Awards & Honors

Vicente Gracias, senior vice chancellor for clinical affairs at RBHS, vice president for health affairs at Rutgers University and professor of surgery at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, was presented with the Surgical Stabilization of Rib Fracture Luminary Award, an international honor granted by the Chest Wall Injury Wall Society (CWIS).

Gracias was honored for his novel research developing curriculum and procedures for surgical stabilization of rib fractures with the goal of enhancing the quality of life for patients with broken ribs and chest wall injuries.

Past interventions for this type of patient only consisted of life-saving procedures. Through research and surgical practice innovation, Gracias proved that a more humanistic approach of stabilizing rib fractures through micro-plating surgical techniques that allowed patients to return to a normal way of life sooner. As a result of his work, training in micro plating techniques scaled throughout the United States and because of the efforts of CWIS these procedures are covered for by insurance and currently being used here at Rutgers and across the world.

Perry Halkitis, dean and professor of Biostatistics and Urban-Global Public Health at the School of Public Health, received the Dennis J. Sullivan Award, which is the New Jersey Public Health Association’s highest award. Halkitis is also a professor in the Robert Wood Johnson School of Medicine, Rutgers Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology, and Rutgers School of Public Affairs and Administration as well as a member of the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey.

Derrick Darby, Rutgers distinguished professor of philosophy, was elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Founded in 1780, its first members included Benjamin Franklin and George Washington and today lists President Barack Obama; Supreme Court Justice Sonya Sotomayor; actor Tom Hanks; actor, songwriter and producer Lin-Manuel Miranda; and others who have been recognized for their notable achievements in academia, industry, policy research and science. Darby joins 270 others from the United States and 23 countries chosen in 2023.

Rutgers Center for State Health Policy is the recipient of the 2023 Research Pioneer Award, presented by the Acenda Institute of Health Innovation in recognition of the Center’s ongoing work to improve health and health equity in New Jersey.

The recipients of the 2022-2023 Chancellor-Provost Awards for Faculty Excellence have been announced. Congratulations to all award recipients.

George Yap was recently elected into the esteemed American Academy of Microbiology. He joins 64 new fellows, who were elected via a highly selective, peer review process, based on scientific achievements in the advancement of microbiology.

Mark McKnight, assistant professor of expanded photography at the Mason Gross School of the Arts, was named a 2023 Guggenheim Fellow in Photography.

Cormac Grindall, Andrew Krapivin and Jackson Lee have been selected as Goldwater Scholars, one of the most prestigious national honors for undergraduates looking to pursue research careers in the fields of natural sciences, engineering and mathematics.
Learn more about the Goldwater recipients.

A trio of Rutgers professors selected to receive a 2023 Sloan Research Fellowship are studying the best ways to extract meaning from massive datasets, the mechanisms that drive how volcanoes perturb Earth’s climate and the abstract mathematical ideas that underlie sudden changes in complex systems.

Congratulations to:

Sepehr Assadi, assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science at the School of Arts and Sciences

Benjamin Black, assistant professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences in the School of Arts and Sciences

Bhargav Narayanan, assistant professor in the Department of Mathematics in the School of Arts and Sciences

Lily Young, Distinguished Professor in the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS), has spent more than three decades at Rutgers using her skills as a scientist to gain a better understanding of the contaminants in the environment while working with engineers to find a solution to fix the problem. Thanks to her dedication, she was elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), among the highest professional distinctions bestowed to an engineer.

Congratulations to Chancellor Brian L. Strom for being named on the 2023 NJBIZ Power 100, a list that recognizes individuals who are helping make New Jersey a better place to live, work and do business.

Bishr Omary, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences senior vice chancellor for academic affairs and research, has been honored by the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) with its 2023 Distinguished Service Award in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). This award recognizes members who have promoted DEI within AGA and the broader gastroenterology community.

Omary has dedicated his professional career to DEI-related success efforts and has a strong track record of health equity initiatives in gastroenterology, hepatology and beyond. During his tenure as AGA president (June 2020 – May 2021), he was a driving force in the creation of what is now an ongoing AGA Equity Project and responsible for securing National Institutes of Health supplements for the AGA FORWARD Program, which prepares physician-scientists from underrepresented populations for a successful career in academic medicine. At RBHS, he works closely on DEI efforts with Sangeeta Lamba, vice chancellor for diversity and inclusion, and other RBHS colleagues.

Rutgers faculty elected to the newest class of fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science are engaging in research to enhance our understanding of the universe, prepare the world to address climate change and find ways to restore brain function after traumatic injury or disease.

Congratulations to the following individuals:

Paul Copeland, professor
  Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
  Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
  Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences

Shuchismita Dutta, associate research professor
  Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine
  Member, Cancer Pharmacology, Cancer Institute of New Jersey
  Rutgers–New Brunswick

Bonnie Firestein, professor
  Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience
  School of Arts and Sciences
  Rutgers–New Brunswick

William Hallman, professor and chair
  Department of Human Ecology
  School of Environmental and Biological Sciences
  Rutgers–New Brunswick

Saurabh W. Jha, professor of physics and astronomy
  School of Arts and Sciences
  Rutgers–New Brunswick

Robert E. Kopp, professor
  Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences
  School of Arts and Sciences
  Rutgers–New Brunswick

Malin Pinsky, associate professor
  Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources
  School of Environmental and Biological Sciences
  Rutgers–New Brunswick

Jaideep Vaidya, distinguished professor and vice chair
  Department of Management Science and Information Systems
  Rutgers Business School–Newark and New Brunswick

Rachael Winfree, professor
  Department of Ecology, Evolution and Natural Resources
  School of Environmental and Biological Sciences
  Rutgers–New Brunswick

The Open and Affordable Textbooks Program is awarding $1,000 in research funds to full- or part-time faculty, instructors or curriculum developers at Rutgers who make their courses more affordable for their students. Learn the steps you can take and apply for the award today. 

Dean Emeritus and Distinguished Professor William Holzemer received the National Academy of Nursing Living Legend Award. Holzemer was inducted by the American Academy of Nursing during its annual policy conference held in October in Washington, D.C. Six nurses throughout the nation received this year’s Living Legends award, considered by many to be the highest honor in the nursing profession.

Associate Professor of Radiology Humaira Chaudhry and Jack Hemphill, project coordinator at Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, were recently awarded third place in “Best Overall Abstract” at the annual American College of Radiology’s Quality and Safety Conference.

In a Nov. 4 ceremony at the Rutgers Club, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences Chancellor Brian Strom and Bishr Omary, senior vice chancellor for academic affairs and research, kicked off the 2021-2022 Chancellor’s Awards celebration. The awards were established to acknowledge the extraordinary work of our faculty and staff. Congratulations to all awardees.

M. Maral Mouradian, distinguished professor of neurology at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, has been named the 2022 recipient of the university’s Daniel Gorenstein Memorial Award. A special award ceremony and lecture will be held Thursday, Dec. 1 from 4 to 6 p.m. in the assembly/board room in Winants Hall.

University Communications and Marketing (UCM) has won 12 awards from MarCom and the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), including five gold awards. The MarCom Awards honor excellence among marketing, communication, advertising, public relations, digital and web professionals from business, industry and nonprofit organizations worldwide, while CASE recognizes the work of our counterparts in higher education and independent schools.

Salvador Mena, the associate vice chancellor for Student Affairs, will serve on the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) governing board as the justice, equity, diversity and inclusion division director.

Jeffrey Carson, provost of Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences and Distinguished Professor of Medicine, was presented with the 2022 Karl Landsteiner Award and Lectureship. Carson, who also is the Richard C. Reynolds, M.D., Chair in General Internal Medicine, was presented the award at the 2022 Association of the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies (AABB) Annual Meeting in Orlando, Fla. 

The National Dance Education Organization (NDEO) awarded Frederick Curry, associate professor of professional dance the NDEO Outstanding Leadership (Justice, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) Award.  

Daniel Horton, assistant professor of pediatrics and epidemiology was honored with the Special ISPE Award for Contributions to Public Health Associated with the COVID-19, “a special award for 2022 to recognize how ISPE members have made and, in some cases, continue to make a demonstrable impact on public health related to the COVID-19 pandemic.” 

A new $1.5 million grant from the Health Resource and Services Administration (HRSA) will strengthen the public health workforce throughout New Jersey by providing 50 percent tuition scholarships to 84 students.  

Linda Flynn, dean and tenured professor at Rutgers School of Nursing, has been chosen to receive the National League for Nursing’s Nurse Educator of the Year Award. She is one of only five nurses selected for this award, which was presented during a special Year of the Nurse Educator ceremony in Las Vegas, Nev.  

Congratulations to the 2022 RBHS Chancellor Awardees, who have been nominated by their peers and selected in recognition of their extraordinary accomplishments and dedication as RBHS faculty and staff. Recipients of the 2020, 2021, and 2022 RBHS Chancellor Awards will be honored with an in-person reception in November, during which this year’s awardees will be presented with honorary plaques in a continued celebration of excellence in research in the biomedical and health sciences; clinical care; community service; mentorship; education; leadership; diversity, equity, and inclusion; and staff service and support.

