Mike Arnold
ASPIRE honors
Materials Science and Engineering professor Mike Arnold was named a U.S. runner-up for the ASPIRE international prize for innovation in research and education sponsored by the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). The ASPIRE prize is open to scientists under age 40 who have demonstrated excellence in a specific research field, which changes every year. In 2017, the prize theme—chosen by APEC member states Vietnam and Peru—was “new material technologies.”
Michael Arnold & Jennifer Reed
Romnes Faculty Fellowships
Associate professor of materials science and engineering Michael Arnold and associate professor of chemical and biological engineering Jennifer Reed won Romnes Faculty Fellowships, which honor exceptional faculty members who have earned tenure over the last six years.
William Banholzer, George Huber, & Jim Rawlings
Awards from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers
The American Institute of Chemical Engineers selected three faculty members from the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering for national awards. Research professor William (Bill) Banholzer received the 2017 Founders Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Field of Chemical Engineering. Harvey Spangler Professor Geroge Huber received the 2017 Allan P. Colburn Award for Excellence in Publications. And Steenbock Professor and W. Harmon Ray Professor James (Jim) Rawlings received the 2017 William Walker Award for Excellence in Contributions to Chemical Engineering Literature.
Dominique Brossard
International Communication Association Fellow
Life Sciences Communication professor Dominique Brossard was named a Fellow of the International Communication Association. Fellow status in the ICA, the most prestigious association for communication researchers, is a recognition of distinguished scholarly contributions to the broad field of communication. Brossard is an internationally known expert in public opinion dynamics related to controversial scientific issues.
James Dumesic, George Huber, John Ralph, Shannon Stahl
2017 “Highly Cited” list
James Dumesic, professor of chemical and biological engineering; George Huber, UW–Madison professor of chemical and biological engineering; UW–Madison professor of biochemistry John Ralph; and UW–Madison professor of chemistry, Shannon Stahl were all named to Clarivate Analytics’ 2017 list of “Highly Cited Researchers.”
Ive Hermans, Xudong Wang, & Victor Zavala
Vilas professorships
Three affiliates of the Wisconsin Energy Institute were honored with Vilas fellowships, which honor extraordinary members of the UW–Madison faculty. Chemistry professor Ive Hermans received a Vilas Faculty Mid-Career Investigator Award recognizing his research and teaching excellence. And materials science and engineering professor Xudong Wang and chemical and biological engineering professor Victor Zavala both won Vilas Faculty Early Career Investigator Awards.
Chris Hittinger and Neil Stenhouse
Midwest Energy News’ “40 under 40”
Midwest Energy News named associate professor of genetics Chris Todd Hittinger and assistant professor of life sciences communication Neil Stenhouse to its “40 Under 40” list. The annual list recognizes the Midwest’s emerging leaders in transitioning America to a clean energy economy.
Hongrui Jiang
Stein Innovation Award
Engineering professor Hongrui Jiang received a prestigious Stein Innovation Award from the leading voluntary health organization Research to Prevent Blindness. The award recognizes his cutting-edge research of enabling technologies for the prevention or treatment of blindness. Jiang, the Lynn H. Matthias Professor in Engineering and Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor, is one of 10 researchers at nine institutions nationwide who have received this award.
Dan Ludois
Moore Inventor Fellow
Assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering was named a Moore Inventor Fellow by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. One of only five scientist-inventors to be named this year, Ludois will receive funding to support research on his new electrostatic motor.
Zhengiang (Jack) Ma
AAAS Fellow
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) elected five professors from the University of Wisconsin–Madison as AAAS Fellows, including professor of electrical and computer engineering and energy expert Zhenqiang (Jack) Ma.
Greg Nemet
Carnegie Fellowship
Associate professor of public affairs and environmental studies Greg Nemet was one of only 35 recipients of the 2017 Andrew Carnegie fellowship. Nemet will receive funding to support his research and writing on how a diverse set of policies and international-knowledge flows have led to inexpensive solar energy.
Jordan Schmidt
Distinguished Teaching Award
Associate professor of chemistry Jordan Schmidt won the Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award, for his role in restructuring the general chemistry program and taking a leadership position in general chemistry innovation. His efforts influence every student taking Chemistry 103 and 104, two large courses that educate nearly 2,000 students each semester. His work includes making general chemistry learning more active, and he is well known for his ability to communicate complex ideas in simple and understandable ways.
Ophelia Venturelli
Army Research Office Young Investigator Award & Shaw Scientist Award
Assistant professor of biochemistry Ophelia Venturelli received funding for her proposal to the Army Research Office Young Investigator Program to develop new technologies to study microbiomes. The Young Investigator Program supports the research of young academic faculty members, particularly those who have had their Ph.D. for less than five years. The three-year award provides $120,000 each year.
Venturelli was also one of two researchers in the University of Wisconsin System to earn seed funding from the Greater Milwaukee Foundation’s Shaw Scientist Program. With the Shaw Scientist Award, Venturelli will study how diverse networks of microorganizms living in the human gut communicate to realize key functions that impact health.