NC State Chancellor Randy Woodson announced the 2015-16 University Faculty Scholars, top NC State early- and mid-career faculty who will receive $10,000 in donated funds for each of the next five years to support their academic endeavors. The recognition and reward program is part of the university’s strategic initiative to invest in and retain top faculty.

Those eligible for awards include assistant professors who have been reappointed for a second term; associate professors; and full professors within the first three years of appointment at that rank. Nominees were evaluated based on evidence of their significant achievements in scholarship, teaching and/or service appropriate to their rank and discipline.

Faculty members are nominated by their colleges and selected by a committee of senior faculty.

This year’s class of University Faculty Scholars includes:

• Rodolphe Barrangou, associate professor of food, bioprocessing and nutrition sciences
• Andrew Behnke, associate professor of youth, family and community sciences
• Chase Beisel, assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering
• Sarah Desmarais, associate professor of psychology
• Ahmed El-Shafei, associate professor of textile engineering, chemistry and science
• Jody Gookin, associate professor of clinical sciences
• Karen Hollebrands, professor of mathematics education
• He (Helen) Huang, associate professor of biomedical engineering
• Jacob Jones, professor of materials science and engineering
• Eric Laber, assistant professor of statistics
• Fanxing Li, assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering
• Carolyn Mattingly, associate professor of biological sciences
• Melinda Morrill, associate professor of economics
• Branda Nowell, associate professor of public administration
• Sunkyu Park, associate professor of forest biomaterials
• Leslie Sombers, assistant professor of chemistry
• Adriana de Souza e Silva, associate professor of communication
• David Tarpy, professor of entomology
• Joseph Tracy, associate professor of materials science and engineering
• Lingjuan Wang-Li, associate professor of biological and agricultural engineering
• Gavin Williams, assistant professor of chemistry
• Yong Zhu, associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering

This post was originally published in NC State News.