Faculty Honored for Leadership, Research & More

The College of Arts & Sciences is pleased to celebrate the many awards and honors that faculty have received over the past few months for their research, leadership, teaching, and other accomplishments. Congratulations to all!

• Moore's National Role in Protecting Marine Mammals
• Bender Named AAAS Fellow
• NSF Award to Develop 3D Printed Microorganisms for Sustainable Construction Materials
• Matsuda-Kiami Named Outstanding Teacher
• Other Awards, Honors & Professorshps 

Sue E. Moore, affiliate professor of biology and research scientist with the UW's Center for Ecosystem Sentinels, has been confirmed as a Commissioner of the US Marine Mammal Commission. The Commission consists of three commissioners, nominated by the President and confirmed by the US Senate.

The Commission provides independent, science-based oversight of domestic and international policies and actions of federal agencies addressing human impacts on marine mammals and their ecosystems. Commissioners are assisted in their work by a nine-member Committee of Scientific Advisors on Marine Mammals — a role that Moore previously held.

At the Center for Ecosystem Sentinels, based in the Department of Biology, Moore uses information from the study of sentinel species to educate scientists, the public, and policy makers. (Sentinel species are those that serve as early warning systems of natural or human-caused environmental change.) The Center is concerned with how alterations, whether natural or human, are impacting the health and well-being of these species and the ecosystems upon which we all depend.

For more than 40 years, Moore has studied Arctic marine mammals and their ecosystems with a focus on the northern Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort seas. She has served as director of NOAA’s Alaska Fisheries Science Center’s Marine Mammal Laboratory, and as a research scientist and senior scientist at NOAA’s Office of Science and Technology. She also served as chair of the Environmental Concerns Working Group of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) Scientific Committee.

In addition to her appointment to the Marine Mammal Commission, Moore recently received the 2023 Ocean Leadership Award for Marine Research from the Alaska Sea Life Center, an honor given to a scientist, team of scientists, or an institution that is acknowledged by peers to have made an original breakthrough contribution to any field of scientific knowledge about Alaska’s oceans. 

Emily M. Bender, professor in the Department of Linguistics, has been named an AAAS Fellow by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, in recognition of her “scientifically and socially distinguished achievements,” which focus on demonstrating the role of grammar in natural language processing (NLP), extending computational modeling to less-studied languages, and raising ethical issues in NLP — an interdisciplinary field concerned with the interactions between computers and human language.

Bender studies the societal impacts of language technology, what it means for research and design of such technology, and how to include it in the NLP curriculum. She has taught seminars on the topic and in 2021 co-chaired the ethics review committee for the North American Chapter of the Association for Computational Linguistics. Bender’s areas of focus include data documentation and the dangers of specific technology, such as large language models and chatbots used for search. She has worked to make linguistics accessible to computer scientists in NLP, giving tutorials at major conferences and writing two associated books.

Bender also studies how computational methods can serve the purposes of linguistic analysis and how linguistic knowledge can be used to improve the performance of natural language processing systems. She has led the development of the LinGO Grammar Matrix, a framework supporting the creation of broad-coverage, precision, implemented grammars for diverse languages. Her other interests include sociolinguistic variation, or the ways speakers manipulate their languages to create style and register. 

An interdisciplinary research team led by Alshakim Nelson, professor of chemistry, received $2 million in funding from the National Science Foundation’s Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation (EFRI) program. The funding will be used to combine engineered microorganisms with 3D printing to create materials for sustainable built environments. The idea of using microorganisms for making construction materials has emerged over the last few years.

“Engineered living systems for construction and other building materials have the potential to afford a level of durability and sustainability that cannot be achieved with our traditional materials,” says Nelson. Professor Hal Alper, a metabolic engineer at UT Austin and a long-time collaborator of Nelson, adds that “3D printing engineered living materials will allow scientists, architects, engineers, and other users to fabricate materials with unique characteristics for any custom application and design.”

The team’s primary goal is to address fundamental challenges associated with integrating living microbial organisms into materials designed for the outdoor built environment.

The project aims to meet the future global demand for advanced biomanufacturing technologies that reduce the carbon footprint and increase chemical recycling. Distributed biomanufacturing, where materials are produced locally through 3D printing, instead of at central manufacturing facilities, could reduce transport costs and the amount of petroleum-based products used in the process.

In addition to Nelson and Alper, the team includes Ayokunle Olanrewaju, UW professor of mechanical and bioengineering; Gundula Proksch, UW professor of architecture; and Shota Atsumi, a leader in engineering cyanobacteria at UC Davis. Both Nelson and Olanrewaju are affiliated with the UW Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute, which aims to catalyze interdisciplinary collaborations.

The grant will provide funding to researchers at the UW, the University of Texas at Austin, and University of California Davis over four years. 

