UNT Awards for Research and Creativity Given at November 2 Reception

The Office of Research and Economic Development hosted its annual Research Reception and Awards Presentation on November 2 to honor UNT leaders in research, scholarship and creative endeavors. The reception also included an awards ceremony where six awards — five of which were newly created, were handed out to recognize outstanding faculty researchers. The award winners include:

Competitive Funding Award*
Honors the Principal Investigator who, during the preceding fiscal year, was awarded the highest amount of competitive extramural research grant funding that promoted the mission of UNT.
Finalists:
Jeffry Kelber, Chemistry
Gerald Knezek, Learning Technologies
Jyoti Shah, Biological Sciences

WINNER
Gerald Knezek — Learning Technologies
Dr. Knezek is Regents Professor and Director of UNT’s Institute for the Integration of Technology into Teaching and Learning. His National Science Foundation ITEST grant, “Middle Schoolers Out to Save the World,” studies how a technology based program can enhance science education while helping students monitor energy consumption. 

Creative Impact Award*
Honors the faculty member whose publications, performances, or exhibitions in the literary or creative arts have had the greatest societal impact.
Finalists:
Harlan Butt, Studio Art
Jerry McCoy, Music — Conducting
Jon Nelson, Music — Composition

WINNER
Harlan Butt — Studio Art
Harlan Butt is a Regents Professor and metalsmith artist with works on display all over the world.  He is best known for his intimately scaled vessels formed by hand, hammer, and sometimes spinning lathe.  He received his MFA from Southern Illinois University.

Decker Scholar Award (Two-Year Award)
The Decker Scholar Award acknowledges outstanding research in the natural sciences, computational sciences, or technology. Established more than 20 years ago as an endowed award by Elmer Decker, each recipient holds the distinction for two years, and is awarded research funds earned by the endowment.

WINNER (2009-2010 Recipient)
Paolo Grigolini — Physics
Dr. Grigolini is an internationally recognized theorist and member of UNT’s Center for Nonlinear Science.  Author of more than 250 publications, he studies the foundations of quantum mechanics, statistical physics, and biophysical problems such as DNA sequencing.

Early Career Award for Research and Creativity*
Recognizes the faculty member within her/his first 10 years in a full-time faculty appointment whose research accomplishments or creative endeavors have been the most outstanding.
Finalists:
Rada Mihalcea, Computer Science and Engineering
Pamela Padilla, Biological Sciences
Elaine Wittenberg-Lyles, Communication Studies

WINNER
Rada Mihalcea — Computer Science and Engineering
Dr. Mihalcea’s research finds ways to combine several different lexical resources across a large number of languages to assess the meaning of written text. Recently, Dr. Mihalcea was honored by President Obama with the prestigious Presidential Early Career Award for Science and Engineering, the first UNT faculty member ever to receive this distinction.

Research Leadership Award*
Awarded to the faculty member whose research excellence and leadership at UNT has made substantial contribution to her/his discipline and achieved national/international recognition.
Finalists:
Witold Brostow, Materials Science and Engineering
Kent Chapman, Biological Sciences
Richard Rogers, Psychology

WINNER
Kent Chapman — Biological Sciences
Kent Chapman is Professor of Biochemistry and Director of the Center for Plant Lipid Research.  He is internationally recognized for his research in plant lipid metabolism and how plants defend against environmental pathogens.  In addition to his seminal publications, he holds two patents and four pending patents.  He is currently associate editor of the Journal of Cotton Science. 

Teacher-Scholar Award*
Awarded to the mid-career faculty member who has demonstrated excellence in research or creative productivity while also performing in an extraordinary manner as a teacher.
Finalists:
Julia Bushkova, Instrumental Studies
John Quintanilla, Mathematics
Angela Wilson, Chemistry

WINNER
Angela Wilson — Chemistry
Dr. Wilson has won multiple national and international awards for her work in the development of computational chemistry methodology.  An innovative teacher, she developed the first completely web-based graduate course in computational chemistry in the country.  Acclaimed as a mentor, many of her students have won national awards.

*Newly Created Awards

Top External Funding Recipients for Fiscal Year 2009