2025 Celebration of Faculty Excellence

The Holladay Medal is the highest university award in recognition of faculty excellence. It is awarded to members of the faculty who have made outstanding and sustained contributions to the university through their achievements in research, teaching, or extension and engagement.

Brian Gilger

Dr. Gilger is a professor of ophthalmology in the department of Clinical Sciences. Professor Gilger’s career has been dedicated to uncovering the pathogenesis of equine eye diseases and translating this knowledge into improved diagnostic and treatment methods for veterinarians.  He exemplifies the dual role of a clinical researcher, driving discovery both at the research bench and in the barn stall. With a career spanning more than 30 years, he has earned renown for his innovative research, clinical expertise, and impactful teaching methods, and has profoundly advanced the understanding and treatment of ocular diseases, particularly in horses.  Dr. Gilger’s exceptional contributions to both human and equine ophthalmology are matched only by his dedication as a mentor, colleague, and friend to the College of Veterinary Medicine community.

Jacob L. Jones

Dr. Jacob L. Jones is the Kobe Steel Distinguished Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. A distinguished scientist and exceptional collaborator, Dr. Jones seamlessly integrates research excellence with a deep commitment to student education and success. His research focuses on the development and application of advanced neutron and x-ray scattering techniques to study the crystallography of complex, hierarchically structured materials, as well as the kinetics and mechanisms of material synthesis and phase evolution. Dr. Jones is a prominent figure in international and national science organizations, significantly enhancing NC State’s standing in materials science through his leadership, mentorship and scholarly contributions.

Xiangwu Zhang

Dr. Zhang is the Samuel S. Walker Distinguished Professor in the Department of Textile Engineering, Chemistry and Science and the associate dean for research in the Wilson College of Textiles. Dr. Zhang is a globally recognized leader in multifunctional fiber and textile materials, particularly for energy storage and batteries. While at NC State, Dr. Zhang has secured more than $8.5 million in research funding from diverse sources demonstrating his ability to achieve both theoretical breakthroughs that sustain governmental funding and practical solutions that meet industry needs. In his roles within the Wilson College of Textiles, Dr. Zhang has successfully increased graduate student enrollment, expanded the college’s research capabilities, strengthened the research office staff, introduced proposal writing assistance, and launched a junior faculty mentoring program focused on research success.

The UNC System’s O. Max Gardner Award recognizes a member of the UNC System faculty who has made “the greatest contribution to the welfare of the human race.” The award is the highest honor the UNC System confers on faculty.  

Craig Yencho

Dr. Yencho is the William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor in the Department of Horticultural Science and was the recipient of the 2024 O. Max Gardner Award. An internationally acclaimed plant breeder, he has studied the sweetpotato and improved its standing as a valuable crop that is resilient in adverse growing conditions. In 2005, Dr. Yencho introduced the Covington sweetpotato to the world — a breakthrough variety known for its high yield, flavor, nutritional value and appearance. The Covington sweetpotato now commands nearly 90 percent of North Carolina’s crop production and 20 percent of sweetpotato crop acreage nationwide. Through hard work and leadership, he has curated and led an exceptional team of innovators at NC State. These scientists share a core value of confronting challenges to enhance society through crop improvement, economic prosperity and the fostering of healthy populations.

The UNC Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching is the most prestigious teaching award given annually to one faculty member from each campus in the UNC System. The award was established in 1993 to recognize and reward full-time tenured faculty and to underscore the importance of teaching by encouraging, identifying, recognizing, rewarding, and supporting good teaching within the university system. 

Clyde Sorenson

Dr. Sorenson is a professor in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology. His unwavering dedication to NC State, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and the university’s students is widely celebrated. Known for his infectious enthusiasm and hands-on approach to teaching, he exemplifies the qualities of a UNC Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching recipient. Throughout his tenure, he has developed and taught more than 10 undergraduate and graduate courses, some of which have been continuously offered since 2003. Throughout his career, Dr. Sorenson has been recognized for his excellence in both teaching and research. His leadership and dedication to his students, along with his substantial contributions to entomology and conservation, have made him a key figure at NC State and in the scientific community.

