LAS faculty members recognized for innovative research and teaching contributions

 

Recently, fourteen faculty members in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences received funded awards for dedication to undergraduate teaching and pursing innovative research in their respective academic areas. Here’s a brief look at their research and the awards they received.

Domenico D’Alessandro
Professor in the Department of Mathematics
Scott Hanna Faculty Professorship

Domenico D’Alessandro works in the mathematical field of control theory — a science that studies how objects in nature or technology can be controlled to perform desired tasks or behave in a desired way. Control theory has many real-world applications, from automated driving to optimal problem solving. Applications of his research promise to increase solutions for computational problems and improve the capabilities of measurement devices, among other things.

Bernard Lidický
Professor in the Department of Mathematics
Scott Hanna Faculty Professorship

Bernard Lidický’s primary research focus is combinatorics, a type of mathematics that involves discrete structures. Sudoku is an example of a combinatorial problem. His specialty is graph coloring and extremal combinatorics. Lidický advises and mentors graduate students who become teachers or work in industry. He believes he directly impacts mathematics and data science through the students he teaches.

The Scott Hanna Endowed Professorship recognizes outstanding math faculty who demonstrate excellence in teaching, research, and service, in addition to making meaningful contributions to the field of mathematics.

Adam Kaminski
Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy
Harmon-Ye Endowed Professorship

Adam Kaminski’s research focuses on condensed matter physics and electronic properties of quantum materials. He seeks novel materials to develop new technologies, focusing on materials that will replace current silicon-based technology with electron-spin technology.

The Harmon-Ye Endowed Professorship honors Bruce Harmon, a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of condensed matter at Iowa State. Distinguished alumni Jun Ye (’91 physics and astronomy) and Huiqing Wang (’94 botany), have provided a gift to establish the Harmon-Ye Endowed Professorship to support the work of outstanding faculty members in science, technology, engineering, or math.

David Vogel
Professor in the Department of Psychology
Wendy and Mark Stavish Chair in Social Sciences

In his research, David Vogel focuses on stigma-reducing barriers for those who seek mental health treatment. Vogel is the director of training in the Counseling Psychology Program and the head of the Vogel Research Lab.

Iowa State alumni Wendy and Mark Stavish of Leesburg, Virginia, provided funds to create the endowed faculty position specializing in the field of social sciences.

Jonas Hartwig
Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics
Scott Hanna Faculty Fellowship in Mathematics

Jonas Hartwig’s research encompasses representation theory and mathematical physics. He is an organizer of the ongoing Algebra and Geometry Seminar series. Hartwig plans to use part of his fellowship to organize a mathematics conference for students at Iowa State.

The Scott Hanna Faculty Fellowship in Mathematics recognizes outstanding math faculty who demonstrate excellence in teaching, research, and service.

Dipali Sashital
Professor in the Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology
Suresh Faculty Fellowship 

Dipali Sashital is an expert in RNA structure and function. She leads the Sashital lab, which strives to understand the mechanisms of CRISPR-Cas systems in bacteria and biotechnology. The laboratory researchers combine biochemical, structural, and cellular tools to understand the function of RNA-protein complexes involved in CRISPR-Cas systems. Sashital is particularly interested in understanding the origin and potential biological consequences of off-target cuts made by CRISPR-Cas systems.

The Suresh Faculty Fellowship was established by Iowa State alumnus Subra Suresh to support faculty at Iowa State.

Erin Wilgenbusch
Teaching Professor in the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication
Allen Essman Faculty Fellowship

In her role at the Greenlee School, Erin Wilgenbusch spearheaded the creation of the Bachelor of Science degree in public relations and its subsequent accreditation through the Public Relations Society of America. She serves as the faculty adviser to the Barbara Riedesel Iverson chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America, and as the director of undergraduate education. Wilgenbusch is known for engaging in high-impact teaching activities and interactive courses. She has helped students receive national recognition through awards and competitions.

