As the end of the academic year approaches, it’s time to celebrate all the fantastic work University of Iowa faculty and staff have accomplished this year. 

Many campus groups that give awards will take part in the university’s second annual Faculty and Staff Awards ceremony.

Below is a list of all faculty and staff award winners who will be honored at the upcoming ceremony. 

Improving Our Workplace Award

Mental Health Champion Award

Staff Excellence Awards

Graduate Faculty Award

Discovery and Innovation Awards

Faculty Awards

University-level Named Faculty Positions

Highly Prestigious External Awards

Improving Our Workplace Award (I.O.W.A.)

• Adam Potter, senior human resources specialist, talent acquisition, UI Human Resources
• College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) Human Resources Team: Merry Aamodt, Chris Crawford, Anna Kelly, Kellie Kucera, Nancy McCallister, Vance Morris, Melia Pieper, Ali Romano-McClain
• Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit Nursing Team: Lauren Anderson, Nicholas Figuracion, Sammi Heitmeier, Jayde Houser, Anita Li, Jon Loeschen, Nate Noto, Aly Reicks, Brittney Rogers, Sommer Stotier, Alli Suckow
• Dry Ice Team: Steve Stange, Scott Yeggy
• Surplus Process Improvement Team: Darren Anderson, Tim Blake, Kris Halter, Drew Kabala, Andrew Kent, Tong Lu, Brian Mead, Sherry Reynolds-Miller, Steve Stange, Ben Stone, Yoko Tsoi, Yahong Wu, Changhui Xu, Randy Yedlik
• Pediatric Beacon Team: Elizabeth Amelon, Curt Balk, Tammy Balk, James Blum, Mike Brownlee, Megan Burns, Jason Cleppe, David Dickens, Karmen Dillion, Jenny Federspiel, Julia Freel, Jared Frye, Trisha Gardner, Nadia Gillitzer, Denise Grafft, Paul Hartman, John Heinemann, Nate Hepker, Darci Janss, Darin Johnson, Lizzy Kirschbaum, Natalie Knezevich, Gracie Laughton, Kathy Lee-Son, Andrea Lutes, Crystal Lux, Bobbie Monahan, Jacqueline Nelson, Alex Paternostro, Shara Power, Shannon Schroetter, Jeremy Snyder, Jill Stein, Libby Stutzman, Sarah Tierney, Melissa Whisler, Amy Worthington, Derek Zhorne

Mental Health Champion Award

• Lorie Gillitzer, imaging editor, Department of Radiation Sciences, Carver College of Medicine
• Emelia Johanns, undergraduate student,School of Social Work, CLAS
• Maria-Victoria Perez, PhD candidate, Department of Educational Policy and Leadership Studies, College of Education
• Melissa Tully, Easton Professor of Research and director, School of Journalism and Mass Communication, CLAS

Staff Excellence Awards

Richard R. Gibson Merit Staff Award for Innovation and Excellence in Customer Service

• Anna Ahlberg, intra-oral/craniofacial surgery technician, nursing service, UI Health Care
• Edwin West, food coordinator, Devlin Family Café, Division of Student Life

UI Outstanding Staff Award

• Keith Becker, senior director, Talent Acquisition, University Human Resources
• Donna Dolezal, nurse manager, Ambulatory Surgery Center, UI Health Care
• Renea Jay, PhD program director, student services, Tippie College of Business
• Jennifer Jones, program coordinator, Csomay Center for Gerontological Excellence, College of Nursing 
• James Niemeier, assistant research scientist, IIHR—Hydroscience and Engineering, College of Engineering
• Keaton Rossman, charge operations pharmacist, IV Admixtures and Adult Satellite Pharmacies, UI Health Care

David J. Skorton Staff Excellence Award in Service

• Brooke McKeon, application analyst, Human Subjects Office, Office of the Vice President for Research
• Angela Melsa Worrell, clinical program coordinator, College of Nursing

