UVA Honors Faculty for Research and Scholarship
by Wardah Kamran
The University of Virginia honored faculty members for their outstanding research and scholarship Wednesday at the sixth annual Research Achievement Awards event, held at the Ballroom at the Boar’s Head Resort.
“Your research, your life’s work, is important to the UVA community. And it is important to the world beyond this place,” Executive Vice President and Provost Ian Baucom told researchers being honored at the event.
“Your work enriches and improves lives in countless ways. It may have taken years to reach your big breakthrough, but it is time well-spent.” “Each year, I am astounded by the amount of research talent we have here at UVA. Focused on everything from vascular diseases to how oceans impact the environment, UVA’s faculty has a strong focus on creating a brighter future,” President Jim Ryan
Lori L. McMahon, vice president for research, applauded the researchers for their tremendous growth in 2024.
“In 2024, UVA research reached an outstanding $549 million in funding, and we’ve continued to grow ever since. I’m excited to celebrate all these researchers for their groundbreaking research at my first Research Achievement Awards,” McMahon said.
Apart from the almost 200 researchers who were honored that night for their achievements in research and scholarship, the following 15 were presented with Research Achievement Awards.
Distinguished Research Award
Steven Boker, professor of psychology, College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
Steven Boker is internationally recognized for his expertise in longitudinal data modeling and dynamical systems analysis. He was one of the original developers of the OpenMx statistical software, which has been downloaded over 1.5 million times. Boker focuses on a multivariate study of behavior, exploring topics such as symmetry in social interactions. He served as the president of the Society of Multivariate Experimental Psychology and received the Sells Award for Lifetime Achievement in Multivariate Psychology. His contributions to the creation of the School of Data Science led to his courtesy appointment as a professor of data science.
"Steve Boker’s research on the dynamics of interpersonal coordination during social interaction is absolutely outstanding, and probably the best in the world,” said Ulman Lindenberger, director for the Center for Lifespan Psychology, and co-director for the Max Planck UCL Center for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, Max Planck Institute for Human Development.
Scott Doney, Joe D. and Helen J. Kington professor in environmental change, College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
Scott Doney has influenced many national and international policies with his pioneering work on how oceans affect climate change. His interdisciplinary approach and willingness to be out in the field have made him a leading researcher in his area of study. He was the assistant director for ocean climate science and policy at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy from 2022 to 2024. Doney has been cited over 91,000 times, leading him to receive a Thomson Reuters Highly Cited Researcher Award in 2024. He served for many years as the chair of the NSF-NASA-NOAA Ocean Carbon and Biogeochemistry Program.
“Professor Doney has consistently demonstrated research excellence, producing groundbreaking work that has had a transformative impact on the field of marine science and climate change,” said Matthew Reidenbach, professor and department chair of environmental sciences.
Karen Hirschi, professor of cell biology, School of Medicine
Karen Hirschi is an internationally renowned scientist in the field of vascular biology. Her research has led to an increased understanding of the development of blood vessels and vascular disease, promoting the study of cellular regeneration. Hirschi served as the 2014-2015 president of the North American Vascular Biology Organization and was the founding director of the Developmental Genomics Center at the University of Virginia. Her prominence has led her to receive the National Scientist Development Award and the Established Investigator Award from the American Heart Association.
“Karen is a fantastic scientist with an outstanding track record, a clear scientific focus and vision. She is also an exceptional leader and outstanding manager and mentor,” said Ralf H. Adams, director of tissue morphogenesis, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine.
Aidong Zhang, Thomas M. Linville professor of computer science, professor of biomedical engineering and data science, School of Engineering and Applied Science and School of Data Science
Aidong Zhang is one of the first researchers to apply advanced data mining and machine learning techniques to biological and medical problems. Her work, such as her algorithm WaveCluster, which is considered one of the best clustering algorithms for spatial data, has produced many influential techniques for discovering new knowledge from large data sets. Zhang has published over 400 papers and has been cited over 17,900 times. In 2009, she was elected a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, in 2017 she was elected a fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery, and in 2021 she was elected a fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering.
“Based on her outstanding publication and funding records, I can confidently assert that Professor Zhang’s accomplishments are among the most significant contributions to the fields of bioinformatics and machine learning in recent years,” said Vipin Kumar, Regents professor and William Norris chair in large-scale computing, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Minnesota.
