University Honors NSF CAREER Award Winners

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Jim Rankin, vice provost for research and economic development, University of Arkansas

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- The University of Arkansas held a reception at Wallace W. and Jama M. Fowler House on June 5 for faculty who have been awarded funding by the National Science Foundation through the Faculty Early Career Development Program, better known as a CAREER award.

The office of vice provost for research and economic development sponsored the event, which honored university faculty who received CAREER awards. The university has received 26 CAREER awards since the program's inception in 1992, and is currently home to 19 awardees.

The CAREER award is one of the highest honors given by the foundation to junior faculty members. Recipients are selected based on high-quality research and the integration of that research with education initiatives in the context of the university's mission. The award provides a minimum of $400,000 support for five years, or five years and $500,000 for those in biological sciences or polar programs.

Chancellor G. David Gearhart and Provost Sharon Gaber both congratulated the awardees.

"Over the next decade, our vision for the University of Arkansas is to be among the top 50 public research universities in the United States," Gaber said. "We will reach this goal only through the commitment and intellect of our faculty, colleges, departments and research centers. The benefits of your award go well beyond you and your research program. They extend to the campus and the state. Earning an NSF CAREER award is public acknowledgement that your ideas, your energies and your students will make a mark on your field."

Four faculty members at the university received CAREER awards in the last year, said Jim Rankin, vice provost for research and economic development.

"This was a great year for CAREER Awards at the University of Arkansas," Rankin told the attendees. "Winning a CAREER award is a tremendous accomplishment and we are here to recognize the achievement."

Faculty who have received CAREER awards who are currently at the U of A, listed in alphabetical order:

• Laurent Bellaiche, physics

• Luca Capogna, mathematical sciences

• Greg Dumond, geosciences

• Julian Fairey, civil engineering

• Ingrid Fritsch, chemistry and biochemistry

• Colin Heyes, chemistry and biochemistry

• Russ Meller, industrial engineering

• Lin Oliver, physics

•  Xianghong Qian, chemical engineering

• Doug Spearot, mechanical engineering

• Julie Stenken, chemistry and biochemistry 

• Susanne Striegler, chemistry and biochemistry  

• Jak Tchakhalian, physics   

• Paul Thibado, physics

• Feng Wang, chemistry and biochemistry

• Ranil Wickramasinghe, chemical engineering

• Shui-Qing "Fisher" Yu, electrical engineering

• David Zaharoff, biomedical engineering

• Min Zou, mechanical engineering