Awards and Recognition

Julie Weisenhorn is interviewed in a KARE 11 story about how to keep a Christmas cactus alive; Tina Huang is quoted in a WebMD Magazine story about tinnitus; Michael Howell is quoted in a Star Tribune story about Minnesota companies capitalizing on America's sleep problems; Ben Winchester is quoted in a New York Times story about why Iowa turned so red when nearby states went blue; Jannifer Gregory David is interviewed at MPR News about what’s up with all the labor strikes and whether they’re paying off; Ellen Berscheid is quoted in the BBC story “The qualities that are more attractive than our looks;” Tom Stoffregen is featured in Marketwatch in a story about airport anxiety and first-time flying; Yingling Fan is quoted in Finance & Commerce about the impact of road closures on small businesses; Lori Carrell is quoted in a Forbes story about whether the time for three-year colleges has arrived; Ruby Nguyen is interviewed in a Star Tribune story about a U professor who plans to change the fact that Asian Americans have been left out of health studies; Emily Fairfax is quoted in the Wired story “Spying on Beavers From Space Could Help Save California.

University of Minnesota Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering professor Roger Ruan has been named a National Academy of Inventors (NAI) Fellow and will be inducted into the NAI at the academy’s annual meeting in June. Ruan was chosen for induction by the NAI Fellows Selection Committee for demonstrating “a highly prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on the quality of life, economic development, and welfare of society.” Ruan's research focuses on renewable energy and environment technologies as well as food engineering for sustainable development and circular economy. He has published more than 600 papers, two books and 28 book chapters, and holds 19 U.S. patents.

Zhi-Li Zhang, a professor in the U of M Department of Computer Science and Engineering, has received a $4.25 million grant from the National Science Foundation for his work on autonomous vehicles (AVs). The five-year interdisciplinary project aims to facilitate the safe and incremental adoption of tele-operated AVs.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a condition that affects the brain and spinal cord, resulting in muscle weakness and wasting. Researchers from the University of Minnesota Medical School undertook a study to develop a reliable method for assessing changes in the disease's progression during clinical trials to evaluate the effectiveness of potential treatments. They recently received $3 million in research funding in two different grants, one from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and another from the State of Minnesota Office of Higher Education (OHE), to continue this research with a multi-center study.

Pramod Pisharady, an assistant professor at the Medical School’s Center for Magnetic Resonance Research (CMRR), led the study and served as the corresponding author of the research paper "Multimodal MRI improves diagnostic accuracy and sensitivity to longitudinal change in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis." Pisharady, the principal investigator of the new study, will lead the multi-center project with co-principal investigators and senior authors of the paper, Christophe Lenglet (CMRR) and David Walk (neurology).

Despite being a common procedure, abdominal laparoscopic surgeries lack comprehensive, evidence-based guidelines for pain management, which increases the risks for overprescription of opioids. The School of Public Health and Medical School received a $2 million award from the FDA to develop and implement clinical practice guidelines for pain management with patients undergoing minimally invasive abdominal surgery.

Paul Orchard is quoted in the Wired story “In a World First, a Patient's Antibody Cells Were Just Genetically Engineered;” Joanne Slavin is quoted in the New York Times story “Are Flaxseeds All That?;” Neil McKay is interviewed at MPR News about the Dakota phrase that will be on the new state seal; Jeff Bender is quoted in USA Today about why “eggflation” isn’t over; Christy Boraas is interviewed in a KARE 11 story about how a Supreme Court decision on the abortion pill could restrict access in Minnesota; Myles Shaver is quoted in Twin Cities Business about whether high taxes are driving people out of Minnesota; Rebecca Wurtz is quoted in USA Today about a growing COVID-19 variant that has taken off this holiday season and how to protect yourself; William Northrop is quoted in a KARE 11 story about how warming up your car before driving in cold weather can damage the engine; Matt Simcik is interviewed in a KSTP story about ‘forever chemicals’ in Minnesota and the Pentagon’s view that PFAS are crucial to national security.

Professor Jenna Marquard, Cora Meidl Siehl Chair in Nursing Research for Improved Patient Care, was inducted into the American College of Medical Informatics (ACMI) during a ceremony in November. The ACMI is a college of elected fellows who have made significant and sustained contributions to the field of medical informatics. It is the central body for a community of scholars and practitioners who are committed to advancing the informatics field.

Ann Masten, Regents Professor in the Institute of Child Development (ICD), has received the 2024 University of Louisville Grawemeyer Award in Psychology for her landmark body of work that identified “ordinary magic” as a contributor to resilience in children. Over the course of Masten’s career in resilience science, which began in the 1970s, she has uncovered adaptive processes and factors that support the ability of individuals to overcome adversity and harmful experiences.

Humphrey School Professor Samuel Myers Jr. has been awarded a two-year, $417,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study racial disparities in drowning deaths. The objective of the research is to assess the effectiveness of public policies—such as boating regulations, swimming pool standards, learn-to-swim initiatives, and lifeguard training—at reducing drowning deaths, and for whom.

Laura Fingerson has joined the Research and Innovation Office (RIO) leadership team as its new assistant vice president for research and chief of staff. She will oversee RIO operations and assist VP Shashank Priya with a broad spectrum of executive responsibilities and commitments, including planning, coordinating, and implementing the research agenda and serving as an important liaison with University leadership staff. Fingerson has held leadership roles in higher education administration for over 10 years, most recently with Strategic Education, and has a strong background in institutional evaluation and effectiveness. Fingerson takes over the role from long-time RIO chief of staff Lisa Warren, who is retiring in January.