Awards and Recognition

A research team led by two world-renowned tobacco researchers from the University of Minnesota has been named as one of 11 global finalists for the Cancer Grand Challenges with the chance to be awarded a share of $100 million for their cancer research project. The final chosen teams will each receive up to $25 million to carry out their team science on a global scale. Dorothy Hatsukami, a professor in the University of Minnesota Medical School’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and Irina Stepanov, a Mayo professor in the School of Public Health’s Division of Environmental Health Sciences, are leading the team of 19 investigators. With researchers from seven different countries on six different continents, the team will create a new global consortium to understand the potential risks and benefits of e-cigarettes and inform international tobacco control stakeholders on the impact of their use.

Ann Masten, Regents Professor and Irving B. Harris Professor of Child Development in the Institute of Child Development, has received the 2022 Mentor Award in Developmental Psychology from Division 7 of the American Psychological Association. The award recognizes individuals who have made a substantial impact on the field through educating and training the next generation of scholars and researchers in developmental psychology.

Professor Susan Wolf has been selected to serve on the new Strategic Council for Research Excellence, Integrity, and Trust, established by the National Academy of Sciences to convene stakeholders across the research enterprise to develop ways to promote high-quality research practices and to anticipate and address challenges to research ethics and integrity.

For her many contributions to the Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota, community organizations, and more, Dean Sri Zaheer is the 2021 Women in Business Career Achievement honoree for the annual Women in Business awards from the Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal. Zaheer, who joined the Carlson School faculty 30 years ago, has served as dean since 2012. During her tenure, she launched a Military Veterans Initiative to help service members transition from military to business careers, resulting in the Carlson School being named the number one Military Friendly business school in the nation. She has increased the business community’s engagement with the school, resulting in a wealth of new experiential learning opportunities for students, and has overseen the introduction of new degrees in business analytics, supply chain management, finance, and new programs in partnership with Tsinghua University in Beijing and Tongji University in Shanghai, as well as online degrees and certificates.

Campus Compact has selected 22 community-engaged scholars from across the country for the 2021-22 cohort of the Engaged Scholars Initiative, including three U of Minnesota faculty: Professor Angie Mejia, University of Minnesota Rochester; Professor Olihe Okoro, University of Minnesota Duluth; and Assistant Professor Anita Randolph, University of Minnesota Twin Cities.

Kathleen Vohs is quoted in Popular Science about whether carbon labels on products is greenwashing; Jared Goplen is quoted in a Pioneer Press story about Minnesota’s drought; Mark Schleiss is interviewed at Politico about whether kids should wear masks to school; Nicole LaVoi is quoted in a Forbes story about gender equality at the Olympics; William Roberts is quoted in Popular Science about what extreme heat means for the future of the Summer Olympics; Jill Foster is quoted in the Everyday Health story, “7 Biggest COVID-19 Vaccine Myths”; Hinh Ly and Yuying Liang are quoted in the New York Times about a study showing cats are more likely to catch the coronavirus than dogs; Michael Minta is quoted in the Star Tribune about critical race theory as an election wedge issue; Kenny Beckman and Daryl Gohl are quoted in the Bloomberg story, “More Variants Are Coming, and the U.S. Isn't Ready to Track Them”; James Pacala is quoted in a Star Tribune story about why hobbies are important for older people; Sabine Engel is mentioned in the Rochester Post-Bulletin about policy changes regarding flooding in Germany that could trickle down to Minnesota. 

Julie Schumacher and Susan M. Wolf have been named as the University of Minnesota’s newest Regents Professors. Established in 1965 by the Board of Regents to recognize the national and international prominence of faculty members, the Regents Professorship is the highest honor the University of Minnesota bestows on its faculty. Learn more about the exceptional contributions of these faculty members.

More than $1.7 million has been awarded to 10 projects that support research infrastructure, facilities, and support services across the University. Sponsored by the Office of the Vice President for Research, the Research Infrastructure Investment Program awards funding to projects supporting transdisciplinary research and collaboration across the University’s colleges and campuses. The funding reaches 10 departments, units, and centers, four colleges, and two campuses.

Brain conditions, including Parkinson’s disease, stroke, epilepsy, and mental illness, are chronic afflictions that diminish a person’s quality of life. The conditions affect one in five Americans. Through high-impact research and discovery in the field of neuromodulation, MnDRIVE trains the next generation of scientists and clinicians, and brings new and improved therapies to Minnesotans suffering from brain conditions. See the recipients of the 2021-22 MnDRIVE Neuromodulation Fellowships. 

The University of Minnesota Robert J. Jones Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center (UROC) represents one of four universities in the country to receive the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities' 2021 W.K. Kellogg Foundation Community Engagement Scholarship Award. UROC was cited for its action-focused, community-driven, urban research involving more than 100 University faculty and 370 community partners. The recognition qualifies UROC as a finalist for the national C. Peter Magrath Community Engagement Scholarship Award, awarded to one university each year in recognition for extraordinary community engagement initiatives.