Awards and Recognition

Mpls.St.Paul Magazine has recognized more than 190 talented University of Minnesota Medical School faculty physicians – spanning over 19 departments – on its 2021 “Top Doctors: Rising Stars” list. 

This spring, Ana Núñez will receive the Exceptional Mentor Award from the AMWA. She shares why mentorship, particularly among women in medicine, is helping to close an important gap in female leadership roles.

Erika Lee testified before congress on anti-Asian violence, as reported by numerous news outlets from the NY Times to KARE 11; Rebecca Wurtz is quoted in an Associated Press story about why a rapid COVID-19 vaccine rollout backfired in some states; Robert Tranquillo is quoted in a CBS Local story about a U of M study that is a huge step forward in pediatric heart research; Matthew Hanson is interviewed in MinnPost about mental health during the pandemic from a provider’s perspective; Michael Osterholm is quoted in a CNN story about the race between variants and vaccines in the U.S.; Kristina Krohn, Brooke Cunningham, and Taj Mustapha are quoted in a Fox 21 story about M Health Fairview ending the common nationwide practice of using race as a kidney health determinant; Shashi Shekhar is quoted in a Bloomberg CityLab story about how a bike safety bot became a building block for computer engineers; JP Leider is quoted in a Star Tribune story about the race gap in vaccine distribution; Paul Dauenhauer is quoted in a Minnesota Public Radio story about rising catalytic converter thefts; William Roberts is quoted in Runner's World about a breathing technique that went viral on TikTok; William Jones is quoted in the New York Times story, “What Biden and F.D.R. May End Up Having in Common.”

The recipients of the 2021-23 McKnight Land-Grant Professorship award have been announced. The McKnight Land-Grant Professorship awards recognize promising junior faculty members. This two-year award is intended to advance the careers of individuals who have the potential to make significant contributions to their departments and their scholarly fields. Newly named McKnight Land-Grant Professors:

Julianna Abel, Mechanical Engineering, College of Science and Engineering, Twin Cities
Kate Adamala, Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, College of Biological Sciences and Medical School, Twin Cities
Turan Birol, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, College of Science and Engineering, Twin Cities
Sarah Heilbronner, Neuroscience, Medical School, Twin Cities
Peter K. Kang, Earth and Environmental Sciences, College of Science and Engineering, Twin Cities
Suhasa B. Kodandaramaiah, Mechanical Engineering, College of Science and Engineering, Twin Cities
Zozan Pehlivan, History, College of Liberal Arts, Twin Cities
Jennifer Eun-Jung Row, French and Italian, College of Liberal Arts, Twin Cities
Ying Song, Geography, Environment and Society, College of Liberal Arts, Twin Cities
Gabriela Spears-Rico, Chicano and Latino Studies, College of Liberal Arts, Twin Cities

The recipients of the 2020-21 Distinguished Teaching Awards have been announced. The Morse-Alumni Award and the Graduate-Professional Award 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

Timothy J. Dudley, Chemistry, Department of Math, Science and Technology, Crookston
Patricia Frazier, Psychology, College of Liberal Arts, Twin Cities
Michael Lackey, English, Division of the Humanities, Morris
Clarence Lehman, Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, College of Biological Sciences, Twin Cities
Saje Mathieu, History, College of Liberal Arts, Twin Cities
Nic McPhee, Computer Science, Division of Science and Mathematics, Morris
Casim Sarkar, Biomedical Engineering, College of Science and Engineering, Twin Cities
Lana Yarosh, Computer Science & Engineering, College of Science and Engineering, Twin Cities

Award for Outstanding Contributions to Graduate and Professional Education

Bianet Castellanos, American Studies, College of Liberal Arts, Twin Cities
William F. Elmquist, Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, Twin Cities
Vinay Gidwani, Geography, Environment and Society, College of Liberal Arts, Twin Cities
Scott Lanyon, Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, College of Biological Sciences, Twin Cities
Kathy Quick, Public and Nonprofit Leadership and Management, Humphrey School of Public Affairs, Twin Cities
Todd D. Sorensen, Pharmaceutical Care & Health Systems, College of Pharmacy, Twin Cities
Kathleen Thomas, Institute of Child Development, College of Education and Human Development, Twin Cities
Rebecca Wurtz, Division of Health Policy and Management, School of Public Health, Twin Cities

The University of Minnesota, the University of St. Thomas, the U.S. Forest Service, The Nature Conservancy, and Water Bar have received $7.1 million over six years from the National Science Foundation to launch the Minneapolis-St. Paul Metropolitan Area Urban Long Term Ecological Research program. From mapping heavy metals and salt in soils across the Twin Cities metro to better understanding the intersection of investments in urban nature and racial injustice, researchers will launch an initial nine research projects and initiatives.

The Society for Freshwater Science has named Leonard Ferrington, professor in the Department of Entomology, as a 2021 fellow. Fellows are those who have led, shaped, and inspired the field of freshwater science. Ferrington’s research focuses on the significance of Chironomidae in aquatic ecosystems. Fellows will be recognized at an annual meeting in May.

Kirsten Nielsen, professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, has been elected to the American Academy of Microbiology (AAM) for her commitment of service to the public and advancement of science.
 

The University of Minnesota Covid-19 Tracking Project has been named as a finalist for the National Institute for Health Care Management Foundation digital media award. The Medical Industry Leadership Institute and the Management Information Systems Research Center at the Carlson School of Management launched the project in March of 2020 to consistently track and report daily hospitalizations from all 50 states. The project is led by Pinar Karaca-Mandic, Archelle Georgiou, and Soumya Sen at the Carlson School of Management. 

Rachel Croson is featured in the Star Tribune about her first year as provost; Rachel Hardeman is quoted in the New York Times about why Black women are rejecting hospitals in search of better births; Michael Howell is interviewed at KMSP about the number one thing you should focus on to get a better night of sleep; Jose Pacas is interviewed at KARE 11 about how the stimulus will change the Child Tax Credit, and why it could cut child poverty in half; Katy Kozhimannil is quoted in a New York Times story about a piece of the stimulus package that aims to save new mothers’ lives; Michael Howell is interviewed in the CBS Local story, “Why Does The Sun Make Us Happy?”; John Budd is quoted in a Bloomberg story about the Amazon union fight in Alabama; Joseph Gaugler is interviewed in a KARE 11 story about long-term care centers dealing with vaccine hesitation; Rebecca Leighton is quoted in a Minnesota Daily story about consideration of the University for state funding to reduce student hunger, food insecurity; Keith Mayes is interviewed for the KARE 11 story, “Chauvin trial will have a place in Minnesota history”; Ann Masten is quoted in Time about the key to building resilience in a crisis; Trevor Wardill is quoted in a Forbes story about the cuttlefish passing the marshmallow intelligence test.