Accolades: Faculty and Staff Awards and Honors

Below are awards and honors University of Maryland faculty and staff have earned since mid-September:

Patricia Alexander, Distinguished University Professor, and Allan Wigfield, professor emeritus, both in the College of Education, were named among the top 55 researchers in educational psychology in a recent study in Learning and Individual Differences. In addition, the University of Maryland ranked second among institutions globally for output and impact in the field of educational psychology.

Lecturer Brent Barbee, Senior Lecturer Liam Healy, Associate Professor Michael Otte and Assistant Professor Umberto Saetti, all in the Department of Aerospace Engineering, were among the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics’ class of 2026 associate fellows.

Architecture Professor Matthew Bell earned an Honor Award & Vision Award, Urban Design and Master Planning, for his project, the Reservoir District, at this year's AIA Maryland Excellence in Design Awards. In addition, Professor Emerita Amy Gardner and Associate Clinical Professor Brittany Williams earned an Honor Award & Sustainability Award, Residential Architecture, for their project, Flint Hill, and Professor of the Practice Peter Noonan won a citation award for his project, 1238 Wisconsin.

John Blackwood, associate director of facilities maintenance in Residential Facilities, was elected to a first-term director position for the Maryland/D.C. chapter of APPA-Leadership in Educational Facilities.

James Bond, director of student conduct, was elected to the 2026-28 Association for Student Conduct Administrators Board of Directors, where he will serve as director-at-large.

Charles Butterworth, emeritus professor of government and politics, and Sylvester James Gates Jr., Clark Leadership Chair in Science and professor of physics and public policy, each received 2025 Barry Prizes for Distinguished Intellectual Achievement from the American Academy of Sciences and Letters. The prize is accompanied by a $50,000 cash award.

Ira Chinoy, associate professor emeritus of journalism, won the American Historical Association’s 2025 prize for the history of journalism for his book, “Predicting the Winner: The Untold Story of Election Night 1952 and the Dawn of Computer Forecasting.” 

Conferences & Visitor Services was named Best Academic Venue in Unique Venues’ 2025 Planner’s Choice Awards, an accolade voted on by more than 20,000 meeting planners nationwide. It recognizes UMD as a premier destination for conferences, camps and academic events. 

Environmental Finance Center Director Jennifer Cotting has been appointed to Maryland’s BayStat Program Scientific Advisory Panel by Gov. Wes Moore. The panel oversees restoration programs for the mid-Atlantic’s largest estuary, the Chesapeake Bay, as well as the Atlantic coastal bays.

Michelle Espino Lira, associate professor of student affairs, was appointed chair of the Association for the Study of Higher Education’s Inclusion, Equity, and Organizational Diversity Committee.

Sharon Fries-Britt, Distinguished University Professor in the College of Education, and Kimberly Griffin, dean of the College of Education, were named to the inaugural cohort of Association for the Study of Higher Education Fellows in recognition of their integrity, advancement of knowledge, mentoring and service.

Professor Emerita Amy Gardner and Associate Clinical Professor Brittany Williams were named to the 2025 America’s Best-In-State Residential Architects by Forbes magazine. It selected 400 designers who go beyond mastering curb appeal by centering their practice on place, from materials selection and climate to functionality and neighborhood aesthetics.

Chris Gekker, trumpet professor, was selected as an honored artist of the American Prize, which recognizes individuals or ensembles who have proven themselves to be of "sustained excellence" as laureates of the American Prize competitions. 

Ellie Geraghty, senior director of alumni engagement and outreach with the Alumni Association, was honored by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) with a Best of CASE District II Award for the Virtual Caregivers Conference she developed. 

Associate Professor of urban planning Marccus Hendricks made the Young Gifted and Green 40 under 40 list for 2025, recognizing his leadership and work in environmental justice.

Veronica Kang, assistant professor of special education, was selected as the recipient of the 2025 Transform Mid-Atlantic Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion-Civic and Community Engagement Award. Kang was recognized for her teaching, research and community collaboration to celebrate neurodiversity and expand advocacy for individuals with disabilities across Maryland.

Christine Kunkel, director of professional programs at the Alumni Association, was honored by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) with a Best of CASE District II Award for her collaboration with the Robert H. Smith School of Business’ Dingman-Lamone Center for Entrepreneurship to introduce an alumni track to the annual Pitch Dingman competition.

Aileen Hentz, program director of academic and student services in the Department of Aerospace Engineering, and two colleagues from Iowa State received a Best Paper Award at the American Society for Engineering Education’s First-Year Engineering Experience Conference for "Strengthening Support Networks for Engineering Students."

Geology Professor Sujay Kaushal was appointed to the governor's advisory committee for the Chesapeake Bay, which advises Maryland’s governor on management of the bay and surrounding areas.

Psychology Distinguished University Professor Arie Kruglanski was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Buenos Aires, the institution's highest honorary recognition. 