Sylvia Christakos, Distinguished Professor of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics at New Jersey Medical School at RBHS, was honored and spotlighted as the recipient of the 2022 Shirley Hohl Service Award from the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR) earlier this month in recognition of her significant contributions to the field and her dedication and "unselfish devotion in service to (ASBMR) and its mission and goals.”

Tobias Gerhard, professor of pharmacy and epidemiology in the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Administration at Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy and the founding director of the Center for Pharmacoepidemiology and Treatment Science at RBHS, was installed in August as president of the International Society for Pharmacoepidemiology, an international organization dedicated to advancing public health by serving as a global forum for the open exchange of scientific information and the development of policy, education, and advocacy for the field of pharmacoepidemiology.

Lia Nower, professor and director of both the Center for Gambling Studies and the Addiction Counselor Training Certificate Program at Rutgers–New Brunswick's School of Social Work has been honored with the Lifetime Research Award by the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) at the 2022 NCPG National Conference last July, for "exceptional long-standing achievement in the field of research to assist problem gamblers and their families." As one of only eight historical recipients, Nower has also been invited to present at next year's conference in July 2023 to "further honor and highlight the lifetime contribution(.)"

Denise Rodgers, vice chancellor for interprofessional programs and professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School at RBHS, continues to serve as an invited member of the External Advisory Board for the National Institutes of Health’s Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning Consortium to Advance Health Equity and Researcher Diversity program, which reviews programmatic activities and advises the leadership of this national consortium designed to achieve health equity and researcher diversity using AI/ML.

Amita Avadhani, specialty director of the Post-Master's DNP Practice (Executive Model) program and associate professor in the Division of Advanced Nursing Practice at the School of Nursing, has been named 2022 Author of the Year by The Nurse Practitioner journal, for her article, “COVID-19 pneumonia: What APRNs should know,” and in recognition of her meeting the needs of practitioners by "(...) providing practical, cutting edge clinical and professional information.”

Joseph A. Barone, dean and professor II in the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy at RBHS, was nominated and voted in as chair of New Jersey Department of Health's State Health Planning Board (SHPB) during the board's April 2022 meeting. The SHPB acts as an advisory panel to the commissioner of health concerning recommendations to create new health care facilities or to expand existing services and is responsible for revisions to the state's health plan.

Two School of Nursing faculty members—Amita Avadhani, specialty director of the Post-Master's DNP Practice (Executive Model) program and associate professor in the Division of Advanced Nursing Practice, and Linda Hassler, assistant professor in the Division of Entry to Baccalaureate Nursing—were named Diva and Don Awardees by the New Jersey State Nurses Association/Institute for Nursing (PDF), honoring professional registered nurse excellence in New Jersey and recognizing their demonstrable, "impact on the nursing profession and the health community."

The Division of Continuing Studies has been honored with the Leadership in Diversity and Inclusive Excellence Award by the University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) at UPCEA's annual conference last week, recognizing it as a program that “represents best practices and demonstrates positive impact in promoting cultural shifts in the organization that promotes diversity and inclusive excellence."

Manuel E. Jimenez, assistant professor in the Departments of Pediatrics and Family Medicine and Community Health as well as director of developmental and behavioral pediatrics education at the Boggs Center on Developmental Disabilities at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, was one of only 95 new members this year to be officially inducted into the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI) at the ASCI Dinner and New Member Induction Ceremony on April 8, 2022, and "represent(s) excellence across the breadth of academic medicine."

Tawfiq Ammari, assistant professor in the Library and Information Science Department in the School of Communication and Information, received AMiner Scholar's 2022 AI 2000 Most Influential Scholar Honorable Mention in Human-Computer Interaction, for "outstanding and vibrant contributions" to the field of artificial intelligence. The AI 2000 Most Influential Scholar Annual List aims to name 2,000 of the world’s top research scholars in the field.

Robert A. Schwartz, professor and head of dermatology in the Department of Medicine at New Jersey Medical School, received the Presidential Citation Award from the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) at the 2022 AAD Annual Meeting in Boston, in recognition of his work in global health, particularly on HIV/AIDS and Kaposi's sarcoma.

Francine Conway, Rutgers–New Brunswick's Chancellor-Provost and Distinguished Professor, has been included on ROI-New Jersey's Influencers Power List 2022: Higher Education in recognition of her role as a top influencer in higher education today.

Tracy R. Vitale, associate professor and specialty director for the DNP Project/DNP Project Courses in the Division of Advanced Nursing Practice at the School of Nursing, has been honored as the recipient of the 2021 Novice Faculty Excellence in Didactic Teaching Award by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, which recognizes "a faculty member in their first faculty teaching role, of five years or less, who demonstrates outstanding innovation in teaching/learning approaches; creates a culture of empathy and respect."

Linda Herrmann, associate professor in the Division of Advanced Nursing Practice and specialty director at the Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Program at School of Nursing, alongside her co-editors received the Association of American Publishers' 2022 PROSE Award in the Nursing and Allied Health Category in late January 2022 for their text, Advanced Physiology and Pathophysiology: Essentials for Clinical Practice. As a category winner, their text beat out more than 500 other entries to be identified as one of only 39 outstanding titles that "raised the bar in quality, content, and diversity, reflecting the profound expertise that goes into creating scholarly publications."

Petros Levounis, chair of the Department of Psychiatry and associate dean for professional development at New Jersey Medical School, has been elected by the members of the American Psychiatric Association to serve as the medical society’s next president-elect.

Earlier this week, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) announced the election by the AAAS Council of 564 members as Fellows of AAAS, 12 of whom are Rutgers–New Brunswick or RBHS faculty members, in recognition of their “efforts on behalf of the advancement of science or its applications in service to society hav(ing) distinguished them among their peers and colleagues.” Considered one of the scientific community’s most distinct honors, this unprecedented number of Rutgers inductees/honorees includes: Emanuel DiCicco-Bloom, professor of neuroscience and cell biology at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School; Ying Fan Reinfelder, professor of earth and planetary sciences in the School of Arts and Sciences (SAS); Cecile A. Feldman, dean of and professor at the School of Dental Medicine; Patricia Fitzgerald-Bocarsly, provost of RBHS-Newark and professor of pathology laboratory medicine in New Jersey Medical School (NJMS); William C. Gause, director of the Center for Immunity and Inflammation and senior associate dean for research at NJMS; Alan Goldman, Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and chemical biology at SAS; Max Häggblom, distinguished professor and chair of the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology at the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS); Julie Lockwood, professor and chair of the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources at SEBS; Margaret Marsh, University Professor of History at Rutgers–Camden and core faculty member at RBHS’ Institute for Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging Research; Tara Matise, professor and chair of the Department of Genetics at SAS; Andrew Singson, professor of genetics at SAS and the Waksman Institute of Microbiology; and Renping Zhou, William and Myrle Garbe Chair in Cancer and Leukemia Research at Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy. Please join us in congratulating our colleagues as the newest AAAS Fellows!

Nicholi Vorsa, professor in the Department of Plant Biology and former director of New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station’s Philip E. Marucci Center for Blueberry and Cranberry Research and Extension at School of Environmental and Biological Sciences was honored as one of only two recipients of the 2022 Service to Industry Award from the Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers’ Association (WSCGA) at the 2022 Wisconsin Cranberry School and Conference on January 19. Considered the WSCGA’s highest honor, this award recognizes, “outstanding service to the industry and WSCGA.”

Neela Patel, senior director of student centers and event services at the Division of Student Affairs' Student Centers and Activities, was recently announced as the new president-elect for ACUI (formerly known as the Association of College Unions International), and will begin her term in March during the 2022 Annual Conference in Chicago. Patel has also previously contributed to ACUI in various volunteer roles, including course contributor, regional director, and annual conference program team member.

Jeffrey L. Carson, internist and practicing physician, provost-New Brunswick for RBHS, Distinguished Professor of Medicine and Richard C. Reynolds, M.D. Chair in General Internal Medicine at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, will be celebrated as the recipient of the John Phillips Memorial Award for Outstanding Work in Clinical Medicine by the American College of Physicians (ACP) during its 2022 Convocation Ceremony, where Carson will also be conferred ACP mastership. One of the highest and most prestigious in internal medicine, this award recognizes “outstanding lifetime work in clinical medicine that has been innovative and/or had a regional or national impact” and honors Carson’s myriad achievements improving transfusion medicine and healthcare outcomes for patients throughout his career.

Eduardo Herrera, associate professor of musicology in the Music Department at Mason Gross School of the Arts, has been honored with the American Musicological Society's 2021 Robert M. Stevenson Award for his book, Elite Art Worlds: Philanthropy, Latin Americanism, and Avant-Garde Music. This award recognizes "outstanding scholarship in Iberian and Latin American music," and comes with a monetary prize and certificate.

Mary Bridgeman, clinical professor in the Pharmacy Practice and Administration Department at Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, was inducted as a new Fellow of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) during the Virtual 2021 ACCP Annual Meeting in mid-October. Fellows are selected for being outstanding individuals who lead by example, both inside and outside of the ACCP, and honor qualifying ACCP members for their excellence in practice, science, and service within clinical pharmacy.

