Awards and Recognition

University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering Assistant Professor Ryan Caverly received a Department of Defense (DoD) Defense Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (DEPSCoR) award. His project “On‐the‐Fly Flight Test Maneuver Optimization and Nonlinear Modeling of Hypersonic Systems” was among over 150 white papers submitted for the FY2020 competition. Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics (AEM) Professor Maziar Hemati will serve as co-PI/mentor on the project. The team will receive up to $600,000 over a three-year period of performance to pursue science and engineering research in areas relevant to DoD initiatives supporting the National Defense Strategy.

The Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology at the University of Minnesota Medical School has been awarded a $150,000 grant from the American Heart Association. The project, “University of Minnesota inclusive excellence cardiovascular research opportunity program for undergraduates,” is a concept that the department has been eager to execute. The objective of this grant extends much further than its goals in cardiovascular research and is integral to the department’s calling for the advancement of diversity, equity, and scholarship.

Carlson School of Management associate professor and McKnight Presidential Fellow Soumya Sen has been named one of Poets & Quants 2021 Best 40-Under-40 Professors. Sen is a prolific researcher, focused on information systems, data analytics, and societal good. With nearly 2,500 Google Scholar citations, he’s published a massive amount of impactful research. And with nearly two-dozen nominations, it’s clear he’s made an impact on his current students, colleagues, and former students, alike.

University of Minnesota Northrop Professor of American Studies and American Indian Studies Brenda Child is the 2021 recipient of the University’s President’s Community-Engaged Scholar Award. The honor recognizes Child's community-engaged research and scholarship on the social history of American Indians. The systemwide award program also recognized eight other recipients with a Community-Engaged Scholar Award.

Since 2002, the P&A Senate has given the Outstanding Unit Award to a University unit which is judged to be exemplary in their support of P&A staff and the critical role P&A employees fulfill in supporting the University's mission. This year's award goes to the Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI). NRRI is a unique, applied research organization and part of the University of Minnesota research enterprise with over 130 scientists, engineers, technicians and other professionals—including 67 P&A staff—its mission is to deliver integrated research solutions that value our resources, environment and economy for a sustainable and resilient future. Two other finalists for the award were the Humphrey School of Public Affairs Equity and Inclusion Council and the University of Minnesota Morris Office of Sustainability.

Erin Mann is quoted in the New York Times story, “Many Unvaccinated Latinos in the U.S. Want the Shot, New Survey Finds”; Joan Gabel and Ken Powell are quoted in the Star Tribune about the passing of U of M Regent Kao Ly Ilean Her; Jacob Jungers is quoted in the Star Tribune about a new kind of wheat showing promise for cleaning nitrates from soil and water; John Budd spoke with KSTP about changing labor patterns in Minnesota as the economy rides out the pandemic; John Downing is quoted in Popular Science about dam reservoirs as much bigger sources of carbon emissions than we thought; Donna Bliss and Len Kne are interviewed at Fox9 in a story about a new website to track bathrooms near bike paths in Minnesota; Jason Hill and Nina Domingo are quoted in a Popular Science story about meat production filling the air with noxious particulate matter; William Jones is quoted in an Inside Higher Ed story about academics addressing the filibuster; Ran Blekhman is quoted in the Science Magazine story, “Neanderthals carb loaded, helping grow their big brains.”

Eight new McKnight Presidential Fellows have been named. The McKnight Presidential Fellows Program gives three-year awards to exceptional faculty who have been newly granted tenure and promotion to associate professor. The program recognizes their excellence in research and scholarship, leadership, potential to build top-tier programs, and ability to advance University of Minnesota priorities. 

New award recipients:

• Emilyn Alejandro, Integrative Biology and Physiology, Medical School
• Samira Azarin, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, College of Science and Engineering
• Jeffrey Calder, Mathematics, College of Science and Engineering
• Trinity Hamilton, Plant and Microbial Biology, College of Biological Sciences
• Douglas E. Kearney, English, College of Liberal Arts
• Bonnie Keeler, Humphrey School of Public Affairs
• Esther Krook-Magnuson, Neuroscience, Medical School
• Olihe Okoro, Pharmacy Practice and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Duluth

Karen Diver has been named the University of Minnesota’s inaugural Senior Advisor to the President for Native American Affairs. Diver will assume this newly created position—an uncommon role in higher ed—on May 28. Diver will join the U of M after serving as the University of Arizona Native American Advancement Initiative’s Business Development Director for the past two years. Diver has also served on faculty at both St. Scholastica and the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) since earning her undergraduate degree in economics with a minor in communications from UMD. Diver also earned a master’s degree in Public Administration from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. Learn more about Diver and this new systemwide role.

Vice President for Equity and Diversity Michael Goh has been appointed by Governor Tim Walz as a commissioner for the Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC). As an interstate compact, MHEC brings together midwestern states to develop and support best practices, collaborative efforts, and cost-sharing opportunities. Through these efforts, MHEC works to ensure strong, equitable postsecondary educational opportunities and outcomes for all. As an MHEC commissioner, Goh will review the MHEC agenda, provide direction for the 12 state Compact, discuss current challenges facing Midwestern higher education, and learn from experts who can advance MHEC’s mission of serving students in the Midwest. MHEC works with and for a variety of stakeholders within and across member states, including higher education system leaders, state policymakers, legislators, and institutional leaders, while always maintaining a focus on students and their success.

A new $5 million NIH clinical trial was awarded to Jerica Berge (family medicine), along with an interdisciplinary team of co-investigators, including Dianne Neumark-Sztainer (public health), Katie Loth (family medicine), Tai Mendenhall (family social science), Michael Miner (family medicine), Angela Fertig (Humphreys School), and Allan Tate (University of Georgia). This study is one of the first to use ecological momentary intervention tools (i.e., mHealth) to intervene with parental stress to improve the home food environment. The clinical trial entitled, “Reducing Childhood Obesity Using Ecological Momentary Intervention (EMI) and Video Feedback at Family Meals” was funded by NHLBI on an R61/33 mechanism.