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is an international organization seeking to “raise the bar of understanding for science worldwide.” Election as a fellow is an honor awarded to accomplished scientists by their peers in recognition of extraordinary achievements and contributions in research, teaching, technology and public science.

Jan Genzer

Dr. Genzer is the S. Frank and Doris Culberson Distinguished Professor in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. He was elected to AAAS for the Genzer group’s research on the behavior of polymers at interfaces and confined geometries, with particular emphasis on assembly, thin films, responsive and shape-memory materials, and materials combinatorial methods.

Jim Pfaendtner

Dr. Pfaendtner is the Louis Martin-Vega Dean of the College of Engineering. He was elected to AAAS for his contributions in applications of computational molecular science to the study of interfacial phenomena in biomolecules and materials.

The American Council for Education (ACE) Fellows Program offers a unique and transformative opportunity for aspiring leaders in higher education. ACE Fellows dive deep into a dynamic curriculum, engage in hands-on learning, and collaborate on impactful activities. 

Chris DePerno

Dr. DePerno is a professor in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources and the coordinator of the Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology Program. Dr. DePerno spent the 2024-25 fall semester at the University of North Carolina Wilmington working with senior leaders on higher education issues, continuing to expand his understanding of college and university administration.

The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program provides unique opportunities for faculty to teach, conduct research and carry out professional projects around the world.

Hudson Ashrafi

Dr. Ashrafi is an associate professor in the Department of Horticulture Science. He received the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award for his research on blueberry genetics, genome editing, and breeding. His work explores enhancing traits like parthenocarpy—fruit development without pollination—to improve yields and resilience, supporting sustainable blueberry production.

Sarah Bowen

Dr. Bowen is an associate dean for research and engagement and a professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology. She is studying geographical indications, or G.I.s — place-based labels that designate traditional products from a community or region — in Spain and Colombia. The project will inform ongoing debates about whether GI policies can be reformed to benefit communities in the Global South.

Diane Chapman

Dr. Chapman is the executive director and associate vice provost of faculty development in the Office for Faculty Excellence. She was awarded Fulbright’s International Educators Administrators award where she went to France to learn about the French higher education and research systems with hopes of discovering synergies and potential partnerships. Only 14 university administrators from around the U.S. were selected to receive the award.

The Poet-in-Residence at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum is an annual position created in collaboration with the Academy of American Poets that specifically focuses on poetry in the context of the museum space. The Poet-in-Residence will work with the Guggenheim and the Academy to design and create a unified project that takes poetry beyond the page and enlivens the museum experience for visitors. 

Meg Day

Dr. Day is an assistant professor in the Department of English. Dr. Day’s residency, All Ears, had three key aims: to highlight Deaf poets as visual artists by welcoming them into the museum space in new ways; encourage the hearing-majority public to engage with American Sign Language and Deaf sonics through unexpected encounters; and to encourage people to reorient their understanding of language and fluency as visible, just as much as it is aural.

The €1 million Millennium Technology Prize is the preeminent award focused on technological innovations for a better life. This includes work that improves human well-being, biodiversity and wider sustainability.

Jayant Baliga

Dr. Baliga is a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He was awarded the 2024 Millennium Technology Prize for his work on the invention, development and commercialization of insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBT), which play a critical role in energy efficiency for technologies worldwide. The IGBT improves energy efficiency by more than 40 percent in an array of products, from cars and refrigerators to light bulbs, and is a critical component enabling modern compact cardiac defibrillators.

The National Academy of Inventors (NAI) Fellows Program was established to highlight academic inventors who have demonstrated a prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development and the welfare of society.

Martin Thuo

Dr. Thuo is a professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. The NAI Fellows Selection Committee has chosen Dr. Thuo for his inventions that include heat-free solders, complex metal particles, solid lubricants, and e-waste recycling. 

Victor Veliadis

Dr. Veliadis is a professor and executive director of PowerAmerica in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. The NAI Fellows Selection Committee has chosen Dr. Veliadis for commercialization of energy-efficient power Gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC) technology, which brings economic growth through hi-tech manufacturing and jobs creation, environmental and health benefits through emission reductions, and national security benefits through energy sustainability contributions.