Colleen McLaughlin, associate director of the Boggs Center on Developmental Disabilities in Robert Wood Johnson Medical School’s Department of Pediatrics, has been named the Outstanding Professional of the Year by MyGOAL, a global community created to help facilitate connections and support for individuals with Autism and intellectual disabilities and their families. As an honoree and keynote speaker at the 13th Annual MyGOAL Autism Gala earlier in November, McLaughlin was recognized for her contributions to supporting the developmental disabilities community and vision in advancing meaningful lives.

Rutgers School of Dental Medicine (RSDM) at RBHS–Newark was recently named the recipient of the 2022 ADEA Gies Vision Award in Academic Dentistry and Oral Health by the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) Gies Foundation, in honor of RSDM’s nationally renowned work advocating for LGBTQ students, creating safe spaces for them, and raising awareness of issues facing the LGBTQ community in dental academia and healthcare as an academic dental institution. RSDM will be recognized during the virtual 2022 Gies Awards Cocktail Celebration in late March 2022 for exemplifying the highest standards in oral health and dental education, research, and leadership, specifically through its efforts to create a secure and inclusive schoolwide climate for LGBTQ community members. Read more about RSDM’s recent honor.

Caroline Dorsen, associate dean of clinical partnerships and clinical associate professor in the Division of Advanced Nursing Practice at the School of Nursing at RBHS, has been honored as NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing’s 2021 Maes MacInnis Award in recognition of her “outstanding work in clinical innovation on behalf of professional nursing” as an NYU Meyers graduate.

Shagun Jhaver, assistant professor in the Library and Information Science Department at the School of Communication and Information, received Honorable Mentions at the 24th Association for Computing Machinery Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing (CSCW) for two submitted papers that he coauthored. According to CSCW, Honorable Mentions are representative of the top 4 percent of total submissions.

Tracey Shors, Distinguished Professor in Behavioral and Systems Neurosciences as well as graduate director and vice chair in the Department of Psychology at the School of Arts and Sciences, was named the 2021 Gantt Medal winner by the Pavlovian Society in recognition of her “distinguished contributions to the fields of psychology, physiology, behavioral neuroscience, psychophysiology, mental health or medicine within the confines of Pavlovian conceptual models or who have contributed significantly to the functioning of the Society.”

David Livingston, Wesley J. Howe Professor and chief of the division of trauma and surgical critical care at New Jersey Medical School, is the recipient of the 2021 Charles W. Putnam Distinguished Mentor Award from the Association of Women Surgeons Foundation, in recognition of his "sustained record of mentoring women surgeons and (serving as) a true agent of change to create an environment in which women surgeons can achieve their personal and professional goals."

Hatem E. Sabaawy, associate professor in the Department of Medicine at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and director of the Sabaawy Laboratory at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey was elected to a new leadership role as co-chair of the Correlative Sciences Clinical Trial Working Group at the Hoosier Cancer Research Network (HCRN). HCRN specializes in nationwide multi-center, investigator-initiated oncology clinical trials.

Valerie Fitzhugh, associate professor and interim chair of the Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine at New Jersey Medical School as well as an associate professor and interim chair of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, was honored by the College of American Pathologists (CAP) with the 2021 Outstanding Communicator Award during the CAP21 Annual Meeting in late September.

Robin Leichenko, professor in the Department of Geography and co-director of the Rutgers Climate Institute at School of Arts and Sciences, was appointed by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to the New York Fed’s Community Advisory Group in September, joining other “leaders of nonprofit, community organizations, foundations and anchor institutions, provides the New York Fed with a real-time view of the issues faced by a diverse set of communities across the Second District.”

Three School of Nursing (SN) faculty members—Caroline Dorsen, associate dean of advanced practice and clinical partnerships and clinical associate professor in SN’s Division of Advanced Nursing Practice; Carolyn Hayes, chief nursing officer for Rutgers CINJ’s and RWJBarnabas Health’s Oncology Services and associate professor in SN’s Division of Nursing Science; and Olga F. Jarrín Montaner, director of the Community Health and Aging Outcomes Laboratory at Rutgers' Institute for Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging Research, and assistant professor in SN’s Division of Nursing Science—will be inducted into the American Academy of Nursing’s 2021 Class of Fellows (PDF) at the Academy’s annual Health Policy Conference in October. Induction follows a competitive application process and represents a significant milestone in a nurse leader’s career, recognizing “significant contributions to health and health care” to advance the public’s health.

In a special recognition event in August, the recipients of the 2021 NJBIZ Healthcare Heroes Awards were honored, including individuals and organizations throughout New Jersey who were nominated and then selected by a panel of independent judges to be recognized across 12 award categories for “their significant impacts on the health care industry and landscape in New Jersey.” Please join us in congratulating the following recipients from Rutgers: in “Education-Individual” category, Ronald Nahass, clinical professor of infectious disease and internal medicine at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (RWJMS); in “Health Care Professional” category, Steven K. Libutti, director of Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ), professor of surgery at RWJMS, and Vice Chancellor for Cancer Programs at RBHS; and in “Public Health Hero-Organization” category, NJ Poison Control Center at New Jersey Medical School and Rutgers Community Health Center at School of Nursing at RBHS.

Farok J. Contractor, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Management and Global Business at Rutgers Business School–Newark and New Brunswick, was appointed as president of the Academy of International Business (AIB)—an international association of approximately 3,500 primarily academic members worldwide—through a rigorous nomination and election process on August 1, 2021. In this role, Contractor will lead the AIB’s executive board in its “responsi(bility) for setting the overall direction of (the) association and developing specific policies to achieve that vision.”

Tobias Gerhard, professor of pharmacy and epidemiology in the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Administration at Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy and the founding director of the Center for Pharmacoepidemiology and Treatment Science at RBHS, was elected and inducted in August 2021 as president-elect of the International Society for Pharmacoepidemiology, an international organization dedicated to advancing public health by serving as a global forum for the open exchange of scientific information and the development of policy, education, and advocacy for the field of pharmacoepidemiology.

Janet Jones, director of industry and student connections at the Office of Career Exploration and Success, was recognized by the HireBig10+ Career Consortium as the David S. Bechtel Outstanding Career Services Professional of the Year on July 15 for significant contributions in the field and “demonstrating an outstanding commitment to students' career success at the campus level and within the profession at the local, regional, or national level.” This prestigious award is not presented annually and is seen as the greatest honor awarded by Hire Big10+ career services network.

Kusum Punjabi, assistant professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, was elected Chair of the Board of Trustees of American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin, a national organization formed in 1982 that is composed of more than 80,000 practicing physicians in the U.S. Punjabi also has the honor of being the youngest to ever hold the position and the first person to have completed medical school in the U.S.

Kim Fenesy, vice dean of the School of Dental Medicine, has been named one of 23 academics nationwide—and the only one representing dentistry—to the Interprofessional Education Collaborative’s Core Competencies Working Group, which will set national standards on interprofessional education for students in medical and healthcare fields.

Konstantin Mischaikow, Distinguished Professor of Mathematics at the School of Arts and Sciences was selected by The Simons Foundation’s Mathematics and Physical Sciences as a 2021 Simons Fellow in Mathematics, a sabbatical research leave awarded for “scientific accomplishments in the five-year period preceding the application and on the potential scientific impact of the work to be done during the leave period.”

Vinod Rustgi, Distinguished Professor of Medicine, clinical director of hepatology, director of Center for Liver Diseases and Liver Masses, and professor of epidemiology and pathology and laboratory medicine at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, has been named an inaugural co-editor in chief of Gastro Hep Advances. This new American Gastroenterological Association journal will debut January 2022.

Eileen White, deputy director of the Cancer Institute of New Jersey and chief scientific officer and associate director for basic research, is one of only 120 scientists elected as a member of the National Academy of Sciences, in recognition of her “distinguished and continuing achievements in original research.”

Joan W. Bennett, Distinguished Professor of Plant Biology and Pathology at the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, which this year in particular recognizes "extraordinary people who help solve the world’s most urgent challenges, create meaning through art, and contribute to the common good from every field, discipline, and profession."

Maurice Elias, professor of the Department of Psychology at the School of Arts and Sciences, received the Jane Bostrum Service to School Psychology Award from the New Jersey Association of School Psychologists, in recognition for his work on improving the lives of children and youth through his research and service in areas such as social-emotional character development, emotional intelligence, and evidence-based school interventions.

Seth Koven, G.E. Lessing Distinguished Professor of History and Poetics at the School of Arts and Sciences, was awarded a 2021 Guggenheim Fellowship by the Board of Trustees of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, in recognition of his “prior achievement and exceptional promise.”

David Greenberg, professor of the journalism and media studies at the School of Communication and Information and professor of history at School of Arts and Sciences, was one of only 15 out of 506 applicants named a 2021-2022 Cullman Fellow by the Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers at the New York Public Library. During his nine-month fellowship, spanning September 2021 through May 2022, Greenberg will be working on his latest biography, John Lewis: A Life in Politics.

