cities
• Ruby H.N. Nguyen, Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, Public Health, Twin Cities 
• David J. Orser, Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Science and Engineering, Twin Cities
• David Saftner, Civil Engineering, Swenson College of Science and Engineering, Duluth 
• Jessie Barnett Schimek, Center for Learning Innovation, Rochester
• Kathleen Seifert, College of Education and Human Development, Twin Cities
• Jennifer Rothchild, Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies, Division of the Social Sciences, Morris
• Talvin Wilks, Theatre Arts and Dance, College of Liberal Arts, Twin Cities
   

Award for Outstanding Contributions to Graduate and Professional Education 2021-22

• Marc Bellemare, Applied Economics, College of Food, Agricultural, and Natural Resource Sciences
• Kat Hayes, Anthropology, College of Liberal Arts
• Brad Holschuh, Design, Housing and Apparel, College of Design
• Sharon Jansa, Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, College of Biological Sciences
• Nikos Papanikolopoulos, Computer Science and Engineering, College of Science and Engineering
• Amy L. Pittenger, Pharmaceutical Care and Health Systems, College of Pharmacy
• Michael J. Silverman, Music, College of Liberal Arts
• Frances Vavrus, Organizational Leadership, Policy and Development, College of Education and Human Development

The Tate Awards recognize and reward high-quality academic advising. They call attention to the contribution academic advising makes to helping students formulate and achieve intellectual, career, and personal goals. This year's awards were presented at the virtual Tate Advising Conference on March 3. 

• Vincent A. Barnett, Director of Undergraduate Studies/Assistant Professor, Integrative Biology and Physiology, College of Liberal Arts, Twin Cities
• Michele N. Hatcher, Advising Director and Associate to the Deans, Swenson College of Science and Engineering, Duluth
• Alexander Hines, Director of Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion & Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and President’s Emerging Scholars Programs, College of Liberal Arts, Twin Cities
• Don Riley, Coordinator of Student Progress and Retention, College of Education and Human Development, Twin Cities

Learn more about the award and the recipients.

The National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education was awarded Joint Accreditation with Commendation as a provider of continuing education for the interprofessional team by the governing bodies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education, the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, and the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Accreditation Program. The center received a six-year reaccreditation because of its demonstration of exemplary performance and commitment to developing and implementing student and patient-engaged and evidence-based programming. In 2020, the National Center formed the National Center Office of Interprofessional Continuing Professional Development with the University of Minnesota School of Nursing and the College of Pharmacy to advance the continuum of professional and interprofessional lifelong learning through innovation, research, and continuous quality improvement.

Kate Adamala is quoted in the Wired story, “The Most Complete Simulation of a Cell Probes Life’s Hidden Rules”; Dave Nicolai and Ed Usset are interviewed in a WCCO story about why Minnesota farmers may be planting more wheat this year due to the war in Ukraine; Marti DeLiema is quoted in USA Today about how Airbnb bookings are helping Ukrainians; William Roberts is quoted in a CNN story about a study showing that weight training may extend life and cut the risk of disease; Tanisha Fazal is quoted in a PolitiFact story about whether Putin could be tried for war crimes; Natalie Belsky is quoted in a Smithsonian Magazine story about the 20th-century history behind Russia's invasion of Ukraine; Alan Rozenshtein is quoted in the New York Times story, “Panel Suggests Trump Knew He Lost the Election, Eyeing Criminal Case”; Stephen Schondelmeyer is quoted in US News and World Report about U.S. lawmakers seeking answers on 'troubling' drug price increases; Jessica Nielson is quoted in a KARE 11 about the potential for ‘magic mushrooms' to relieve severe depression. 

The Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research generates an annual ranking of the National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded medical schools and their departments in the U.S. The U of M Department of Family Medicine and Community Health’s (DFMCH) Research Division is now ranked number two among family medicine departments in the nation, up from number three in 2021.

Additionally, a number of faculty were recognized on the most NIH-funded principal investigators list, including Michele Allen, who ranked number one on the list. Learn more about the rankings and see the other U of M investigators on the list.