The National Academy of Inventors (NAI) Senior Members are active faculty, scientists, and administrators with success in patents, licensing, and commercialization and have produced technologies that have brought or aspire to bring, real impact on the welfare of society. 

Ge Yang

Dr. Yang is a professor in the Department of Nuclear Engineering and was elected as an NAI Senior Member for pioneering innovations in radiation detection and anti-corrosion coatings. Dr. Yang’s research has led to numerous patent disclosures, more than 170 publications, and major funding. 

The Faculty Early Career Development Program is the National Science Foundation’s most prestigious award in support of early-career faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization.

Justin Bradley

Dr. Bradley is an associate professor in the Department of Computer Science. Dr. Bradley’s award, titled “Foundations for a Resource-Aware, Cyber-Physical Vehicle Autonomy,” seeks to develop strategies for dynamically adjusting computational and communication resources onboard drones, enabling them to improve system performance and do more with less.

Tamecia Jones

Dr. Jones is an assistant professor in the Department of STEM Education. Dr. Jones award will address the assessment gap that keeps many minoritized youth from becoming engineers. The study will provide information about how middle and high school students understand and identify engineering; show educators and researchers gaps between their interpretations and student interpretations of engineering; and help educators and researchers understand how to create a healthy culture of peer assessment. 

Nathalie Lavoine

Dr. Lavoine is an assistant professor in the Department of Forest Biomaterials. The goal of Dr. Lavoine’s CAREER program is to develop a scientific foundation and an interdisciplinary, inclusive education platform to harness the self-assembly of renewable nanoparticles on solid surfaces for the controlled design of advanced sustainable materials and bio-inspired colors.

Renran Tian

Dr. Tian is an assistant professor in the Fitts Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering. Dr. Tian’s research aims to make self-driving cars better at understanding what pedestrians are about to do. Right now, these cars struggle to predict how people will move, especially in busy city streets. This project will develop new computer programs that learn how drivers naturally interact with pedestrians by watching videos and analyzing driver’s thoughts. This will allow the cars to “think” more like human drivers, making them safer and smoother around people.

Christina Zakas

Dr. Zakas is an assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences. Dr. Zakas’ research investigates the genomic differences that shape developmental evolution by using closely related marine worm species that exhibit different development modes. The project combines comparative genomics, gene expression, and hybridization assays to uncover the relationship between evolutionary divergence and development. 

Yang Zhang

Dr. Zhang is an assistant professor in the Department of Textile Engineering, Chemistry and Science. Dr. Zhang’s project investigates the chemical mechanisms behind color variation in dye molecules of the same species using a high-resolution microscope. By understanding these mechanisms, the project aims to develop enhanced microscopic labels, improving diagnostic tools and advancing human health.

The Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) Award is the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on outstanding scientists and engineers beginning their independent careers.

Amanda Hulse-Kemp

Dr. Hulse-Kemp is a USDA Assistant Professor in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences. Dr. Hulse-Kemp, a USDA-Agricultural Research Service computational biologist and adjunct faculty, who has led multiple national and international efforts that provide state-of-the-art genetic and phenotyping tools to a large range of crops and animals to facilitate breeding and selection for improved traits.

Rubén Rellán Álvarez

Dr. Rellán Álvarez is an associate professor in the Department of Molecular and Structural Biochemistry. Dr. Rellan Alvarez was nominated by the U.S. Department of Energy for work on using natural genetic and environmental variation of plant nutrient efficiency to identify genes that can then be used to develop more fertilizer-efficient crops.

Jie Yin

• Dr. Yin is an associate professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Dr. Yin’s PECASE award recognizes his innovative research, particularly in integrating kirigami design — which is based on the Japanese art of paper cutting — principles into engineering. Dr. Yin studies reconfigurable kirigami-based architected materials to achieve unprecedented properties and functionalities.

Sloan Research Fellowships support fundamental research conducted by early-career scientists. The two-year $75,000 fellowships are awarded annually to early-career researchers whose creativity, innovation, and research accomplishments make them stand out as the next generation of leaders.

Catherine Davis

Dr. Davis is an assistant professor in the Department of Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. Dr. Davis will use her fellowship in the area of Earth System Science to study how ocean oxygen and environments have changed across multiple time scales to better understand past and present oceans.