48 faculty honored with Vilas professorships and awards

“48 faculty honored with Vilas professorships and awards The awards recognize standout research, teaching and service. ​By Chris Barncard ​ May 4, 2026 ​ Share this article Extraordinary members of the University of Wisconsin–Madison faculty and staff have been honored during the last year with awards supported by the estate of professor, U.S. Senator and UW Regent William F. Vilas (1840-1908). Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professorship William F. Vilas Twelve professors were named to Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professorships, an award recognizing distinguished scholarship as well as standout efforts in teaching and service. The professorship provides five years of flexible funding — two-thirds of which is provided by the Office of the Provost through the generosity of the Vilas trustees and one-third provided by the school or college whose dean nominated the winner. The recipients are: Laura Albert, Industrial and Systems Engineering Rozalyn Anderson, Medicine Lesley Bartlett, Educational Policy Studies Nader Behdad, Electrical and Computer Engineering Joshua Coon, Biomolecular Chemistry Brian Fox, Biochemistry Judith Houck, Gender and Women’s Studies Katie Hustad, Communication Sciences and Disorders Young Mie Kim, Journalism and Mass Communication Lynn Schnapp, Medicine Jessica Weeks, Political Science Lian Yu, Pharmaceutical Sciences Vilas Early-Career Investigator Award Eighteen professors received Vilas Faculty Early Career Investigator Awards, recognizing research and teaching excellence in faculty who are relatively early in their careers. The award provides flexible research funding for three years. The recipients are: Joshua Braver, Law Steven Hall, Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences David Harris, Surgery Andrew Hryckowian, Medical Microbiology and Immunology Tsung-Wei Huang, Electrical and Computer Engineering Shamya Karumbaiah, Educational Psychology Junsu Kang, Cell and Regenerative Biology Margaret Kerr, Human Development and Family Studies Sharon Yixuan Li, Computer Sciences Adeline Lo, Political Science Whitney Loo, Chemical and Biological Engineering Caroline Niziolek, Communication Sciences and Disorders Christopher Saldaña, Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis Aurora Santiago Ortiz, Gender and Women’s Studies Daniel Shapiro, Urology Jennifer Van Os, Animal and Dairy Sciences Zachary Wickens, Chemistry Colleen Witzenburg, Biomedical Engineering Vilas Mid-Career Investigator Award Eighteen professors received Vilas Faculty Mid-Career Investigator Awards, recognizing research and teaching excellence. The award provides flexible research funding for three years. The recipients are: Amaya Atucha, Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences Amy Bellmore, Educational Psychology Tim Bugni, Pharmaceutical Sciences Elena D’Onghia, Astronomy Diego Hernando, Radiology Chris Hittinger, Genetics Mikhail Kats, Electrical and Computer Engineering Paul Koch, Plant Pathology Rebecca Larson, Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies Jorell Meléndez-Badillo, History Nicole Nelson, Medical History and Bioethics Beth Nguyen, English Christopher Rycroft, Mathematics Miriam Seifter, Law Anne Marie Singh, Pediatrics Erica Turner, Educational Policy Studies Susanna Widicus Weaver, Chemistry and Astronomy Oliver Wieben, Medical Physics

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