Staff Award for Welcoming and Respectful Environment

• Laurie Haag, program developer, Women’s Resource and Action Center, Division of Student Life
• Betsy Justis, education licensure and standards specialist, Office of Student Service, College of Education 

Lola Lopes Award for Undergraduate Student Advocacy

• Shaun Vecera, director, UI Honors Program, University College

Graduate Faculty Award

Graduate College Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award

• Jennifer Kayle, professor, Department of Dance, CLAS
• Christine Ogren, professor, Department of Educational Policy and Leadership Studies, College of Education

Discovery and Innovation Awards

Scholar of the Year Award

• Kaveh Akbar, associate professor of English, Department of English, CLAS

Early Scholar of the Year Award

• Stephanie Gantz, assistant professor, Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Carver College of Medicine
• Stephanie Miracle, assistant professor, Department of Dance, CLAS

Leadership in Research Award

• Susan Lutgendorf, Dewey B. and Velma P. Stuit Professor of Psychology, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, CLAS

Distinguished Achievement in Publicly Engaged Research Award

• Rima Afifi, director of the Prevention Research Center for Rural Health and professor, Department of Community and Behavioral Health, College of Public Health

Distinguished Achievement in Arts and Humanities Research Award

• Bryon Winn, director of theatre and professor, Department of Theatre Arts, CLAS

Faculty Communication Ideas Award

• Yamnia Cortés, associate professor, Department of Community and Primary Care, College of Nursing

Distinguished Mentor Award

• Marcia Lindgren, director of the Latin program and associate professor of instruction, Department of Classics, CLAS
• Thomas Mira y Lopez, visiting assistant professor, Department of English and Creative Writing and Translation Program, CLAS

Distinguished Research Administrator Award

• Phil Forbes, research support administrator, Research Administration, College of Pharmacy

Distinguished Research Professional Award

• Lisa Roth, deputy director, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, College of Public Health

Faculty Awards

Marion L. Huit Faculty Award

• Rodica Curtu, professor, Department of Mathematics, CLAS

James M. Murray Award

• Kay Ramey, assistant professor of learning sciences and educational psychology, Department of Psychological and Quantitative Foundations, College of Education

Hubbard-Walder Award for Excellence in Teaching

• Paula Amad, associate professor of film studies, Department of Cinematic Arts, CLAS
• Justin Cosner, director of graduate studies and associate professor of instruction, Department of Rhetoric, CLAS
• Julie Gros-Louis, associate professor of instruction, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, CLAS
• Jennifer Sterling, director of undergraduate studies and associate professor of instruction, Department of American Studies, CLAS
• Lori Wallrath, director of undergraduate studies and professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Carver College of Medicine

President and Provost Award for Teaching Excellence

• Gary Christensen, departmental executive officer and professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering
• Darren Hoffmann, associate professor, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Carver College of Medicine
• Meena Khandelwal, associate professor, Department of Anthropology, CLAS
• Alexandra Nica, director of undergraduate studies, Department of Economics, Tippie College of Business

Michael J. Brody Award

• David Cwiertny, William D. Ashton Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering
• Steve Duck, Daniel and Amy Starch Research Chair and professor, Department of Rhetoric, CLAS
• Travis Kraus, associate professor of practice, School of Planning and Public Affairs, Graduate College

UI Distinguished Chairs

• Saba Rasheed Ali, associate dean for research and professor, Department of Psychological and Quantitative Foundations, College of Engineering 
• Paul Romitti, professor, Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health

University-level Named Faculty Positions

Clement T. and Sylvia H. Hanson Family Chair       

• Martin Grace, professor, Department of Finance, Tippie College of Business

Edwin B. Green Chair in Public Health

• Christopher Coffey, professor, Department of Biostatistics, College of Public Health

Highly Prestigious External Awards

John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellow

• Kaveh Akbar, associate professor of English, Department of English, CLAS
• Jamel Brinkley, assistant professor of fiction, Iowa Writers’ Workshop, CLAS

National Endowment for the Humanities Fellow

• Mariola Espinosa, associate professor of history, Department of History, CLAS