Izumi Matsuda-Kiami, teaching professor in the Department of Asian Languages and Literature, received the AATJ Outstanding Teacher Award, post-secondary category, from the American Association of Teachers of Japanese. The award recognizes outstanding teachers who demonstrate excellence in teaching, advocacy, and leadership in Japanese education. Matsuda-Kiami was nominated for the award by the board of the Washington Association of Teachers of Japanese.

“I am truly humbled and grateful to be given this recognition,” Matsuda-Kiami said of the award. “It has been a great pleasure to work with the highly motivated K-16 teachers in the area to learn through professional development opportunities to support our students and advocate for Japanese language educatio­n in the State of Washington. I feel extremely fortunate to be a member of this tight-knit community of hard-working Japanese teachers.”

In her acceptance speech, Matsuda-Kiami also thanked her colleagues in the UW Department of Asian Languages and Literature for their support. “Together we have succeeded to develop a strong Japanese program which attracts hundreds of students yearly and serves many major and minor students,” she said. 

Honorary Awards
Publication Awards
Professorships (New Appointments)
Other Recognition

Honorary Awards

Aaron J. Bishop, assistant professor of naval science, received the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, awarded for heroic or meritorious achievement or service.

Clemens Cabernard, associate professor of biology, was awarded a Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award (MIRA) from the NIH National Institute of General Medical Sciences, to study the cell and mechanobiology of asymmetric cell division. MIRA funding aims to provide investigators with greater stability and flexibility, thereby enhancing scientific productivity and the chances for important breakthroughs.

Audrey Desjardins, associate professor of interaction design in the School of Art + Art History + Design, has received a Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) Award from the National Science Foundation. This is Desjardins’ second NSF award since 2022, when she received an NSF Future of Work at the Human-Technology Frontier award, highlighted in a previous issue of Perspectives newsletter.

Anne McCoy, Natt-Lingafelter professor of chemistry, received the 2023 Jack Simons Award for Theoretical Chemistry from the Physical Chemistry Division of the American Chemical Society, in recognition of her outstanding contributions in theoretical chemistry.

Joshua Reid, associate professor of history, director of the Center for the Study of the Pacific Northwest, and John Calhoun Smith Memorial Endowed Professor, received the Gordon Bakken Award of Merit from the Western History Association (WHA) for outstanding service to the field of western history and to the WHA. 

Alexandra Velian, assistant professor of chemistry, received a 2023 Marion Milligan Mason Award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science, designed to kickstart the research career of promising future women senior investigators in the chemical sciences. As an awardee, Velian will receive a $55,000 grant and participate in leadership development and mentoring opportunities.

Sam Wasser, research professor of biology, co-executive director of the Center for Environmental Forensic Science, and Endowed Chair in Conservation Biology, was named a Fellow of the Explorer’s Club. Explorer’s Club Fellows have made documented contributions to scientific knowledge through field expeditions. Such accomplishments are often evidenced by regular scientific publication, but may also be documented in books, popular media, or broadcast media.

Xiaodong Xu, professor of physics and of materials science and engineering and Boeing Distinguished Professor, received the Asian American Science and Engineering Innovation Award, given by the Chinese Institute of Engineers, Seattle chapter. The award recognizes Xu’s work developing and studying novel atomically thin layered materials.

Jonathan Zhu, assistant professor of mathematics, has been named a Sloan Research Fellow. The two-year $75,000 fellowship is awarded to early career researchers in recognition of distinguished performance and a unique potential to make substantial contributions to their field. Zhu’s research focuses on curved surfaces and their theory and geometry.

Publication Awards

Nancy Bou Ayash, associate professor of English, has been awarded the Modern Language Association's Mina P. Shaughnessy Prize for her book, Toward Translingual Realities in Composition: (Re)Working Local Language Representations and Practices.  The prize is awarded for an outstanding work on language, culture, literature, or literacy with strong application to the teaching of English.

Stephanie L. Kerschbaum, associate professor of English, contributed a chapter titled "Sign Language Transcription and Qualitative Research Methodologies" to the book Centering Diverse Bodyminds in Critical Qualitative Inquiry (co-edited by Jessica Nina Lester and Emily Nusbaum), which received a 2022 Critics' Choice Award from the American Educational Studies Association.

Emily M. Levesque, associate professor of astronomy, received the Chambliss Astronomical Writing Award from the American Astronomical Society for her textbook (with coauthor Henny J.G.L.M. Lamers, University of Amsterdam), Understanding Stellar Evolution. The award honors astronomy writing for an academic audience, specifically textbooks at either the upper-division undergraduate or graduate level. 

Hwasook Nam, associate professor emerita of history and international studies, received two honors for her recent book, Women in the Sky: Gender and Labor in the Making of Modern Korea. She received the 2022 John K. Fairbank Prize in East Asian History since 1800, from the American Historical Association, given for an outstanding book in the history of China, Vietnam, Central Asia, Mongolia, Manchuria, Korea, or Japan; and the 2023 James B. Palais Book Prize from the Association for Asian Studies, which recognizes distinguished scholarly work on Korea.