Yuri T. Jadotte, associate professor in the Division of Nursing Science and assistant director of education at the Northeast Institute for Evidence Synthesis and Translation at the School of Nursing was honored with the Association for Prevention Teaching and Research’s 2021 Early Career Award in recognition of his contributions that have “enhanced student learning and resident instruction in the field of public health and prevention.”

Nicole Fleetwood, professor in the Departments of American Studies and Art History at the School of Arts and Sciences, was recognized during a ceremony in March with the 2020 National Book Critics Circle Award in the category of criticism for her book, Marking Time: Art in the Age of Mass Incarceration, examining the humanizing and life-saving role of art in stories of the inmates who create it.

Eileen White, Distinguished Professor of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry at the School of Arts and Sciences and deputy director, chief scientific officer, and associate director for basic research at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, was one of only 25 scientists worldwide to be elected to the 2021 class of Fellows of the American Association for Cancer Research Academy, in recognition of her work’s significant and enduring impact on cancer research.

Kaitlin Costello, assistant professor of library and information science at School of Communication and Information (SC&I), and Diana Floegel, SC&I doctoral student, received the Association for Information Science & Technology’s 2020 Special Interest Group-USE Early Career Best Paper Award for "'Predictive ads are not doctors': Mental health tracking and technology companies," their coauthored paper examining how people diagnosed with mental health conditions feel about using mobile apps developed to track and monitor mental health.

Frank Ghinassi, president and CEO of Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care, has been elected to the National Association for Behavioral Healthcare's Executive Committee.

Nancy Sinkoff, academic director at the Allen and Joan Bildner Center for the Study of Jewish Life, was honored with the Jewish Book Council’s third annual Biography Award in Memory of Sara Berenson Stone for her book, From Left to Right: Lucy S. Dawidowicz, the New York Intellectuals, and the Politics of Jewish History.

Sangeeta Lamba, vice chancellor of diversity and inclusion at RBHS, has been invited to present at the 2021 National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education Annual Conference, as part of "Stronger Together: An Anti-Racism Initiative Across the Biomedical and Health Sciences Disciplines," a special session taking place today.

Felicia McGinty, executive vice chancellor of administration and planning for Rutgers–New Brunswick, was named one of the year's top 25 outstanding women in higher education by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, in recognition of her role as a "champion for students and driving force for diversity, inclusion and equity."

Yuri T. Jadotte, associate professor in the Division of Nursing Science and assistant director of the Northeast Institute for Evidence Synthesis at the School of Nursing was elected for membership to the Society for Research Synthesis Methodology, a selective international organization of recognized research synthesis methodology researchers.

Elizabeth Torres, associate professor in the Department of Psychology and Rutgers Center for Cognitive Science at the School of Arts and Sciences as well as director of the New Jersey Autism Center of Excellence, has been honored by a Joint Resolution of the New Jersey Senate and General Assembly praising her exemplary records of service, leadership and commitment in leading initiatives that have transformed research and treatments of Autism.

Nataki C. Douglas, associate professor and director of translational research in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women’s Health at New Jersey Medical School, was selected to join the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI). Of the more than 245 nominations ASCI received for 2021, Douglas is one of only 80 nominees elected for membership.

Joyce Valenza, associate teaching professor in the Department of Library and Information Science at the School of Communication and Information, has been appointed to the American Library Association (ALA) Business Advisory Group, which is “charged with the exploration and advisement on strategies related to ALA’s new business development.”

Adana Llanos, assistant professor in the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology at School of Public Health, has been named a 2021 Emerging Scholar by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education. As one of only 15 nominees selected, this honor recognizes as part of “an interdisciplinary group of minority scholars who represent the very best of the U.S. academy,” through actively working to make society more equitable and just.

Bianca Thompson-Owen, assistant dean for Enrollment Management and Academic Success at the School of Health Professions, assumes a new role this year as president of the Middle States Association of Collegiate Registrars and Officers of Admission, which is the largest professional development association for admissions, registrar, and enrollment management professionals in higher education.

Frank Ghinassi, president and chief executive officer, Rutgers Health University Behavioral Health Care, has been re-elected by the membership of the New Jersey Hospital Association (NJHA) to the NJHA Board of Trustees for a two-year term expiring on December 31, 2022. NJHA The New Jersey Hospital Association is a not-for-profit trade organization committed to delivering support and services to New Jersey’s hospitals, health systems and other healthcare providers with a collective goal of providing quality, affordable, and accessible healthcare across the state.

Dario Pompili, associate professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at the School of Engineering has been named by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Board of Directors as an IEEE Fellow for contributions to underwater acoustic communication networks and in recognition of his outstanding record of accomplishments in this IEEE field of interest.

Marilyn Carnevale, senior auditor at Rutgers Audit and Advisory Services, was honored by the Association of College and University Auditors as one of only two 2020 Rising Stars. This honor is in recognition of her significant individual contributions in the areas of internal audit, compliance, or risk management within the higher education industry.

Antonio Merolli, research professor in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at the School of Arts and Sciences, will serve as an officer on the 2020-2021 Society for Biomaterials (SFB) Council with the role of web editor. SFB is a multidisciplinary society of academic, healthcare, governmental, and business professionals dedicated to promoting advancements in biomaterial science, education, and professional standards to enhance human health and quality of life.

Patrick Strzelec, associate professor of sculpture in Deparment of Art and Design at Mason Gross School of the Arts, is this year's recipient of the Outstanding Educator Award from International Sculpture Center, an international, member-supported, nonprofit arts organization. Each year this award recognizes an artist-educator with an exceptional combination of personal studio practice and measurable academic performance who has also excelled at teaching sculpture in institutions of higher learning.

Residence Life has received international recognition, winning awards across multiple categories in the Association of College and University Housing Officers - International (ACUHO-I) Marketing Showcase for recent marketing and communication campaigns. Part of Rutgers Student Affairs, Residence Life received awards in four separate categories for their different campaigns, including “Overall Marketing and Communications Campaign," “Interactive Marketing,” “Website,” and “Marketing Specialty/Other.” Check out all of their 2019-2020 marketing awards and highlights and congratulations Residence Life!

Francine Conway, dean of and distinguished professor at Rutgers Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology (GSAPP) received the Psychologist of the Year Award from the New Jersey Psychological Association (NJPA) during NJPA’s annual conference on October 16, 2020. This award recognizes Conway’s important contributions to the profession of psychology in the state of New Jersey and to the profession through service to the association as well as define her as a valuable asset to the association by virtue of her character and unique professional abilities.

Jacquelyn Litt, dean of Douglass Residential College at Rutgers–New Brunswick, received the 2020 Woman as Agent of Change Award from the American Association of University Women (AAUW) of New Jersey for her efforts assisting women in their endeavors as they reach their true potential and for demonstrating leadership in supporting the empowerment of women.

Rebecca Vazquez, assistant director of the Office for Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance, has been named one of this year’s champions of the New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault (NJCASA). Her work in advancing NJCASA’s mission and helping to create a safer Garden State by putting survivors first was recognized during the third annual September Celebration of Champions on September 25, 2020.

Mollye Asher, part-time lecturer of filmmaking at Mason Gross School of the Arts, was vicariously honored earlier this month when Nomadland, a film by Chloe Zhao that she helped produce, won this year's top prize for best picture, the Golden Lion, at the film's world premiere at Venice Film Festival.

Pam Tanowitz, a part-time lecturer and visiting artist in dance at Mason Gross School of the Arts, has been named a 2020 Doris Duke Artist in the dance category by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. This honor is accompanied by an award of $275,000, which is "intended as an investment in and celebration of their artistic vitality and ongoing contributions to the fields of contemporary dance, jazz, and theater."

Rutgers has been named one of 2020's Best Colleges for LGBTQ+ students through a partnership of Best Colleges and Campus Pride. Based on a combination of Best Colleges' Academic and Affordability Metrics and the Campus Pride index score, this national ranking recognizes Rutgers' efforts to encourage and build a safer and more inclusive LGBTQ-friendly educational and campus environment for students of all gender and sexual identities. These efforts include providing support services and programs offered by Rutgers Center for Social Justice Education and LGBT Communities and a variety of LGBTQ+ student organizations as well as providing housing options for queer and non-binary individuals. Read more about this ranking and Rutgers' role in creating an inclusive community for all students.

Rutgers has been named one of 2020's Best Colleges for LGBTQ+ students through a partnership of Best Colleges and Campus Pride. Based on a combination of Best Colleges' Academic and Affordability Metrics and the Campus Pride index score, this national ranking recognizes Rutgers' efforts to encourage and build a safer and more inclusive LGBTQ-friendly educational and campus environment for students of all gender and sexual identities. These efforts include providing support services and programs offered by Rutgers Center for Social Justice Education and LGBT Communities and a variety of LGBTQ+ student organizations as well as providing housing options for queer and non-binary individuals. Read more about this ranking and Rutgers' role in creating an inclusive community for all students.

James Millonig, senior associate dean of the School of Graduate Studies, associate professor in the Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, and member of the Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine, has been selected as a new standing member of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) Training and Workforce Development Subcommittee C (TWD-C), through the National Institutes of Health's Office of Extramural Research. Membership on this review committee provides a unique opportunity to contribute to the national biomedical research effort, with a primary focus on the diversity biomedical undergraduate, PhD, and postdoctoral grants.