Donna Lim, associate director at the Adele H. Stamp Student Union, received the Mortar Board National Honor Society’s 2025 Excellence in Advising Award.

Astronomy Professor M. Coleman Miller was named a 2025 American Physical Society fellow, recognizing his seminal contributions to understanding neutron stars and black holes. 

The Office of Marketing and Communications was honored by the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education CASE) with 12 2025 Best of District II awards. Terp magazine, whose creative team is led by John Consoli and Valerie Morgan, was recognized for overall design and for its "Welcome to the Hotel Influenza" cover and illustrations. He was awarded for his portrait of Assistant Professor Catherina Nakalembe in Terp, as was photographer Stephanie S. Cordle for hers of Professor Don Milton. Writing honors went to Terp writers Chris Carroll for the flu feature, Karen Shih for “Connie Breaks a Story: Her Own,” Annie Krakower for “Houston: We Have a Terp” and Maggie Haslam for “Roving Reporter” and “Driving Terp Pride.” Lauren Biagini was recognized in design for her work on the Flagship’s Finest invitation, and with fellow designer Hailey Hwa Shin for their Fearlessly Forward BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport takeover. 

Aricelda Munoz, a Dining Services sous chef at Mulligan's Grill & Pub, received the USM Board of Regents Award for Excellence as a Team Player.

Geographical sciences Assistant Professor Catherine Nakalembe was named a Public Voices Fellow on Technology in the Public Interest, a program that helps emerging leaders share ideas and shape how society thinks about technology. Led by The OpEd Project and supported by the MacArthur Foundation, the initiative provides coaching and guidance for fellows to contribute meaningful, accessible insights to the public discourse.

Tam Nguyen, assistant professor of aerospace engineering, received a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Young Faculty Award to support her work that could speed detection of faint objects in space. It provides up to $250,000 over a base period of two years and an optional third year to rising stars in junior research positions.

School of Public Policy Professor Susan W. Parker received first prize in the Premio Banamex de Economía, Mexico’s premier award in economic sciences recognizing research that advances analysis of and solutions to the nation’s economic challenges, for her working paper “Rolling Back Progresa: School and Work After the End of a Landmark Anti-Poverty Program.” 

Kevin Pitt, assistant dean of students in the Division of Student Affairs, was appointed as an assistant editor for the Journal of Student Affairs Inquiry, Improvement and Impact’s “Big Data” issue. 

Josanne Francis, director of UMD Steelbands, received recognition from the Embassy of the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago, Ambassador Neil Parsan, Pan Trinbago, and the Office of the Mayor of the D.C., at "A Salute to Steelpan Excellence," held at the Trinidad & Tobago embassy in September. Francis was also recently selected as one of two inaugural fellows for the Strathmore Music Center's Artistic Advancement Fellowship.

Beth St. Jean, associate professor in the College of Information, received the Association for Information Science and Technology’s SIG Member of the Year Award for her work on SIG-HLTH, the association’s special interest group for professionals interested in biomedical science and health care and their related social and ethical issues. She has been the treasurer/secretary of SIG-HLTH since 2022.

The Marylanders Online team, led by College of Information Professor Mega Subramaniam and doctoral student Uhjin Sim, was recognized with the Empowerment Award by the Hispanic Leadership Awards 2025 for their work on the state-funded digital literacy initiative dedicated to advancing digital equity for Hispanic communities across Maryland.

The University Career Center & The President’s Promise was recognized as a 2025 Handshake Career Spark Award honoree. This national recognition celebrates career centers that excel in student engagement, employer partnerships and data-driven insights. 

Eric Wachsman, Distinguished University Professor and director of the Maryland Energy Innovation Institute, was named a fellow of the Materials Research Society. It recognizes his work “advancing the fundamental knowledge of solid ion-conducting materials and applying this knowledge to develop and commercialize higher performing energy conversion and storage technologies."

Devin Walker, director of Fraternity and Sorority Life, was appointed to the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors Board of Directors.

Professor Emeritus J. Lawrence "Larry" Witzleben was recognized by the Society of Ethnomusicology with an honorary membership. He is the third faculty member from an institution in the University System of Maryland to receive this award, which honors society members or others for extraordinary service to the society or the field.

The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation named psychology Assistant Professor Weizhen “Zane” Xie one of its 2025 Young Investigator grantees—early-career scientists who are pursuing innovative studies in brain and behavior disorders. 

Nevenka Zdravkovska, head of the STEM Library in the University of Maryland Libraries, was selected to serve as a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science Library Advisory Board. 

Hannah Zierden, assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, received the 2025 William Oxley Thompson Alumni Award from her alma mater, Ohio State University, recognizing her research to develop specialized treatments for  reproductive diseases.

Know of a faculty or staff honor that should be included in this quarterly compilation? Please contact your unit’s communications lead and accolades@umd.edu.