NC State Celebrates Outstanding Faculty

The Celebration of Faculty Excellence is held each spring to recognize outstanding faculty who have received prestigious state, national and international awards, accolades or other distinctions during the previous year. In 2020, NC State honored 25 faculty virtually since the annual event could not be held in person.

Among the awards celebrated was the Alexander Quarles Holladay Medal for Excellence, NC State’s highest award recognizing faculty achievement.

The 2020 honorees were:

• Mohamed Bourham, professor, Department of Nuclear Engineering
• Victoria Gallagher, professor, Department of Communication
• Wayne Place, professor, School of Architecture

Hollylynne Lee, a professor in the Department of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education, was recognized for receiving the University of North Carolina Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching, the most prestigious award given to faculty for teaching excellence. 

The following faculty were also recognized:

• Milad Abolhasani, assistant professor, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: National Science Foundation Early Career Development Award
• David Ambaras, professor, Department of History: National Endowment for the Humanities, Digital Humanities Advancement Grant
• Carla Barbieri, professor, Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management: Fulbright Scholar Award
• Rodolphe Barrangou, Todd R. Klaenhammer Distinguished Professor, Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences: National Academy of Inventors
• RaJade Berry-James, associate professor, School of Public and International Affairs: National Academy of Public Administration
• Lorena Bociu, associate professor, Department of Mathematics: Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers
• Wei-chen Chang, assistant professor, Department of Chemistry, National Science Foundation Early Career Development Award
• David Dorman, professor, Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences: Fulbright Scholar Award
• Marsha Gordon, professor, Department of English: National Endowment for the Humanities, Public Scholar Grant
• Carol Hall, Camille Dreyfus Distinguished University Professor, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow
• Hsiao-Ying Shadow Huang, associate professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering: Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers
• Jacqueline Krim, Distinguished University Professor, Department of Physics: American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow
• Jun Liu, assistant professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering: National Science Foundation Early Career Development Award
• Chris Martens, assistant professor, Department of Computer Science: National Science Foundation Early Career Development Award
• Kelly Lynn Mulvey, associate professor, Department of Psychology: National Science Foundation Early Career Development Award
• Maria Oliver-Hoyo, professor, Department of Chemistry: Fulbright Scholar Award
• Kenneth Swartzel, William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences: National Academy of Inventors
• Margareta Thomson, professor, Department of Teacher Education and Learning Sciences: Fulbright Scholar Award
• Cynthia Vinzant, associate professor, Department of Mathematics: Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship; National Science Foundation Early Career Development Award
• Qingshan Wei, assistant professor, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: National Science Foundation Early Career Development Award
• Walt Wolfram, William C. Friday Distinguished University Professor of English, Department of English: American Academy of Arts and Sciences

2020 marks the ninth year of the Celebration of Faculty Excellence. In recognition of all honored faculty, the university will light the Talley Technology Tower red for the night on October 6.