Congratulations to LAS faculty and staff honored with university and college awards

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is proud to recognize the outstanding achievements of its faculty and staff. More than 50 individuals have been selected as recipients of the 2025 LAS Awards, recognizing their dedication and contributions.

Additionally, several faculty and staff members have been honored with 2025 University Awards. Below are the recipients and the distinctions for which they were nominated and selected by their colleagues.

LAS awards to be presented at the LAS Convocation and Awards Ceremony

LAS Award for Early Achievement in Teaching
Wesley Cox
Assistant Teaching Professor
Department of Statistics

LAS Award for Early Achievement in Teaching
Brian Gillette
Lecturer
Department of English

LAS Award for Early Achievement in Teaching
Lindsay Maudlin
Assistant Teaching Professor
Department of the Earth, Atmosphere, and Climate

LAS Award for Outstanding Achievement in Teaching
Samik Basu
Professor
Department of Computer Science

LAS Award for Outstanding Achievement in Teaching
Michael Golemo
University Professor and Director of Bands
Department of Music and Theatre

LAS Award for Outstanding Achievement in Teaching (Term Faculty)
Lekha Adhikari
Teaching Professor
Department of Physics and Astronomy

LAS Award for Outstanding Achievement in Teaching (Term Faculty)
Brenna Dixon
Teaching Professor
Department of English

LAS Award for Outstanding Achievement in Teaching (Term Faculty)
Yue Ren
Teaching Professor
Department of Political Science

LAS Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Introductory Teaching (Term Faculty)
Amy Christensen
Associate Teaching Professor
Department of Music and Theatre

LAS Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Introductory Teaching (Term Faculty)
Kevin Kasper
Associate Teaching Professor
Department of Statistics

LAS Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Introductory Teaching (Term Faculty)
Corinna Most
Adjunct Associate Professor
Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology

LAS Award for Early Achievement in Academic Advising
Madison Akers
Academic Advisor
LAS Academic Student Services

Ruth W. Swenson Award for Outstanding Advising
Kevin Judge
Academic Advisor
LAS Academic Student Services

Ruth W. Swenson Award for Outstanding Advising
Samantha Robinson-Adams
Associate Teaching Professor
Department of English

LAS Award for Impact on Student Success – Faculty
Jeremy Best
Associate Professor
Department of History

LAS Award for Impact on Student Success – Faculty
Katherine Rafferty
Associate Teaching Professor and Associate Graduate Faculty Member
Department of Psychology and Communication Studies Program

LAS Award for Impact on Student Success – Faculty
Kelly Shaw
Teaching Professor
Department of Political Science

LAS Award for Impact on Student Success – P&S
Tessa Brow
Director
LAS Career Services

LAS Award for Impact on Student Success – P&S
Tyler Schoh
Academic Advisor
LAS Academic Student Services

LAS Award for Excellence in Graduate Mentoring
Amy Andreotti
University Professor
Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Molecular Biology

LAS Award for Excellence in Graduate Mentoring
William Crumpton
University Professor
Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology

LAS Award for Excellence in Graduate Mentoring
Peng Liu
Professor
Department of Statistics

LAS Award for Early Achievement in Research
Ruoyo Wu
Assistant Professor
Department of Mathematics

LAS Award for Mid-Career Achievement in Research
Hua Bai
Associate Professor
Department of Genetics, Development, and Cell Biology

LAS Award for Mid-Career Achievement in Research
Pablo Raúl Stinga
Associate Professor
Department of Mathematics

LAS Award for Mid-Career Achievement in Research
Julia Zaikina
Associate Professor
Department of Chemistry

LAS Award for Outstanding Achievement in Research
Daniela Dimitrova
University Professor and LAS Dean’s Professor
Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication

LAS Award for Outstanding Achievement in Research
Kirill Kovnir
Professor
Department of Chemistry

LAS Award for Outstanding Achievement in Research
Zhengyuan Zhu
LAS Dean’s Professor
Department of Statistics

LAS P&S Research Award
Makariy Tanatar
Scientist III and Adjunct Associate Professor
Ames Laboratory and Department of Physics and Astronomy