Pam Tanowitz, professor of choreography for the Dance Department at the Mason Gross School of the Arts, has been awarded the 2020 Jerome Robbins Dance Division Dance Research Fellowship by the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. The fellowship supports scholars and practitioners engaged in research using the dance division's archives while they explore the theme of dance and immigration. Fellows will present their works and findings at a public symposium in January 2021.

The Office of Career Exploration and Success has launched a new webpage to help recognize the contributions of the Career Knights of Distinction honorees, virtually highlighting and commending their commitment to the Rutgers career community. The 2020 honorees include:

• Daniel Gabrielsen, system administrator for IT Services at Rutgers–New Brunswick;
• Cherise Kent, assistant dean in the School of Arts and Sciences;
• Chitra Ponnusamy, program director in the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences; and
• Iris Zipkin, assistant dean in the School of Arts and Sciences.

Check out more information about the 2020 Career Knights of Distinction and other honorees.

The 2019-2020 Faculty Awards, originally announced in a universitywide message in May, honor 34 exemplary members of the Rutgers faculty for their exceptional contributions to teaching, research, or public service. Honorees are recognized and selected by their colleagues and each receives a commemorative certificate and an honorarium. A complete list of the honorees can be found on the Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs webpage. Congratulations to this year's award winners!

M. Bishr Omary, Henry Rutgers Professor of Biomedical Sciences at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and senior vice chancellor for Academic Affairs and Research at RBHS, has the honor of serving as president of the American Gastroenterological Association, starting June 1, 2020. The AGA strives to support and empower clinicians and researchers to improve digestive health both on a domestic and international scale.

Six Rutgers community members have been selected for the Clinical, Translational, and Basic Science Research Grants Program by the Governor's Council for Medical Research and Treatment of Autism of the New Jersey Autism Center of Excellence:

• Jeremy Lessing (School of Environmental and Biological Sciences),
• Silvia Ortiz-Mantilla (Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience),
• Mladen-Roko Rasin (Robert Wood Johnson Medical School),
• Kirin Suri (Robert Wood Johnson Medical School),
• Elizabeth Torres (School of Arts and Sciences), and
• Barbie Zimmerman-Bier (Robert Wood Johnson Medical School).

The combined award total of $2.4 million will support the efforts of these Rutgers researchers as they work to advance the understanding, treatment, and management of Autism in diverse subject areas, ranging from analysis on a molecular level to the examination of complex social behaviors and services.

The Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) has selected the communications and marketing team of Rutgers–New Brunswick and RBHS, R-Comm, as one of the Silver award winners for this year's Circle of Excellence Award in Video. The winning video, Rutgers Provides Hope for Ex-Offenders Navigating Recovery and a Life Beyond Bars, is part of a project series that highlights the life-changing work of the University Behavioral Health Care's Intensive Recovery Treatment Support program and provides an informational narrative following one former inmate’s journey to recovery. The Circle of Excellence Awards are the most prestigious in higher education marketing and communications and, each year, they help acknowledge superior accomplishments that have lasting impact, demonstrate the highest level of professionalism, and deliver exceptional results through innovative, inspiring, and creative ideas.

Darrin York, professor in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at the School of Arts and Sciences (SAS), has received the second annual Grossman Innovation Prize from SAS, which provides financial support over a one-year period to faculty members developing innovative ideas with commercial potential. This prize will support York's research work to improve drug development.

Enver Cagri Izgu, professor of the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, has received the Trailblazer Award from the National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIH/NIBIB). The NIH/NIBIB is designed to provide early-stage investigators with opportunities to pursue high-impact research programs of high interest at the interface of the life sciences and physical sciences.

Mark H. Einstein, professor and chair of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women's Health at New Jersey Medical School, has been named president of the board of directors of the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology, which is dedicated to improving clinical performance and patient outcomes through the study of HPV-related diseases.

Petros Levounis, professor and clinical chair of the Department of Psychiatry at New Jersey Medical School, has been named a Distinguished Fellow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM). Levounis has also received the Educator of the Year Award from ASAM's Medical Education Council for his outstanding contributions to addiction medicine education.

Steffani Jemison, assistant professor of media in the Department of Art and Design at Mason Gross School of the Arts, was awarded a 2020 Guggenheim Fellowship by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation for demonstrating "prior achievement and exceptional promise." Guggenheim Fellowships provide a significant source of support for artists, scholars in the humanities and social sciences, and scientific researchers.

Rebecca Cypess, associate director of the Department of Music at Mason Gross School of the Arts, received the Provost's Award for Excellence in Cross-Disciplinary Research, which recognizes faculty whose research area aims to achieve disruptive or transformative impacts at the interface of two disparate fields of scholarly inquiry.

Jeff Friedman, director of the MFA Dance Program at the Mason Gross School of the Arts, and Thomas Lennon, director of the Documentary Film Lab at the Rutgers Filmmaking Center, have been awarded First Prize for outstanding documentary for their piece, Dance | Parkinson's. The 2020 Utah Dance Film Festival recognized their work for its outstanding design achievements and featuring observational storytelling, educational details, and an invitation for active participation.

Tiffany Murano, professor of emergency medicine at New Jersey Medical School, has been voted as president-elect of the Council of Residency Directors in Emergency Medicine. The organization provides resources and develops best practices for residency and fellowship programs, and also provides faculty development by leaders in emergency medicine education.

Jeff Friedman, director of the MFA Dance Program at the Mason Gross School of the Arts, and Thomas Lennon, director of the Documentary Film Lab at the Rutgers Filmmaking Center, have been awarded First Prize for outstanding documentary for their piece, Dance | Parkinson's. The 2020 Utah Dance Film Festival recognized their work for its outstanding design achievements and featuring observational storytelling, educational details, and an invitation for active participation.

Tiffany Murano, professor of emergency medicine at New Jersey Medical School, has been voted as president-elect of the Council of Residency Directors in Emergency Medicine. The organization provides resources and develops best practices for residency and fellowship programs, and also provides faculty development by leaders in emergency medicine education.

Julius M. Gardin, professor of medicine and interim director of the Division of Cardiology at New Jersey Medical School, has been invited to deliver the Richard E. Kerber Ethics/Humanitarian Lecture at the American Society of Echocardiography Annual Scientific Sessions in June 2020.

Tobias Gerhard, director, Center for Pharmacoepidemiology and Treatment Science, and associate professor, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, has won the 2020 Sternfels Prize for Drug Safety Discoveries for his proposal, "Novel Approach to Examine Within-Class Therapeutic Exchangeability of Medications." The Stenfels Prize was created to incentivize scientists to think about ways to minimize the risk of side effects patients face when taking prescription drugs.

Reynold A. Panettieri, Jr., vice chancellor for translational medicine and science and professor of medicine at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, has been elected to serve on the board of BioNJ for a three-year term. BioNJ is the life sciences trade association for New Jersey with nearly 400 member companies representing research-based life sciences organizations and stakeholders across the ecosystem.

Two graduate programs—master of statistics in financial statistics and risk management degree, Department of Statistics, and master of science in mathematical finance degree, Department of Mathematics—ranked among the top 25 quantitative finance master's degrees in the world by Risk.net, a leading global publication covering quantitative finance and risk management.

Paul Orbe, part-time lecturer, has been honored by the New York Section of the American Chemical Society with the Nichols Foundation Chemistry Teacher Award for his dedicated work as an outstanding high school chemistry teacher.

Qiana Brown, assistant professor at the School of Social Work and the School of Public Health, has been selected by the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) Program for the CTSA Travel Stipend Award for her dedication to research in the area of system-level change to improve maternal and child health.

Omar Dewachi, associate professor, Department of Anthropology, School of Arts and Sciences, won the New Millennium Book Award from the Society for Medical Anthropology. This biannual award recognizes "the author whose work is judged to be the most significant and potentially influential contribution to medical anthropology. Books of exceptional courage and potential impact beyond the field will be given special consideration."

Steffani Jemison, assistant professor of media, Department of Art and Design, Mason Gross School of the Arts, received the 2020 Creative Capital Award from Creative Capital for her video art installation In Succession, which was inspired by a true story of a jail escape in New Brunswick. This award supports innovative and adventurous artists through funding, counsel, and career development services.

Rachel Meyers, clinical associate professor, Department of Pharmacy Practice and Administration, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, has been published in the February issue of the Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Meyers' paper, “A Wish List for Drug Development in Pediatrics,” is also one of the features on the journal’s new website.

Shawna V. Hudson, professor and research division chief, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, has been selected to serve as a member of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's Committee on Implementing High-Quality Primary Care. Hudson will help examine the current state of primary care and develop an implementation plan to build upon recommendations from a 1996 IOM report, "Primary Care: America's Health in a New Era" to strengthen U.S. primary care services for underserved populations.

Travis Love and Jamir Tuten, community engagement specialists at the New Jersey Medical School Clinical Research Center, received the 2019 Newark PROUD Award for making great strides in advocating for the LGBTQ community.

