Accolades: Faculty and Staff Awards and Honors

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

The following faculty members each received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on up-and-coming researchers: Damena Agonafer, Clark Faculty Fellow and associate professor of mechanical engineering; Zohreh Davoudi, associate professor of physics and Joint Center for Quantum Information and Computer Science (QuICS) fellow; Soheil Feizi, associate professor of computer science with an appointment in the University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies; and Justyna Zwolak, a mathematician at the National Institute of Standards and Technology and an affiliate QuICS fellow,

Professor and Associate Dean Akua Asa-Awuku in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering received the 2024 Teaching, Mentoring, and Training Award from the American Association for Aerosol Research.

Distinguished University Professor and Minta Martin Professor Balakumar “Bala” Balachandran in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, was awarded an honorary fellowship by the Royal Aeronautical Society.

Kevin Blackistone, professor of the practice at the Philip Merrill College of Journalism and a national sports columnist for The Washington Post, was named the winner of the 2024-25 Sam Lacy-Wendell Smith Award. It is presented annually by the Shirley Povich Center for Sports Journalism to a sports journalist or broadcaster who has made significant contributions to racial and gender equality in sports.

Susan Canady, assistant director of event and guest services in the Adele H. Stamp Student Union Center for Campus Life, was named chair of the Association of College Unions International’s national conference.

Kan Cao, professor of cell biology and molecular genetics, and Shenqiang Ren, professor of materials science and engineering, were named senior members of the National Academy of Inventors. This year’s 162 honorees are collectively named inventors on over 1200 U.S. patents.

Professor Andrea Chronis-Tuscano, Joel and Kim Feller Endowed Professor in the Department of Psychology, received the inaugural Pelham Visionary Award for ADHD Research and Practice. The award was presented at the Miami International Child and Adolescent Mental Health Conference, where she also served as a keynote speaker.

Chris Cochran, Wye Research and Education Center horticulture manager, received the “40 Under Forty” award from the Fruit and Vegetable Growers News.

Conferences & Visitor Services received the Unique Venues Planner’s Choice Award in the category "Youth Retreats & Camps." It marked the sixth time in the past eight years that the university has been named the best venue in the nation.

Michael Cummings, biology professor with a joint appointment at the University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies; Utpal Pal, professor of veterinary medicine in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources; and Mihai Pop, computer science professor and director of the University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies, were named MPower Professors by the University of Maryland Strategic Partnership: MPowering the State. It recognizes faculty who have demonstrated collaboration on strategic research that would be unattainable or difficult to achieve by the University of Maryland, Baltimore or University of Maryland, College Park acting independently of one another.

School of Public Policy Associate Professor Claire Dunning received an ARNOVA (Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action) Award for Outstanding Article for “No Strings Attached: Philanthropy, Race, and Donor Control from Black Power to Black Lives Matter,” published in Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly.

Drew Fagan, clinical professor in the College of Education, was elected to the TESOL International Association Board of Directors for 2025-28.

Andrew Feldman, assistant research scientist at the Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, received the Water Resources Research Editor’s Choice Award for the article, “Remotely Sensed Soil Moisture Can Capture Dynamics Relevant to Plant Water Uptake.”

Joseph A. Fiola, specialist in viticulture and small fruit at the University of Maryland Extension received "Best of Show: ”Red Vinifera" (and a double-gold medal) at the American Wine Society Amateur Wine Competition for his 2021 Carmenere made with grapes grown at the Western Maryland Research & Education Center. Overall, he received nine medals for nine wine entries.

Jessica Fish, associate professor of public health, received the Editor's Choice award from Psychiatric Services for her study on sexual identity differences in mental health care need and access, republished in an LGBTQ+ mental health issue-themed issue of the journal.

Bruce Golden, France-Merrick Chair in Management Science, was named an International Federation of Operational Research Societies fellow and recognized as a Top Scholar by ScholarGPS.

Kimberly Griffin, dean of the College of Education, was named to Education Week’s RHSU Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings for the fourth consecutive year. The rankings recognize the 200 most influential university-based education scholars in the United States.

Professor and Clark Distinguished Chair Saikat Guha in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering was named a 2025 fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. He was cited for bridging information theory and physics to design quantum-enhanced photonic sensing, communications and networking systems.

Associate Professor of aerospace engineering Christine Hartzell and Assistant Research Professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering Michael Kio were named associate fellows of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Courtney Holder, assistant director of leadership and community service learning in the Adele H. Stamp Student Union-Center for Campus Life, was named to the 2025 class of University of Tennessee, Knoxville Alumni 40 under 40.

P.K. Kannan, Dean's Chair in Marketing Science, was awarded the 2025 American Marketing Association Tech SIG Lifetime Achievement Award, honoring scholars whose enduring contributions to the fields of innovation, technology and interactivity have profoundly shaped marketing scholarship and practice.

Michael D. Kimbrough, associate professor in the Robert H. Smith School of Business, and three colleagues from other universities received European Accounting Review’s Best Paper Award for 2024 for "Does Voluntary ESG Reporting Resolve Disagreement among ESG Rating Agencies?"

Materials science and engineering Assistant Professor Timothy “Tim” Koeth received the Director’s Fellowship, given to top recipients of the U.S. Department of Defense DARPA Young Faculty Award, which provides high-impact funding to elite early-career researchers.