LAS Award for Early Achievement in Departmental Leadership
Mark Hargrove
Chair and Professor
Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Molecular Biology

LAS Award for Outstanding Achievement in Departmental Leadership
Volker Hegelheimer
Chair and Professor
Department of English

LAS Award for Outstanding Achievement in Extension or Professional Practice
Cindy Yu
Professor
Department of Statistics

LAS International Service Award
Lindsay Preseau
Assistant Professor
Department of World Languages and Cultures

LAS P&S Excellence Award
Kathleen Houseman
Director of Recruitment
Liberal Arts and Sciences Administration

LAS P&S Excellence Award
Aron Nakama
Teaching Laboratory Specialist
Department of Genetics, Development, and Cell Biology

LAS P&S Excellence Award
Lori Oh
Budget and Finance Specialist
Liberal Arts and Sciences Administration

LAS P&S Outstanding New Professional Award
Brooklin Border
Program Specialist
Scientific Illustration and Visualization Program and Start Something LAS Academy

LAS P&S Outstanding New Professional Award
Madelyn Clements
Teaching Laboratory Specialist
Department of Genetics, Development, and Cell Biology and Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology

LAS P&S Outstanding New Professional Award
Adam Frakes
Research Scientist III and Estimation Team Lead
Center for Survey Statistics and Methodology

LAS P&S Outstanding New Professional Award
Luke Grove
Budget and Finance Specialist
Liberal Arts and Sciences Administration

LAS P&S Outstanding New Professional Award
Kaylee Phillips Wellik
Program Specialist
Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication

LAS Award for Inclusive Excellence
Benjamin Johnson
Assistant Professor
Department of the Earth, Atmosphere, and Climate

LAS Award for Inclusive Excellence – Team
Ulrike Genschel, Jarad Niemi, Ann Hawkins, and Laura Ziegler
Department of Statistics

LAS Institutional Service Award
Petruța Caragea
Associate Chair and Professor
Department of Statistics

LAS Institutional Service Award
Tina Coffelt
Professor
Department of English and Communication Studies Program

LAS Institutional Service Award
Gary Sawyer
Associate Professor of Teaching
Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication

LAS Institutional Service Award
Elizabeth Zimmerman
Academic Advisor
LAS Academic Student Services

LAS Merit Excellence Award
Liese Vanderbroek
Secretary
Department of Computer Science

University awards, which will be presented by President Wendy Wintersteen and Provost Jason Keith at a different ceremony

Distinguished Professor
Lynn Clark
Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology

Distinguished Professor
William Gallus
Department of the Earth, Atmosphere, and Climate

Distinguished Professor
John Levis
Department of English

University Professor
Gustavo Macintosh
Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Molecular Biology

Morrill Professor
Sonja Giles
Department of Music and Theatre

Regents Award for Faculty Excellence
Scott Nelson
Associate Professor
Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Molecular Biology

Regents Award for Faculty Excellence
Linda Shenk
Professor
Department of English

Regents Award for Faculty Excellence
Erin Wilgenbusch
Teaching Professor
Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication

Regents Award for Staff Excellence
Lee Bendickson
Laboratory Technician
Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology

University Champion Award
Scott Feinstein
Assistant Professor
Department of Political Science

Award for Impact on Student Success
Paula Herrera-Siklody
Teaching Professor
Department of Physics and Astronomy

Award for Outstanding Achievement in Teaching
Louis Thompson Distinguished Undergraduate Teacher designation
Kathy Burke
Associate Professor of Teaching
Department of Chemistry

Award for Early Achievement in Departmental Leadership
Alex Tuckness
Chair and Professor
Department of Political Science

Award for Early Achievement in Academic Advising
Zack Bonner
Academic Advisor
LAS Academic Student Services

Award for Early Achievement in Research
Jacob Simon
Associate Professor
Department of Physics and Astronomy

Award for Early Achievement in Research
Tichakorn (Nok) Wongpiromsarn
Assistant Professor
Department of Computer Science

Professional and Scientific Excellence Award
Jie Li
Research Scientist III and Estimation Project Manager
Center for Survey Statistics and Methodology