Three School of Social Work faculty members were recognized for their work at the 2020 Society for Social Work and Research’s Annual Conference.

• Woojin Jung, assistant professor, received the 2020 SSWR Outstanding Social Work Doctoral Dissertation Award
• Sarah McMahon, associate professor and director of the Center on Violence Against Women and Children, received the 2020 SSWR Social Policy Researcher Award for an Emerging Scholar
• Kathleen J. Pottick, professor, was inducted as a 2020 Fellow of the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare

Mubashir Shabil Billah, urology resident physician at New Jersey Medical School, was awarded top abstract at the World Congress of Endourology in Abu Dhabi for "Operative and Functional Outcomes for Selective Clamping in Robotic Partial Nephrectomy for Patients with a Solitary Kidney."

Perry N. Halkitis, dean and professor at the School of Public Health, received the 2020 APA Award for Distinguished Contributions to Psychology in the Public Interest by the American Psychological Association in recognition for his lifetime of outstanding contributions in the public interest.

Chien-Chung Huang, professor and director of the Huamin Research Center at the School of Social Work, was selected as a Fellow of the World Academy of Productivity Science for his work on the efficiency and effectiveness of philanthropy on social development.

Peggy Policastro, director of the Culinary Health Program at New Jersey Institute for Food, Nutrition, and Health and nutritionist at Rutgers Dining Services, was named among the Top Women in Metro New York Foodservice and Hospitality by Total Food Service for her innovation within a major discipline of the foodservice industry.

Two Rutgers professors have been named fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Thomas Leustek is an associate dean for academic administration and assessment and professor in the Department of Plant Biology at the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, and Teresa Wood is a professor in the Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience at New Jersey Medical School.

Varun Channagiri, a resident at New Jersey Medical School anesthesiology program, was awarded first place by the New York Academy of Medicine for the poster presentation "Adaptation of Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 1 in the Lateral Habencula During Alcohol Withdrawal" at the academy’s annual Anesthesiology Residents’ Night in October.

Sofia Gilels, a resident at New Jersey Medical School anesthesiology program, was awarded first place by the New York Academy of Medicine for the oral presentation "Reactive Oxygen Species Play a Role in P2X7 Receptor-Mediated IL-6 Production in Spinal Astrocytes" at the academy’s annual Anesthesiology Residents’ Night in October.

Joseph A. Battaglia, clinical associate professor of restorative dentistry at Rutgers School of Dental Medicine, received the 2019 Distinguished Service Award from the Academy of General Dentistry for his leadership and significant contributions to advocacy and education in the practice of dentistry.

Martin J. Blaser, director, Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine and Henry Rutgers Chair of the Human Microbiome Professor, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, was awarded the 2019 Robert Koch Gold Medal by the Robert Koch Foundation in recognition of his outstanding life's work as a scientist. Blaser was also recently honored by the King and Queen of the Netherlands with a special invitation to serve as the keynote speaker at the Palace Symposium in the Royal Palace in Amsterdam in November. This high-profile meeting focused on the microbiome and its medical implications.

Marilyn Carnevale, senior auditor of Audit and Advisory Services, was named among the 2019 Emerging Leaders by the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA). The global professional association IAA names 15 people each year in their award-winning international magazine, Internal Auditor. Selection is based on innovation, acumen, and passion within the internal auditing profession.

William Jones, senior director of the Office of Career Exploration and Success, has been named the Big 10 Career Services Professional of the Year, which is the highest honor the Big 10 Consortium bestows upon a career services professional each year.

Jasbir Puar, professor and graduate director of women's and gender studies, will receive the 2019 Kessler Award by the Center for LGBTQ Studies at CUNY's Graduate Center (CLAGS) for her significantly influential scholarly work in the field of LGBTQ studies. The award will be presented at the annual CLAGS speaking event on December 5. Learn more and register.

Gabriel Kotliar, Board of Governors Professor of Physics in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, has been awarded the 2020 Aneesur Rahman Prize for Computational by the American Physical Society in recognition of his outstanding achievement in computational physics research.

Yekaterina (Kate) Opsha, clinical assistant professor of pharmacy practice and administration, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, has been elected as the New Jersey Cardiovascular State Liaison for the American College of Cardiology (ACC). Opsha is the first pharmacist to hold this prestigious position for the state chapter of the ACC.

Kathleen J. Pottick, professor at the School of Social Work and core faculty member at the Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research, was elected as a Fellow of the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare.

The American Musicological Society awarded the 2019 Book Prize of the Jewish Studies and Music Study Group to Sara Levy's World: Gender, Judaism, and the Bach Tradition in Enlightenment Berlin, which is co-edited by Rebecca Cypess, associate director of the Music Department at Mason Gross School of the Arts, and Nancy Sinkoff, academic director of the Allen and Joan Bildner Center for the Study of Jewish Life and associate professor of Jewish studies and history.

Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Salvador Mena has been recognized by the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators Foundation as a Pillar of the Profession for his service and leadership in student affairs and higher education.

Alexander V. Neimark, Distinguished Professor of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, has been inducted as a fellow of the International Adsorption Society for his seminal contributions to the theory of adsorption and characterization of porous materials.

Rutgers School of Nursing faculty members Mary L. Johansen, clinical associate professor; Jeffrey Kwong, professor; and Charlotte Thomas-Hawkins, assistant dean and associate professor, were inducted as 2019 Fellows of the American Academy of Nursing.

Assistant Professor J. Sophia Fu was awarded the 2019 Best Social Entrepreneurship Paper by the Academy of Management and received the 2019 Gerald R. Miller Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award from the National Communication Association, which recognizes new scholars who completed outstanding dissertations during the previous academic year.

Michael Lewis, Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics and Psychiatry and director of the Institute for the Study of Child Development at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, presented a Cornerstone Lecture at the October Renaissance Weekend. The series was designed as a non-partisan, off-the-record retreat to gather diverse and innovative leaders to encourage open conversation and advancement in their varied fields of study.

David Livingston, Wesley J. Howe Professor and chief of the division of trauma and surgical critical care at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, has been named president-elect of the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST), the premier scholarly organization dedicated to the science and practice of the field of trauma and critical care, for being recognized as a nationwide leader in his field as well as having contributed to major clinical research programs in trauma outcomes and survivorship.

Rutgers School of Social Work Dean and Distinguished Professor Cathryn C. Potter, Assitant Professor Emily Bosk, and Part-Time Lecturer Debra Ruisard, were among several members from the Rutgers community honored by the Center for Great Expectations for their contributions to the center's mission of public service and care.

The New Jersey Alliance for Clinical and Translational Science (NJ ACTS) awarded four faculty members grant funding in support of their research projects. Awardees include: Qiana Brown, School of Social Work and School of Public Health; Chintan Dave, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy; Elissa Kozlov, Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research; and Ankit Shah, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded the Rutgers Optimizes Innovation (ROI) Program a $4 million grant in September as part of the Research Evaluation and Commercialization Hubs (REACH) program, which aims to catalyze innovation and collaboration between academic research institutions and the world of business to improve health.

Albert Alhatem, resident, Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, was named a resident poster finalist by the American Society for Clinical Pathology for his research project 'Primary Cutaneous Clear Cell Sarcoma Clinical Outcome with Sentinel Lymph Node Status: Case Series and Systematic Review' at the 2019 annual meeting.

Maria Soto-Greene, executive vice dean, professor of medicine, and director of the Hispanic Center of Excellence at New Jersey Medical School, has been named 2019 Clotilde Dent Bowen, MD, Visiting Professor for Inclusive Excellence by The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in recognition of her distinguished career as a leader and innovator advancing inclusion and excellence.

Margaret Swarbrick, director of practice innovation and wellness at University Behavioral Health Care, has been named among the 100 Innovative Women Leaders in Global Mental Health by Columbia University Global Mental Health Programs. Swarbrick has been a leader in promoting a wellness approach to addressing serious mental illness and has been central to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration strategies to promote wellness for better behavioral health outcomes.

Yair Rosenthal, Distinguished Professor in the Marine and Coastal Sciences and Earth and Planetary Sciences, has been elected to the 2019 American Geophysical Union Class of Fellows. Fellows are recognized for their scientific eminence in the earth and space sciences.

Victoria Abraira, assistant professor, Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, School of Arts and Sciences, was selected as a 2019 Pew Scholar in Biomedical Sciences by the Pew Charitable Trusts. The Pew Scholars Program provides funding to young investigators of outstanding promise in science relevant to the advancement of human health.

Brian L. Strom, chancellor of Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, has been elected to the board of directors of the Clinical Research Forum.

Jeffrey Carson, provost-New Brunswick at Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, has received the Middlesex County Medical Society 2019 Academic Award for his contributions to the education of medical students, residents, and fellows and for his accomplishments in medicine and academia.

Michael Lewis, Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics and Psychiatry and director of the Institute for the Study of Child Development at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, was awarded the Board of Trustees Award for Excellence in Research for the academic year 2018-2019 for his pioneering work and high-impact research contributions over three decades that have shaped the field of child development as well as society’s understanding of emotional development. 

