32 faculty honored with Vilas professorships and awards

Extraordinary members of the University of Wisconsin–Madison faculty have been honored during the last year with awards supported by the estate of professor, U.S. senator and UW Regent William F. Vilas (1840-1908).

Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professorships

Seventeen professors were named to Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professorships, an award recognizing distinguished scholarship as well as standout efforts in teaching and service. The professorship provides five years of flexible funding — two-thirds of which is provided by the Office of the Provost through the generosity of the Vilas trustees and one-third provided by the school or college whose dean nominated the winner.

The recipients are:

Remzi Arpaci-Dusseau, Computer Sciences

Alex Dressler, Classical and Ancient Near Eastern Studies

Emily Fletcher, Philosophy

Jason Fletcher, La Follette School of Public Affairs

John Hitchcock, Art

Baron Kelly, Liberal Arts and Applied Studies and Theatre and Drama

Irena Knezevic, Electrical and Computer Engineering

Erika Marín-Spiotta, Geography

Shigeki Miyamoto, Oncology

Mario Ortiz-Robles, English

Xuejun Pan, Biological Systems Engineering

Jonathan Patz, Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies and Population Health Sciences

John Rudolph, Curriculum and Instruction

David C. Schwartz, Genetics and Chemistry

Weiping Tang, Pharmaceutical Sciences

Thad Walker, Physics

Rebekah Willett, Information School

Vilas Faculty Mid-Career Investigator Awards

Nine professors received Vilas Faculty Mid-Career Investigator Awards, recognizing research and teaching excellence. The award provides flexible research funding for three years.

The recipients are:

Hanna Vandegrift Eldridge, German, Nordic, Slavic+

Hiroshi Maeda, Botany

Greg Nemet, La Follette School of Public Affairs

Kristin Shutts, Psychology

Anjon Audhya , Biomolecular Chemistry

Warren Rose, Pharmacy Practice

Damon Smith, Plant Pathology

Vlad Dima, African Cultural Studies

Carey E. Gleason, Geriatrics and Gerontology

Vilas Faculty Early Career Investigator Awards

Six professors received Vilas Faculty Early Career Investigator Awards, recognizing research and teaching excellence in faculty who are relatively early in their careers. The award provides flexible research funding for three years.

The recipients are:

Adrien Couet, Engineering Physics

Laila Amine, English

Hung Vinh Tran, Mathematics

Dan Ludois, Electrical and Computer Engineering

Leslie Smith III, Art

Jingyi Huang, Soil Science