Five professors named University Scholars for Urbana-Champaign campus

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Five University of Illinois professors at the Urbana-Champaign campus have been named University Scholars in recognition of their excellence in teaching, scholarship and service. They will be honored at a Sept. 12 ceremony at the I Hotel and Conference Center, 1900 S. First St., Champaign.

Begun in 1985, the scholars program recognizes faculty excellence on the three University of Illinois campuses and provides $15,000 to each scholar for each of three years to enhance his or her academic career. The money may be used for travel, equipment, research assistants, books or other purposes.

“Exceptional faculty are at the very core of the University of Illinois’ standing as a global leader in education and innovation,” said Barbara Wilson, the executive vice president and vice president for academic affairs for the U. of I. System. “The University Scholars program honors the best of the best, showcasing the phenomenal research and teaching that transform students’ lives and drive progress for our state and nation.”

The Urbana campus recipients:

 

Brian Allan, a professor of entomology, is broadly interested in the ecology of infectious diseases, particularly diseases transmitted via the bite of infected arthropods such as ticks or mosquitoes. Much of his research explores the consequences of human-mediated global change for the risk of exposure to vector-borne diseases. He uses a broad array of tools in approaching these questions, including field studies, molecular techniques and modeling.

 

Antony Augoustakis, a professor and head of classics, researches the cultural poetics and the sociopolitics of Flavian poetry. His “accomplishments in the areas of research, teaching and service, and his national and international reputation are outstanding,” his nominator wrote. “His publication record is among the most impressive I have seen in my 30-year career at Illinois for a faculty member at this stage of his or her career.  This remarkable productivity shows no sign of slowing down.”

 

Karrie Karahalios, a professor of computer science, is an expert in human-computer interaction and social computing. She develops interactive visualizations to examine social interactions – assessing communicative behavior and providing additional information for parents whose children have received an autism diagnosis. Karahalios collaborates with speech and education professors to create tools to help such children learn to speak. And she builds visual interfaces to explore bias in algorithms that determine the content people see in their social media feeds.

 

Nadya Mason, a professor of physics, researches how electrons behave in low-dimensional materials. The research is relevant to a variety of technologies including novel nano-electronics and quantum computation. “Her ability to work with theorists, her strong physical insight and superb technical skills, and her creative flair ensure that she will continue to produce groundbreaking science,” her nominator wrote. “She is an innovative and engaging teacher and an outstanding leader.”

 

Brad Sutton, a professor of bioengineering, develops novel magnetic resonance imaging methods to understand the structure and function of the brain and its age-related changes, including techniques to image blood flow and mechanical properties of the brain and techniques to understand how the brain controls muscles during speech and swallowing. He helped develop curricula that integrates engineering and physiology in bioengineering along with engineering-driven medical curricula as a faculty member of the Carle Illinois College of Medicine.