Gabriel Kotliar, Board of Governors Professor of Physics in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, School of Arts and Sciences, and Masayori Inouye, Distinguished Professor at the Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, have been elected to the National Academy of Sciences.

Alfred Tallia, professor and chair of the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, was elected chair of the National Board of Medical Examiners.

Recipients of the Clement A. Price Human Dignity Award and Leaders in Faculty Diversity Award, sponsored by the Committee to Advance Our Common Purposes, will be honored with a reception on April 15 from noon to 2 p.m. at the College Avenue Student Center. Learn more and RVSP online.

Clement A. Price Human Dignity Award Recipients

• Crystal Bedley, research manager, Office for the Promotion of Women in Science, Engineering, and Math
• Carlos Fernandez, director, Center for Latino Arts and Culture
• Abril Jiménez, doctoral student in Spanish linguistics, Department of Spanish and Portuguese, School of Arts and Sciences
• Howard McGary Jr., Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, School of Arts and Sciences
• Maria L. Soto-Greene, vice dean and professor of medicine, New Jersey Medical School
• Gender Center of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
• Student Family Health Care Center, New Jersey Medical School

Leaders in Faculty Diversity Award Recipients
The award honors faculty who have been leaders in promoting diversity, inclusion, equity, and access at Rutgers.

• Helen Buettner, chair, Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, School of Engineering
• Humberto Jimenez, clinical assistant professor, Pharmacy Practice and Administration Department, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy

The New Jersey Society of Health-System Pharmacists awarded Joseph Barone, dean, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, the 2019 Gregory A. Santora Pharmacist of the Year Leadership Award.

Joel Cantor, Distinguished Professor of Public Policy and director of the Center for State Health Policy at Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research, has been elected to the National Academy of Social Insurance.

Sandra Connolly, medical director, Northern State Prison, University Correctional Health Care, Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care, received the Columbia University Lion Award: Outstanding Leader in Adult Services from the New Jersey Association of Mental Health and Addiction Agencies.

P. Ashley Wackym, chair of the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, received the Gold Medal Award from Prosper Ménière Society for furthering the goals of the society through "research excellence, scientific innovation, and far-reaching contributions to the investigation of inner ear disorders."

Sallie Porter, associate professor, Division of Advanced Nursing Practice, School of Nursing, and nursing discipline coordinator, New Jersey Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disorders, the Boggs Center on Developmental Disabilities, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, received the inaugural New Jersey Autism Center of Excellence Faculty Scholarship Award, sponsored by the Governor’s Council for Medical Research and Treatment of Autism. This is a scholarship to advance education on treatments and care of people with autism at both undergraduate and graduate levels of higher education across the state.

Mary Bridgeman, clinical associate professor, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, was inducted into the National Academies of Practice at their annual meeting on March 9.

Nancy Yunhwa Rao, head of music theory, Music Department, Mason Gross School of the Arts, received the Best Book Award for Humanities and Cultural Studies from the Association for Asian American Studies for Chinatown Opera Theater in North America in the category of media, visual, and performance studies.

Richard Novak, vice president for continuing studies and distance education, Rutgers Division of Continuing Studies, received the Julius M. Nolte Award for Extraordinary Leadership from the University Professional and Continuing Education Association.

Jeffrey Laskin, Distinguished Professor, School of Public Health, and Thomas Nosker, assistant research professor, material sciences and engineering, School of Engineering, are elected senior members of the National Academy of Inventors.

School of Nursing senior associate dean Linda Flynn and Professor Emerita Hurdis M. Griffith are among five ambassadors named Friends of the National Institute of Nursing Research for their abilities to advance public, health professions, and policymaker awareness of the critical research agenda linked to the NINR.

The Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Department of Medicine received an honorable mention in the 2018 Education Design Showcase for the renovation of the seventh floor of the Clinical Academic Building. The vision of "Science on Display" was conceived using an open and transparent design approach to visually pique curiosity and cultivate collaboration among administrators, clinicians, residents, and researchers, and to improve the overall learning and research experience.

Erin Vogel, Henry Rutgers Term Chair Professor of Anthropology, School of Arts and Sciences, received the 2019 Robert W. Sussman Award for scientific contributions to anthropology from the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Francine Conway, dean, Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology, has been elected as president-elect of the National Council of Schools and Programs of Professional Psychology.

The opera Sister Carrie by Robert Aldridge, head of composition, Music Department, Mason Gross School of the Arts, was named one of the five best new works of 2018 by Opera News.

David Kietrys, associate professor, Department of Rehabilitation and Movement Sciences, School of Health Professions, was selected as an associate editor for Behavioral Medicine, a peer-reviewed journal that focuses on biopsychosocial aspects of health. He will work with editor-in-chief Perry Halkitis, dean, School of Public Health.

Ravi Maharajh, program manager, Center for Continuing Education, Behavioral Research and Training Institute, University Behavioral Health Care, has been accepted to the New Jersey Healthcare Executive Leadership Academy.

The New Jersey Climate Change Alliance, co-facilitated by Jeanne Herb, executive director, Environmental Analysis and Communications Group, Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, and Marjorie Kaplan, associate director, Rutgers Climate Institute, received the 2018 Governors Environmental Excellence Award in the “Educator” category. The alliance is a diverse network of leaders who self-organized in 2011 to advance shared goals for addressing climate change in New Jersey, focusing on research, analyses, decision support tools, education, and outreach.

Jawid Mojaddedi, professor, Department of Religion, School of Arts and Sciences, was awarded a one-year fellowship from the National Endowment for the Humanities for his project, "The First Ever Verse Translation of Book Five of Rumi’s Masnavi."

Graduate School of Education faculty members W. Steven Barnett, director of the National Institute for Early Education Research, and Bruce Baker have been named among the 100 most influential education scholars in the nation in the 2019 Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings published by Education Week.

Nicholas M. Ponzio, professor and master educator, Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, New Jersey Medical School, received the 2018 Excellence in Teaching Award from the New Jersey Health Foundation for his groundbreaking new courses and programs teaching doctoral trainees and scientists how to communicate their research to diverse audiences.

Evan Cohen, associate professor, Department of Physical Therapy, School of Health Professions, received the 2018 Healthcare Leader Award from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Greater Delaware Valley Chapter, for "his interest in MS research, commitment to education, high standards for care, and his inquiring mind."

Edmond LaVoie, professor, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, and Joachim Messing, research director, Waksman Institute of Microbiology, Selman A. Waksman University Professor of Molecular Genetics at Rutgers, have been elected by the National Academy of Inventors to the 2018 class of Fellows. Election to NAI Fellow status is the highest professional distinction given to academic inventors who have demonstrated a prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development, and the welfare of society.

Ah-Ng Tony Kong, Distinguished Professor, Glaxo Endowed Chair in Pharmaceutics, graduate director in pharmaceutical science, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, has been named among an elite group recognized for exceptional research performance demonstrated by production of multiple highly cited papers that rank in the top 1 percent by citations in the Web of Science for 2018 by Clarivate Analytics.

Sharon Anderson, assistant dean, Division of Advanced Nursing Practice, assistant professor, School of Nursing, received the 2018 Nurse of the Year Award from the March of Dimes, North Central New Jersey Market. Anderson, a nationally certified neonatal nurse practitioner, was recognized for excellence in advanced practice clinical care, education, research, and scholarship.

XinQi Dong, director, Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research, Henry Rutgers Distinguished Professor of Population Health Sciences, received the 2018 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Award for Health Equity. This award is presented by the Asian and Pacific Islander Caucus for Public Health, which recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions toward achieving health equity.

Kathleen Cullinen, program evaluator, François-Xavier Bagnoud Center, School of Nursing, was recognized by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics with the 2018 Excellence in Public Health and Community Nutrition Award. Cullinen, a registered dietitian and 25-year member of the academy, received the award for her outstanding service, leadership, and contributions to the field of public health and community nutrition.

Jeffrey L. Carson, provost-New Brunswick, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, distinguished professor of medicine, and Richard C. Reynolds, M.D. chair in general internal medicine at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, was inducted into the National Blood Foundation’s Hall of Fame. Carson was recognized for reshaping transfusion medicine through National Institutes of Health–supported clinical trials, the evidence from which was used to establish and revise national standards, saving vital pints of blood and enhancing care for even the most critical of patients. 

William L. Holzemer, dean and distinguished professor, School of Nursing, received two awards in November: The 2018 Hyacinth Award from the Hyacinth Foundation and the 2018 Trailblazer Award from the Northern New Jersey Black Nurses Association. Hyacinth, New Jersey’s first and largest HIV services organization, recognized Holzemer for his outstanding research and advocacy for people living with HIV. He received the Trailblazer award for global leadership in nursing education and research.

Two members of the department of music, Mason Gross School of the Arts, were honored with annual awards from the American Musicological Society: Rebecca Cypess, associate director, musicology, received the Noah Greenberg Award for her forthcoming recording “Sisters, Face-to-Face: The Bach Legacy in Women’s Hands”, and Nancy Rao, head of music theory, received the Music in American Culture Award for her book Chinatown Opera Theater in North America.

