Honors and awards

March 2021

ISU Meats Laboratory receives Ag Leader Award

The ISU Meats Laboratory received the Iowa Ag Leader Award for Leadership in Collaboration for 2021, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced March 22. When the COVID-19 pandemic limited the state’s meat processing capacity, the Meats Lab re-opened its doors and started processing Iowa-grown pork and beef from local producers. Those efforts provided needed relief for producers struggling to market their livestock, gave students invaluable hands-on experience and helped Iowans  in need through programs such as Pass the PorkBeef Up Iowa and Turkey to Table -- initatives developed by Gov. Kim Reynolds' Feeding Iowans Task Force. Through those programs, the lab has processed more than 200,000 pounds of ground beef and pork for the Iowa Food Bank Association, which was also honored with an Ag Leader Award, for community leadership.

Martincic illustration captures gold

Miriam Martincic, assistant teaching professor in graphic design, was awarded a Gold Medal from the Society of Illustrators, New York City, for her illustration, "Having It All," which addresses multiple and competing expectations of women. This is one of three pieces by Martincic accepted in the uncommissioned category of the Illustrators 63 annual juried exhibition, one of the most competitive  illustration shows in the world.

Whitehead text wins national award

"Structures by Design: Thinking, Making, Breaking" (Routledge, 2019) by Rob Whitehead, associate professor of architecture, received a national 2021 Textbook Excellence Award from the Textbook and Academic Authors Association. Of the eight college textbooks honored, Whitehead's is the only one related to physical sciences. Awardees will be recognized during an online awards ceremony at noon CDT Friday, March 19.

AAU designates Sarah Nusser a senior fellow

The AAU has selected statistics professor and former vice president for research Sarah Nusser to serve as a senior research fellow to support its work to accelerate public access to research data. Nusser currently is a visiting professor in the social and decision analytics division of the University of Virginia's Biocomplexity Institute. She is chair of The National Academies' board on research data and information.

Schalinske to lead nutrition society

Kevin Schalinske, professor of food science and human nutrition, has been elected to the presidential line for the American Society for Nutrition for a four-year term, including one-year terms as vice president-elect, vice president, president and past president. The society brings together more than 8,000 members globally from resesarch, clinical nutrition and industry to advance knowledge and application of nutrition.

Shao receives ISU Bailey award

Associate professor of chemical and biological engineering Zengyi Shao received the 2021 Bailey Research Career Development award. The office of the vice president for research grants the annual award to faculty whose high-risk, high-reward work is addressing emerging scientific, technical or societal problems. Shao hopes to harness the power of cellular mitochondria to address a host of human health conditions

Hashemi named Fellow of American Society of Mechanical Engineers

Mechanical engineering associate professor Nicole Hashemi has been named a Fellow by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). The status of fellow is bestowed upon a member with 10 or more years of active practice and at least 10 years of active corporate membership in the organization. Hashemi is the 11th current mechanical engineering faculty member to hold the grade of fellow from ASME.

Three employees honored with YWCA's achievement awards

Three staff members are among the 10 recipients of the Ames/ISU YWCA's 2021 Women of Achievement awards, which recognize women in the ISU and Story County communities who are living the Y's mission: eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. The three are: Sandra Marcu, director of the Margaret Sloss Center for Women and Gender Equity; Santos Núñez, multicultural/international student retention coordinator for the College of Engineering; and Diana Sloan, program director for Hispanic and Latino affairs in the office of diversity, equity and inclusion. They'll be honored during a March 11 virtual event.