Research Excellence Award
Chloe Dedic, associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science
Chloe Dedic is interested in designing clean diesel aircraft engines to pursue a greener future for the field of aerospace. She has used lasers to measure the features of aircraft gases, and her techniques are up to 100 times better than existing ones. Her research has been applied to current aerospace and commercial operations, and has reduced cross-contamination when measuring gas samples. From 2017 to 2018, Dedic served as an appointed visiting researcher for NASA Langley and, in 2023, was invited to present her research at the Gordon Research Conference. Dedic was recognized with the highly competitive Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Young Faculty Award in 2020 and received the UVA Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Young Researcher of the Year Award in 2023.
“Dr. Dedic’s seriousness of purpose is leavened by a positive, upbeat personality that makes working with her an absolute pleasure," said Richard Kent, Frederick Tracy Morse professor and chair of the department of mechanical and aerospace engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science.
Hudson Golino, associate professor of psychology, College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
Hudson Golino’s research blends computer science, multivariate statistics, machine learning and dynamic systems to uncover patterns in data. He is also one of the first to use systematic approaches combining AI with psychometric theory. His development of the Misinformation Susceptibility Test is the first scientifically validated tool for measuring fake news detection ability, and his work with misinformation has led him to be featured in magazines such as Forbes, Scientific American and Science magazine. Golino’s methodology has been used to analyze longitudinal data in the 2016 election, demonstrating the applicability of his research. In his 10 years since finishing his Ph.D., Dr. Golino ranks as the 31st most impactful researcher in his field.
“Dr. Golino is one of the most innovative and productive young researchers working in quantitative psychology today. I expect that Dr. Golino will be one of the most influential quantitative psychologists of his generation,” said Steven Boker, professor of psychology, College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences.
Kazlin Mason, assistant professor, School of Education and Human Development
Kazlin Mason’s research is focused on pediatric speech disorders, specifically those that arise from conditions that affect the face and skull. As the director of the Imaging and Communication Outcomes Lab, a multidisciplinary research group, Mason works to improve clinical and surgical outcomes for patients with speech disorders by evaluating them through MRI imaging. She won the 2022 Emerging Leader Award from the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association, was the 2023 Chair for the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association Speech Pathology Discipline Discussion Forums, and has been the editor of the Perspectives of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Journal since 2024.
“Mason has established an early record of research excellence characterized by a high and accelerating volume of publications appearing in top journals and success in securing highly competitive external funding from NIH and other sources,” said Catherine Bradshaw, senior associate dean for research and professor, School of Education and Human Development.
Award for Excellence in the Arts & Humanities
Anna Brickhouse, Linden Kent Memorial professor of English and American studies, College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
In her new book, "Earthquake and the Invention of America: The Making of Elsewhere Catastrophe", Anna Brickhouse explores the role earthquakes have in shaping timeframes and geographies in American literary history, as well as the emergence of a cultural syndrome leading people to believe catastrophe is somehow “un-American.” This book follows her 2014 book "The Unsettlement of America: Translation, Interpretation, and the Story of Don Luis de Velasco, 1560-1945", which won the MLA’s James Russell Lowell Prize and co-won the Early American Literature Book Prize. Brickhouse received a John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship and an American Council of Learned Societies Faculty Fellowship as well.
“Anna Brickhouse is at the top of her field, a leader in early American and 19-century U.S. literature in the context of the wider Americas," said Andrew Stauffer, professor and department chair of English, College of Arts & Sciences.
Federico Cuatlacuatl, associate professor of studio art, College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
Federico Cuatlacuatl examines the complex relationship between Indigenous people and immigration, specifically in the context of the Nahua population and contemporary era. He has been both nationally and internationally recognized, having had his work screened at prestigious venues such as the KINDL Center for Contemporary Art in Berlin, the Arte Laguna Prize exhibition in Venice, and the BFI London Film Festival. His projects, including the "Timekeepers of the Anthropocene" video series and "Tiaxcas Interfalacticxs", use Indigenous traditions and storytelling to explore themes of colonization and displacement. In 2016, Cuatlacuatl founded the Rasquache Artist Residency in Puebla, Mexico. In 2021, he co-founded the Undoc+ Collective, a national solidarity group with artists who identify with the experiences of undocumented immigrants.