New Jersey Poison Control Center, department of emergency medicine, New Jersey Medical School, received the National Media Award from the American Association of Poison Control Centers. The poison center was one of the top three U.S. Poison Control Centers with the most media coverage/exposure for 2017–18.

Nicole Cushman, executive director of Answer at the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology, received the Outstanding Young Professionals Award at the American Public Health Association Conference.

The Physician Assistant Education Association recognized the physician assistant program at the School of Health Professions with its Excellence in Diversity Award for encouraging more diverse students to enter the health professions and teaching students to tackle health disparities.

James Oleske, professor of pediatrics, New Jersey Medical School, received the George Perez Medical Award for his 30 years of service as chair of the North Jersey Community Research Initiative Institutional Review Board and one of their physicians. His pioneering work in pediatric HIV/AIDS laid the groundwork for innovative and cutting-edge clinical practices.

Sanjay Tyagi, professor of medicine, Public Health Research Institute, New Jersey Medical School, and his former student, Arjun Raj, are the 2018 recipients of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers’ Edison Patent Award in the tech transfer category for their method to simultaneously detect, localize, and quantify individual messenger RNA molecules in a cell.

Rutgers Dining Services was ranked 13th in the nation for best college food by The Daily Meal, which considered over 2,000 colleges and universities for this list based on accessibility, sustainability, education, and more.

Department of Residence Life, Division of Student Affairs, received several marketing awards from the Association of College and University Housing Officers: first place in the social media category for its Best Room Contest; second place in the logo, mark or icon category for its Cook and Douglass Campus mark; and second place in the website category for its Residence Life Move-In microsite.

Richard Drachtman, clinical section chief, pediatric hematology/oncology, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, received the Distinguished Service Award from the Melvyn H. Motolinsky Research Foundation for his work in the field of childhood cancers and blood disorders.

Deborah Spitalnik, professor, department of pediatrics, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, and executive director of The Boggs Center on Developmental Disabilities, was honored with the 2018 MyGOAL Autism Outstanding Professional of the Year Award for her dedication and service to individuals with autism.

Robert L. Johnson, the Sharon and Joseph L. Muscarelle Endowed Dean at New Jersey Medical School, received the Medical Trail Blazer Award from the North Jersey Community Research Initiative for serving community members of the city of Newark in the field of medicine, community development, education, and leadership in care and treatment access for those most affected by HIV/AIDS.

The Immunization Action Coalition has recognized Rutgers University on its Influenza Vaccination Honor Roll.

George McGhee, distinguished professor, department of earth and planetary sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, received an invitation to a workshop analyzing the convergent evolution of agriculture in insects and humans held in Vienna, Austria at the Konrad Lorenz Institute for Evolution and Cognition Research, an institute for the advanced study of complex natural systems.

Barbara Thomson, associate director for technology and data management and William Jones, senior director, University Career Services, were honored with the 2018 Technology Excellence Award from the National Association of Colleges and Employers for facilitating positive career planning experiences with a technology help desk.

Anne Gregory, associate professor, school psychology, Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology, is a recipient of the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning’s 2018 Joseph E. Zins Award for her research on the persistent trend that African American adolescents are issued school suspension and expulsion at higher rates than adolescents from other groups.

Susan Caplan, assistant professor, School of Nursing, was selected to become a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing.

Atiya Aftab, adjunct professor, Center for Middle Eastern Studies, and department of political science, School of Arts and Sciences, received the 2018 Professional Lawyer of the Year Award from the New Jersey Commission on Professionalism in the Law. Aftab was nominated by the New Jersey Muslim Lawyer’s Association.

Brian Strom, chancellor, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, was recognized in ROI-NJ Health Care Influencers list for having a “good vision for getting more federal medical dollars for research in the state,” “reducing Rutgers health system partners in the state,” and for being the “chosen education partner for one of the state’s largest systems.” Read more.

The New Jersey Climate Adaptation Alliance, co-facilitated by Jeanne Herb, executive director of the Environmental Analysis and Communications Group, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, and Marjorie Kaplan, associate director, Rutgers Climate Institute, received the 2018 Coastal and Ocean Champions Award from the Urban Coast Institute and was recognized by a joint resolution of the New Jersey legislature praising its meritorious efforts. Former New Jersey governors Thomas Kean and James Florio, honorary co-chairs of the alliance accepted the award on behalf of the alliance.

Ann Marie P. Mauro, associate dean, professor, and director of the Center for Educational Research and Innovation at the School of Nursing received the 2018 Excellence and Innovation in Teaching Award from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.

Mary Bridgeman, clinical associate professor, department of pharmacy practice and administration, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, received the 2018 Patient Care Provider Award in the Next-Generation Pharmacist Awards program, which recognizes leaders who are defining the future of pharmacy.

Richard Novak, vice president for continuing studies and distance education, Division of Continuing Studies, was awarded the NJEdge Technology Impact Award, which recognizes leadership in higher education technology.

Sandra Kaplan, professor, department of rehabilitation and movement, School of Health Professions, was awarded the Physical Therapy Special Interest Award by the American Physical Therapy Association of New Jersey for her contributions to the profession and her work to shape its future.

Zhixiong Guo, professor, department of mechanical and aerospace engineering, School of Engineering, and recipient of the Board of Trustees Award in 2018, has been appointed editor-in-chief of the Journal of Enhanced Heat Transfer, a prestigious journal founded by late professors Art Bergles and Ralph Webb in 1993.

Brian Strom, chancellor of Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, was awarded an honorary doctorate degree from Democritus University of Thrace in Komotini, Greece.

XinQi Dong, director of the Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research, received the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Award for Health Equity, presented by the Asian and Pacific Islander Caucus for Public Health.

Anil Nanda, chair, department of neurosurgery, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, was invited to be the Jamieson Memorial Lecturer at the Gold Coast 74th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Neurosurgical Society in Australia. This is the highest honor an international neurosurgeon can receive at the conference.

Cherie Castellano, peer support program administrator, Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care National Call Center, received the 2018 Silver Award for Psychiatric Services Achievement from the American Psychiatric Association for her groundbreaking Reciprocal Peer Support model of service delivery and innovative programs for persons living with mental illness or disabilities.

Anne C. Mosenthal, the Benjamin F. Rush Jr. Chair of Surgery at New Jersey Medical School, received the Olga Jonasson Distinguished Member Award for Mentorship from the Association of Women Surgeons. The award is presented to an AWS member who, through outstanding mentorship, enables and encourages women surgeons to realize their personal and professional goals.

Eric Gawiser, professor, department of physics and astronomy, School of Arts and Sciences, has been named Fellow of the American Physical Society for exceptional accomplishments and leadership in the study of galaxy evolution and cosmology.

William Halperin, professor, department of epidemiology, School of Public Health, received the 2018 NJPHA Dennis J. Sullivan Award for outstanding advocacy, leadership, service, and research of the health of New Jersey residents from the New Jersey Public Health Association.

Elaine Kwon, nucleic acid services and analyses laboratory manager of RUCDR Infinite Biologics, received the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Patriot Award for exceptional support of her Reserve Component employee who serves in the National Guard.

The Executive Committee of the Anthropology Section of the American Association for the Advancement of Science has recognized Erin R. Vogel, professor, department of anthropology, School of Arts and Sciences, with the 2019 Robert W. Sussman Award for Scientific Contributions to Anthropology for her scientific contributions to the field and to the understanding of primate evolution.

Kenneth W. Able, longtime director of the Rutgers University Marine Field Station received the Dwight A. Webster Memorial Award from the Northeastern Division of the American Fisheries Society.

Judy Cohn, assistant vice president for information services and director of Health Sciences Libraries, has been selected to receive the NJEdge/VALE Distinguished Service Award for Libraries.

Rutgers Health University Correctional Health Care has been awarded the National Commission on Correctional Health Care’s 2018 Program of the Year Award for its Continuous Quality Improvement Program.

Jocelyn Crowley, professor of public policy, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, received the 2018 Leslie A. Whittington Excellence in Teaching Award given by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs and Administration. 

Perry N. Halkitis, dean, School of Public Health, was recognized by the American Psychological Association as a Citizen Psychologist for his expansive work on behalf of the LGBT community spanning three decades.

Shantenu Jha, associate professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, School of Engineering, was the lead of an international team that won the IEEE International Scalable Computing Challenge for designing a software framework for accurately and rapidly calculating how strongly drug candidates bind to their target proteins.

On behalf of the SIDS Center of New Jersey, Barbara M. Ostfeld, professor, and Thomas Hegyi, professor and vice-chair, Department of Pediatrics, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, received a Public Health Innovators Award from the New Jersey Department of Health for creating a novel and free safe infant sleep app for mobile phones.

Regina Marchi, associate professor of journalism and media studies, School of Communication and Information, and her co-author, Lynn Schofield Clark, won the national 2018 Nancy Baym Annual Book Award, given by the Association of Internet Researchers for Young People and the Future of News: Social Media and the Rise of Connective Journalism.

Caridad Svich, instructor, Writers House, Department of English, School of Arts and Sciences, received the 2018 Ellen Stewart Award for Career Achievement in Professional Theatre from the Association for Theatre in Higher Education.