The Allen Essman Faculty Fellowship recognizes excellence in advertising and/or public relations education.

Petruța Caragea
Professor and Associate Chair in the Department of Statistics
Cassling Family Faculty Award for Outstanding Achievement in Teaching

Petruța Caragea is developing statistical methods to analyze data that are related over time or space, helping scientists make predictions, uncover important relationships between different underlying phenomena, and facilitate meaningful interpretations of the information contained in the model structure. Along with her teaching, Caragea’s work helps scientists draw important conclusions about their experiments across many application domains – from meteorology and geology, to seed science, agronomy, ecology, and renewable energy production.

The Cassling Family Awards were established by Dr. Randal Cassling and Lori Cassling to recognize outstanding faculty members who are at various stages in their undergraduate teaching careers.

Christina Patricola
Associate Professor in the Department of the Earth, Atmosphere and Climate
Trapp Innovation Award

The primary goal of Christina Patricola’s research is to understand the physical relationships between extreme weather events, natural climate variability, and climate change. She designs and performs high-resolution numerical climate model simulations to investigate connections between the large-scale climate and extreme weather events, including tropical cyclones, floods, storms, and drought.

Funded through a donation from Onnolee U. Trapp and Orlin “Bud” D. Trapp, the Trapp Innovation Award recognizes a faculty member who is pursuing new or unique research in the fields of chemistry or the physical sciences.

Brandon Sams
Associate Professor in the Department of English
Shakeshaft Master Teacher in Humanities and Social Sciences Award

Brandon Sams devotes most of his teaching and mentoring time to undergraduate education, particularly to teaching English methods courses and supervising and mentoring interns in the field. Regardless of the course, Sams asks his students to critically apply what they’re learning and explain who they’re becoming as teachers. He enjoys working with graduate students in English and literacy education to help them create, conduct, and use research to make schools more thoughtful places where students can flourish.

The Shakeshaft Master Teacher award is presented annually to an outstanding undergraduate teacher in the humanities and social sciences.

Mack Shelley
Director of Graduate Education and University Professor in the Department of Political Science
Brian and Rondi Gardner Award

Mack Shelley blends his background in political science and statistical methods into research and teaching that is focused on the study of public policy. He frequently works with large, complex datasets to help derive evidence-based recommendations to provide opportunities for people to lead better, healthier, and more productive lives.

Established by Brian and Rondi Gardner, this award generously supports outstanding history and political science faculty who demonstrate exemplary service and dedication to students at Iowa State University.

Wallapak Tavanapong
Professor in the Department of Computer Science
Lange Faculty Excellence Award

Wallapak Tavanapong designs and develops new AI-assisted methods that accurately analyze biomedical data. This work could potentially improve computer science and biomedical research practice and patient care. Tavanapong also mentors graduate and undergraduate students who are conducting research in this area.

Created by alumnus Gene C. Lange, the Lange Faculty Excellence Award recognizes top faculty in the college who have demonstrated excellence in teaching or research.

Yu Wang
Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science
Cassling Innovation Award

Yu Wang analyzes energy and environmental policies about new technologies and perceptions related to climate risks and environmental justice. Her work facilitates the development and deployment of new, sustainable technology solutions to current societal problems, such as microgrid, demand response, renewable energy for enhancing power system resilience, green manufacturing for sustainable agriculture, and water reuse for reliable water supplies.

The Cassling Innovation Award was established by Dr. Randal Cassling and Lori Cassling to facilitate novel faculty research projects, especially as they relate to interdisciplinary research and scholarship.

Jeffrey Wheatley
Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies
Cassling Family Faculty Award for Early Achievement in Teaching

In his teaching and research, Jeffrey Wheatley analyzes the role of religion in U.S. culture and politics. His current book examines the concept of fanaticism Wheatley is a founding faculty member of the new game design major at Iowa State University, bringing insights from the humanities about human cultures, world-building, and supernatural game mechanics to the design of great games.

This Cassling Family Faculty Award recognizes early achievements in teaching.