“Through his unparalleled originality, exceptional quality and commitment to addressing vital societal issues, Federico Cuatlacuatl exemplifies the mission of this award. His innovative contributions to contemporary art continue to set a global benchmark for excellence in the arts,” said Josh Thorud, associate librarian of multimedia teaching and learning.
Mar Hicks, associate professor of data science, School of Data Science
Mar Hicks investigates the history of computing, technology and queer science and technology studies. Their book "Programmed Inequality" looks at how the British lost their lead in computing by disregarding women computer workers and has won several prizes, including the American Historical Association Herbert Baxter Adams Prize in European History and the Association of American Publishers PROSE Award. Hicks’ book "Your Computer Is on Fire" looks at inequalities and biases that are built into technological systems and won the Best Business Books Award from Tech & Innovation. Currently, Hicks’ work on transgender bias in algorithms was supported by the National Humanities Center and is based on their paper "Hacking the Cis-Tem: Transgender Citizens and the Early Digital State” which won the IEEE Computer Society Best Paper Award.
“Their research focuses on how gender and sexuality bring hidden technological dynamics to light, and how the experiences of women and LGBTQI people change the core narratives of the history of computing in unexpected ways,” said Don Brown, senior associate dean for research and quantitative foundation, School of Data Science.
Research Collaboration Award
John Scully, Charles Henderson chaired professor of materials science and engineering; Robert Kelly, professor of materials science and engineering; and James T. Burns, associate professor of materials science and engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science
John Scully, Robert Kelly and James T. Burns have explored corrosive electrochemical processes that affect engineering materials for over a decade. They have published over 40 papers with at least two of them as co-authors and have been supported by more than $30 million in research funding. The team focuses on creating resources and informing decision-making when it comes to choosing engineering materials. Scully, Kelly and Burns have been sponsored by organizations such as the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the Department of Defense, Rolls-Royce, Arconic and NASA. They are globally known for their knowledge and they have both moved and set the benchmark for what passes as an extensive assessment of corrosion.
“Not only are the applicants exceptionally worthy recipients of this honor and recognition by UVA; but I believe it will encourage others to emulate the collegiality, positive nurturing and strategic planning that the team has so wonderfully achieved,” said Nick Birbilis, executive dean of the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment, Deakin University.
Research Mentor Award
Lukas Tamm, Harrison distinguished professor of molecular physiology and biological physics, School of Medicine
Lukas Tamm’s focus on creating a collaborative and inclusive culture at the University of Virginia has helped those under his mentorship become leaders in their fields. Tamm has helped his mentees find professional growth opportunities, secure funding, earn recognition and contribute to the advancement of science. Through his one-on-one meetings, collaborative networks, celebration of achievements and constructive feedback, Tamm both inspires and supports those he works with.
“Dr. Lukas Tamm exemplifies the highest ideals of research mentorship, combining scientific expertise, visionary leadership and a profound commitment to the personal and professional growth of his mentees,” said Ling Qi, Andrew P. Somlyo, distinguished professor and chair of molecular physiology and biological physics, School of Medicine.
Public Impact Focused Research Award
Ben Castleman, associate professor of public policy and education, Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and School of Education and Human Development
Ben Castleman researches ways to improve outcomes for low-income individuals through higher education and participation in training programs. His non-profit partners have been able to use the results from his research to improve outcomes for those individuals. The college success organization Bottom Line was able to use results from his research to expand to several cities in Ohio and secure $15 million in funding. Castleman continues to advocate for research-driven policy change, having presented at multiple White House convenings, before Congress, to the National Academy of Sciences and at multiple Institute of Education Sciences meetings.
“His groundbreaking work has not only expanded academic understanding but also yielded tangible improvements in educational outcomes for underrepresented students across Virginia and beyond,” said Catherine L. Finnegan, assistant vice chancellor for research and reporting, Virginia’s Community Colleges.
Other Honored Researchers
Top sponsored funding
The following 25 researchers received the highest amount of funding at UVA for FY24.
