News

UC researchers continue to blaze new trails in science, medicine, business, education, engineering and the arts — literally transforming the way we live, work and learn.



Findings is the Office of Research’s newsletter, which began in October 2017. It delivers monthly updates to faculty, staff, students, and community partners about impactful research, initiatives, partnerships, events, and opportunities at the University of Cincinnati. To view current and previous issues of the newsletter, go to the Findings page.

Celebrating Excellence: the Research + Innovation Week Faculty and Staff Award Ceremony

Celebrating Excellence: the Research + Innovation Week Faculty and Staff Award Ceremony

Research + Innovation Week 2024 culminates in the Faculty and Staff Award Ceremony, co-sponsored by the Office of Research and the Office of the Provost. This event highlights UC’s commitment to fostering academic and research excellence by recognizing outstanding faculty members who have made significant contributions in teaching, research, service, and leadership. The ceremony also honors the Office of Research Core Value Partnership Awardees. These individuals are recognized for their respectfulness, positivity, and professionalism in interactions with the Office of Research staff, exemplifying the university’s ethos of building a culture of respect and trust. 

During the ceremony, UC’s Vice President for Research, Patrick A. Limbach, alongside the Executive Vice President and Provost, Valerio Ferme, will present the annual Faculty Excellence Awards and Research Mentoring Awards. The Award for Faculty Excellence is given to faculty whose work significantly impacts their field, whether through innovative teaching methods, notable research achievements, or transformative service that changes departmental or college culture. Similarly, the Award for Faculty-to-Faculty Research Mentoring highlights faculty who excel in guiding their peers’ research, enhancing UC’s collaborative environment and contributing to our community’s collective expertise. 

The awardees, who were nominated by college leadership, receive $1,500 in professional development funds, affirming UC’s dedication to investing in top talent and cultivating programs of excellence. Let’s meet this year’s awardees: 

Faculty Excellence Awardees 

Jennifer Vannest 

College of Allied Health Sciences 

Communication Science & Disorders 

 

Peter Langland Hassan 

College of Arts & Sciences 

Philosophy 

 

Holly McGee 

College of Arts & Sciences 

Africana Studies 

 

Linna Shi 

Lindner College of Business 

Accounting 

 

Kristy Swift 

College-Conservatory of Music 

Musicology 

 

Kenneth Pope 

College of Cooperative Education and Professional Studies 

Information Technology Co-op Unit 

 

Sean Hafer 

College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning 

School of Design 

 

Julia Buchanan 

College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services 

Human Services 

 

Milind Jog 

College of Engineering and Applied Sciences 

Mechanical Engineering and Materials Engineering 

 

Ryan Thoreson 

College of Law 

 

Francis McCormack 

College of Medicine 

Pulmonary Critical Care and Sleep Medicine 

 

Lindsay Davis 

College of Nursing 

 

Harshita Kumari 

College of Pharmacy 

Pharmaceutical Sciences 

 

Joseph Gallagher 

UC Blue Ash 

Math, Physics, and Computer Science 

 

Noah MacKenzie 

UC Clermont 

Social Sciences 

 

Mark Chalmers 

University of Cincinnati Libraries 

College of Engineering and Applied Sciences 

 

Research Mentoring Awardees 

Jennifer Wright-Berryman 

College of Allied Health Sciences 

Social Work 

 

Neil Ayres 

College of Arts and Sciences 

Chemistry 

 

Elaine Hollensbe 

Lindner College of Business 

Management 

 

Michelle Conda 

College-Conservatory of Music 

Piano 

 

Brittany Arthur 

College of Cooperative Education and Professional Studies 

College of Engineering and Applied Sciences Co-op Unit 

 

Vikas Mehta 

Department of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning 

School of Planning 

 

Connie Kendall Theado 

College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services 

Literacy and Second Language Program 

 

Ashley Paz y Puente 

College of Engineering and Applied Science 

Mechanical Engineering and Materials Engineering 

 

Emily M.S. Houh 

College of Law 

 

Pooja Khatri 

College of Medicine 

Neurology and Rehab Medicine 

 

Joshua Lambert 

College of Nursing 

 

Bingfang Yan 

College of Pharmacy 

 

Vicky Gomez-Stallons 

UC Clermont 

Biological Sciences 

 

Office of Research Core Values Partnership Awardees 

Richard Miller 

College of Engineering and Applied Sciences 

Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management 

 

Melodie Fickenscher 

College of Engineering and Applied Sciences 

Advanced Materials Characterization Center 

 

Jennifer Wells 

UC Blue Ash 

Veterinary Tech Program 

 

These awards underscore UC’s strategic goals outlined in the Research2030 plan, aiming to position UC among the top 25 public research universities nationally. They reflect our commitment to leading urban, public universities into a new era of innovation and impact, fostering the next culture of research that builds respect and trust among researchers.