Arzoo Osanloo, professor of law, societies, and justice and director of the Middle East Center, received the inaugural Mossavar-Rahmani Book Prize, a biennial award for best scholarly monograph in Iranian and Persian Studies, for her book, Forgiveness Work: Mercy, Law, and Victims’ Rights in Iran. The prize is awarded by the Sharmin and Bijan Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Iran and Persian Gulf Studies at Princeton University.

Sasha Senderovich, assistant professor of international studies and Slavic languages and literatures, was a finalist for the 2022 National Jewish Book Award in the category Modern Jewish Thought and Experience, for his book How the Soviet Jew Was Made. The award is hosted by the New York-based Jewish Book Council.

Chris Tounsel, associate professor of history and interim director of the African Studies Program, was a finalist for the Outstanding First Book Award from the Association for the Study of the Worldwide African Diaspora for his book Chosen Peoples: Christianity and Political Imagination in South Sudan.  The award honors an outstanding single-authored book focused on Africa and/or the African diaspora submitted by or on behalf of a scholar, activist, and/or artist who has not previously published a single-authored monograph.

Professorships (New Appointments)

Mika Ahuvia, associate professor of classical Judaism in the Jackson School of International Studies, was appointed to the Lucia S. and Herbert L. Pruzan Endowed Professorship in Jewish Studies. 

Matthew Akamatsu, professor of biology, was appointed to the Don and Betts Baepler Endowed Professorship and Curatorship of Birds.

Jarod Alper, professor of mathematics and comparative history of ideas, was appointed to the Victor Klee Faculty Fellowship in Mathematics.

Jayadev Athreya, professor of mathematics, was appointed to the Victor Klee Faculty Fellowship in Mathematics.

Elena Campbell, associate professor of history, was appointed to the Walker Family Endowed Professorship in History.

Karen Cheng, professor of visual communication design, was appointed to the UW Design Alumni Endowed Faculty Fellowship.

Barbara Citko, professor of linguistics, was appointed to the Howard and Frances Nostrand Endowed Professorship.

James Clauss, professor of classics and adjunct professor in Middle Eastern languages and culture, comparative literature, and cinema and media studies, was appointed to the Daniel P. Harmon Endowed Professorship of Classics.

David John Crouse, professor of English, was appointed to the W. Wilson and Grace M. Pollack Endowed Professorship in Creative Writing.

Dmitriy Drusvyatskiy, professor of mathematics, was appointed to the Paul Tseng Term Faculty Fellowship in Mathematics.

Jeffrey Fracé, associate professor of drama and head of acting, was appointed to the Donald. E. Petersen Fellowship for Excellence.

Kai-Mei Fu, professor of physics, was appointed to the Virginia and Prentice Bloedel Professorship.

Alana Isiguen, department of dance artist in residence, was appointed to the Donald E. Petersen Fellowship for Excellence.

Xiaosong Li, professor of chemistry, was appointed to the Larry R. Dalton Endowed Chair in Chemistry.

Kristine Matthews, associate professor and chair of visual communication design in the School of Art + Art History + Design was appointed to the Donald E. Petersen Fellowship for Excellence.

Bruce Robinson, professor of chemistry, was appointed to the Harry and Catherine Jaynne Boand Endowed Professorship in Chemistry.

Gunther Uhlmann, professor of mathematics, was appointed to the Robert R. Phelps and Elaine F. Phelps Endowed Professorship.

Bianca Viray, professor of mathematics, was appointed to the Craig McKibben and Sarah Merner Endowed Professorship in Mathematics.

Sophia Wallace, professor of political science, was appointed to the Stuart A. and Lee D. Scheingold Endowed Faculty Fellowship in Social Justice.

Dianne Xiao, assistant professor of chemistry, was appointed to the Klaus and Mary Ann Saegebarth Endowed Professorship.

Other Recognition

Jennifer Bean, Robert Jolin Osborne Professor of Cinema and Media Studies, received a National Endowment for the Humanities fellowship for her book project, Junking Modernity: Early Cinema, Globalization, and the Question of History. 

Kai-Mei Fu, Virginia and Prentice Bloedel Professor of Physics and Electrical and Computer Engineering,  has received $2.5 million through a CDAR (Congressional Directed Appropriation Request) from US Congress for equipment for the UW’s QT3 lab. The lab is a unique combined teaching and user facility which performs research, develops instructional labs, and provides state-of-the-art optical characterization tools for quantum information science and engineering, with the mission of providing hands-on access to quantum technology hardware to accelerate both research and training in this growing field.

Joshua Reid, associate professor of history, director of the Center for the Study of the Pacific Northwest, and John Calhoun Smith Memorial Endowed Professor, received a National Endowment for the Humanities fellowship for his book project, Indigenous Explorers in the Pacific Northwest.