Benton H. Calhoun, School of Engineering & Applied Science
Jason L. Forman, School of Engineering & Applied Science
Thomas B. Gunnoe, College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
Kevin A. Janes, School of Engineering & Applied Science
Patricia A. Jennings, School of Education & Human Development
Boris P. Kovatchev, School of Medicine
Arthur W. Lichtenberger, School of Engineering & Applied Science
Thomas P. Loughran, School of Medicine
Jianjie Ma, School of Medicine
Kathleen McManus, School of Medicine
Elizabeth J. Opila, School of Engineering & Applied Science
Gary Owens, School of Medicine
Paul Perrin, School of Data Science/ College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
William A. Petri, School of Medicine
Andrea R. Roberts, School of Architecture
Stephanie Rowley, School of Education & Human Development
Emily Solari, School of Education & Human Development
Brynne A. Sullivan, School of Medicine
Jie Sun, School of Medicine
Mami Taniuchi, School of Medicine
Jianguo Tao, School of Medicine
Jessica E. Whittaker, School of Education & Human Development
Amanda P. Williford, School of Education & Human Development
Xu Yi, School of Engineering & Applied Science
James C. Zimring, School of Medicine
Nationally Recognized Award Winners & Members of Academies
The following researchers were invited for achieving notable recognition and acclaim in their respective fields at a national level. The criteria for inclusion in this category typically involve either winning a prestigious national award, being elected or named to a distinguished academy, receiving an award from a society/academy, or receiving recognition for excellence from sources external to the University.
Homa Alemzadeh, School of Engineering & Applied Science
Timothy Allen, School of Engineering & Applied Science
Aditya Bamzai, School of Law
Stuart Berr, School of Medicine
Liheng Cai, School of Engineering & Applied Science
Cathy L. Campbell, School of Nursing
Max Castorani, College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
Qing (Cindy) Chang, School of Engineering & Applied Science
Jonathan Colmer, College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
John D'earth, College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
Brian Davis, School of Architecture
Ashley Deeks, School of Law
Nancy L. Deutsch, School of Education & Human Development
Edward H. Egelman, School of Medicine
W. Jeffrey Elias, School of Medicine
William Epling, School of Engineering & Applied Science
Roseanne Ford, School of Engineering & Applied Science
Nicole Mitchell Gantt, College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
G. Mitu Gulati, School of Law
Fern Hauck, School of Medicine
Wajih Ul Hassan, School of Data Science/School of Engineering & Applied Science
Deborah Hellman, School of Law
Brian Helmke, School of Engineering & Applied Science
Edwin Hu, School of Law
Wintre Foxworth Johnson, School of Education & Human Development
Anne Kenworthy, School of Medicine
John Kim, School of Medicine
Thomas M. Koberda, College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
Fotini Kondyli, College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
Christopher M. Kuenze, School of Education & Human Development
Kyrill Kunakhovich, College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
Tracy Larson, College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
Rachel Letteri, School of Engineering & Applied Science
Michael Luegering, School of Architecture
John R. Lukens, School of Medicine
Katie MacDonald, School of Architecture
Charles Machan, College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
David A. Nichols, College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
Emily Ogden, College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
Jennifer Payne, School of Medicine
Shayn Peirce-Cottler, School of Engineering & Applied Science
Cole Rizki, College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
Beth Schueler, School of Education & Human Development
Kyle Schumann, School of Architecture
LaRon A. Scott, School of Education & Human Development
Harald Sontheimer, School of Medicine
Mircea Stan, School of Engineering & Applied Science
James Stone, School of Medicine
Bhanu Tewari, School of Medicine
Paul Torrey, College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
Rupa Valdez, School of Engineering & Applied Science
Elizabeth Varon, College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
Xiao Wang, School of Law
Chongzhi Zang, School of Medicine
Huiyuan Zhu, College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
Recognized by Their Deans and Schools
The following researchers were nominated by their school deans to be recognized for having gone above and beyond in their research endeavors. This could involve making substantial contributions to their field of study, influencing the academic community, or having a positive impact on society through their work. This is a way of highlighting and celebrating the exceptional contributions of these individuals to their respective fields during the specified year.