Visiting Senior Faculty Specialist William “Bill” Koffel in the Department of Fire Protection Engineering was named a 2025 Fire and Safety Influencer by the International Fire and Safety Journal.

Alexander Kotsakis, visiting associate research scientist in the Earth Systems Science Interdisciplinary Center, received the EXECUTE AWARD for Field Campaign Support at the NASA 610AT/619 annual peer awards ceremony. He was also shortlisted as a finalist for the 2025 New Phytologist Tansley Medal, which recognizes an outstanding contribution to research in plant science by an individual with three to five years’ experience since defending their Ph.D.

Hemendra Kumar, precision agriculture specialist at the Central Maryland Research and Education Center, was appointed associate editor for machine learning and precision agriculture in the Agronomy Journal of the American Society of Agronomy.

Sylvette La Touche Howard, assistant dean and associate clinical professor, and Tracy Zeeger, assistant dean and clinical professor, both in the School of Public Health, were named distinguished fellows of the Public Health Academy, recognizing their achievements and leadership in professional and interprofessional care.

Jeffrey Lidz, professor and chair of the Department of Linguistics, was named a fellow of the Linguistics Society of America. He gave the plenary address at the organization’s 2025 meeting, on the topic of methodological pluralism in linguistic theory construction.

Associate Professors of marketing Liye Ma and Bobby Zhou were selected as 2024 Marketing Science Institute Scholars.

Jenna Mueller, assistant professor in the Fischell Department of Bioengineering, received the 2025 Early Career Achievement Award from SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics. She was honored for innovative strategies to decrease cancer mortality in marginalized communities.

Architecture Professor of the Practice Peter Noonan was one of 83 individuals elevated to the American Institute of Architects’ College of Fellows in 2024. Noonan, an AIA member since 1994, is a principal at McInturff Architects.

School of Public Policy Saul I. Stern Professor of Civic Engagement Shanna Pearson-Merkowitz was confirmed by the Maryland Senate as a member of the Maryland Commission for Women.

Geology Professor Sarah Penniston-Dorland was elected president of the Mineralogical Society of America.

Abani Pradhan, professor in the Department of Nutrition and Food Science, was named a fellow of the Society for Risk Analysis.

Jennifer Roberts, associate professor of kinesiology, received the Editor's Choice award from the American Journal of Health Promotion, which placed her article, “The ‘Natural’ Accord of DuBois and Washington: An Environmentally Racialized Consciousness,” on its Best of 2024 List of Health Promotion Researchers.

Lemma Senbet, Dean’s Chaired Professor in the Robert H. School of Business, accepted an invitation to join the Bretton Woods Committee, the preeminent no-profit organization dedicated to effective global economic and financial cooperation.

School of Public Policy Associate Clinical Professor Brandi Slaughter was elected to the board of the League of Women Voters for her advocacy in civic engagement and voter education initiatives.

Kinesiology Professor J. Carson Smith was named a 2024 fellow in the National Academy of Kinesiology, which promotes and enhances physical education issues around the world.

Meg Smolinski, outreach coordinator of the Arboretum & Botanical Gardens, passed the exam to earn the title of International Society of Arboriculture Board Certified Master Arborist. Fewer than 2% of certified arborists achieve this.

Sining Song, assistant professor of supply chain management, received the Carol J. Latta Memorial Award for Outstanding Early Career Research Leadership from the Decision Sciences Institute.

Bioengineering Professor Yang Tao and electrical and computer engineering Professor Uzi Vishkin, who has an appointment in the Institute for Advanced Computer Science, were named 2024 Fellows of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). Tao and Vishkin join 14 other current faculty and staff members from UMD previously elected to the NAI.

Joint Center for Quantum Information and Computer Science (QuICS) Fellow Jacob Taylor, a physicist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and Justyna Zwolak, a NIST mathematician and QuICS affiliate fellow, received NIST’s 2024 Bronze Medal Award. It is the highest recognition awarded by NIST, recognizing federal scientists with significant research accomplishments using creative methods.

Ebony Terrell Shockley, associate dean for undergraduate studies and educator preparation and clinical professor in the College of Education, was selected as vice president of the Maryland State Department of Education Professional Standards and Teacher Education Board.

Christopher Travers, visiting assistant clinical professor in the College of Education, received the Outstanding Research Award from the American College Personnel Association College Student Educators International Coalition on Men and Masculinities. It recognized his article, "Healing Love: Toward a Theory of Communion for Black Men."

Bridget Turner-Kelly, associate professor in the College of Education, was named a senior scholar by the American College Personnel Association.

Distinguished University Professor and Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Chair Sennur Ulukus was honored with the 2024 IEEE Communications Society and Communication Theory Technical Committee Technical Achievement Award for contributions to the communication theoretic foundations of physical layer security, information freshness and energy harvesting.

Zhuosen Wang, associate research scientist in the Earth Systems Science Interdisciplinary Center, was awarded as a NASA’s Black Marble Team member with the Differentiate Award for Excellence in Data Science and Integrity at this year’s NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Division peer awards.

Melissa Welsh, assistant clinical professor of agricultural education and director of agricultural science and technology, was appointed by Gov. Wes Moore to the Maryland Agriculture Commission.

Allan Wigfield, professor emeritus in the College of Education, had one of the most significant educational studies of the year, according to Edutopia, a journal that "translates" research findings for practitioners. Wigfield’s study, “Investigating the Remembered Success Effect With Elementary and Middle School Students,“ was published in the Journal of Educational Psychology.

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.