Jayakrishna Ambati, School of Medicine
Scott T. Acton, School of Engineering & Applied Science
Gabrielle Adams, Frank Batten School of Leadership & Public Policy
Kelley Anderson, School of Nursing
Sanja Arandjelovic, School of Medicine
Somayeh Asadi, School of Engineering & Applied Science
Jennifer L. Bair, College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
Laura Barnes, School of Engineering & Applied Science
Daphna Bassok, School of Education & Human Development
Mark P. Beenhakker, School of Medicine
Madhur Behl, School of Engineering & Applied Science
Bryan W. Berger, School of Engineering & Applied Science
Steven M. Bowers, School of Engineering & Applied Science
Sue Brown, School of Medicine
Steven R. Caliari, School of Engineering & Applied Science
Coleen Carrigan, School of Engineering & Applied Science
Chen Chen, School of Engineering & Applied Science
Yue Cheng, School of Data Science
Ilse Cleeves, College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
Anna Cliffe, School of Medicine
James Daniero, School of Medicine
Jack W. Davidson, School of Engineering & Applied Science
Loren Erickson, School of Medicine
Mohammad Fallahi-Sichani, School of Medicine
Charles Farber, School of Medicine
Farhana Faruqe, School of Data Science
Ferdinando Fioretto, School of Engineering & Applied Science
Sarah Flowers, School of Medicine
Natasha Zhang Foutz, McIntire School of Commerce
Mariano Garcia-Blanco, School of Medicine
Jonathan L. Goodall, School of Engineering & Applied Science
Fiona Greenland, College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
Lian-Wang Guo, School of Medicine
Tajie Harris, School of Medicine
Arsalan Heydarian, School of Engineering & Applied Science
Justene Hill Edwards, College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
John Holbein, Frank Batten School of Leadership & Public Policy
Christopher Holstege, School of Medicine
Patrick E. Hopkins, School of Engineering & Applied Science
Chris S. Hulleman, School of Education & Human Development
Jon F. Ihlefeld, School of Engineering & Applied Science
Zachary C. Irving, College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
Brant Isakson, School of Medicine
Mathews Jacob, School of Engineering & Applied Science
Ahmad Jomaa, School of Medicine
David Kashatus, School of Medicine
Michael Kennedy, School of Education & Human Development
Brent Kitchens, McIntire School of Commerce
Natalie Kupperman, School of Data Science
Carmen E. Lamas, College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
Tim Layton, Frank Batten School of Leadership & Public Policy
Virginia LeBaron, School of Nursing
Kyusang Lee, School of Engineering & Applied Science
Jundong Li, School of Engineering & Applied Science
Yi Liang, McIntire School of Commerce
Noel Lobley, College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
Christi Lockwood, McIntire School of Commerce
Chang Lou, School of Engineering & Applied Science
Wendy Lynch, School of Medicine
Michael Lyons, School of Education & Human Development
Ani Manichaikul, School of Medicine
Emily McGowan, School of Medicine
Madhusmita Misra, School of Medicine
Rachel Moon, School of Medicine
Kristen M. Naegle, School of Engineering & Applied Science
Suna Onengut-Gumuscu, School of Medicine
Ki Ho Park, School of Medicine
Kwon Park, School of Medicine
Marcos Pires, College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
Michael D. Porter, School of Data Science
Richard J. Price, School of Engineering & Applied Science
Benjamin Purow, School of Medicine
Ling Qi, School of Medicine
Jess Reia, School of Data Science
Matthew J. Reilley, School of Medicine
Stephen S. Rich, School of Medicine
Christopher J. Ruhm, Frank Batten School of Leadership & Public Policy
Felipe Saffie, Darden School of Business
Robert S. Salzar, School of Engineering & Applied Science
Saras D. Sarasvathy, Darden School of Business
Abigail Scholer, Frank Batten School of Leadership & Public Policy
Nikolaos D. Sidiropoulos, School of Engineering & Applied Science
David C. Smith, McIntire School of Commerce
Shengyi Sun, School of Medicine
Sana Syed, School of Medicine
Justin Taylor, School of Medicine
Nassima Tiouririne, School of Medicine
Ashish Venkat, School of Engineering & Applied Science
Craig Volden, Frank Batten School of Leadership & Public Policy
Haydn G. Wadley, School of Engineering & Applied Science
Kimberly A. Whitler, Darden School of Business
Joshua Wythe, School of Medicine
Ishan Williams, School of Nursing
Jonee Wilson, School of Education & Human Development
Yaohua Yang, School of Medicine
Jochen Zimmer, School of Medicine