Awards & Accolades
Geosciences professor Jay Quade
College of Science Dean Joaquin Ruiz
Anne Ryan, assistant professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine and director of its Tucson Family Advocacy Program, at center, with Arizona State Bar board of governors President Jeffrey Willis, left, and Alex Vakula, immediate past president.
Lisa Ordóñez, vice dean of the Eller College of Management
Altaf Engineer, assistant professor in the School of Architecture and the UA Institute on Place, Wellbeing and Performance
College of Education Dean Emeritus Ronald Marx
Congratulations to these recent honorees.
Quade, Ruiz Receive Top Awards From Geological Society of America
Jay Quade, a professor in the Department of Geosciences, and Joaquin Ruiz, dean of the College of Science and professor of geosciences, have been chosen to receive two of the Geological Society of America's top awards. Quade and Ruiz will be presented with the awards at the organization's annual meeting in Indianapolis in November.
Quade will receive the society's Arthur L. Day Medal. One of the organization's highest honors, the medal recognizes "outstanding distinction in the application of physics and chemistry to the solution of geologic problems." Quade, whose research includes low-temperature geochemistry, radiometric dating, and paleoenvironmental reconstruction, was selected for his "many contributions to understanding paleoclimate, environmental change, tectonic processes, geochemistry, and hominid evolution," the organization said.
Ruiz will receive the GSA Public Service Award, given in recognition of "contributions that have materially enhanced the public's understanding of the earth sciences, or significantly served decision-makers in the application of scientific and technical information in public affairs and public policy related to the earth sciences." In a nomination by UA geosciences professor Peter DeCelles, Ruiz was credited with for "creating a culture of engagement among geoscientists and members of the public, reaching thousands of citizens in numerous programs; for leading the science mission at a major public university for nearly two decades; and for inspiring both scientists and the public to appreciate the power of science."
Ryan Named Arizona Bar's Legal Aid Attorney of the Year
Anne Ryan, assistant professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine, attorney and founding director of the department's Tucson Family Advocacy Program, has received the State Bar of Arizona's 2018 Sharon A. Fullmer Legal Aid Attorney of the Year Award. The award was presented to Ryan at the state bar's annual convention in June.
The award recognizes "the legal services lawyer in Arizona whose service to low-income people encompasses both aggressive advocacy on behalf of individuals in extreme need as well as impacts advocacy designed to address systemic issues affecting significant numbers of low-income people."
Ryan founded the Tucson Family Advocacy Program in 2004. As its director, she leads a partnership of health care providers and lawyers working together to improve the health and well-being of low-income patients and their families. The program provides free legal assistance to low-income families in two Banner – University Medicine primary care clinics. The program also teaches health care providers about legal issues that impact health.
Ordóñez Among 'Most Influential Women in Arizona'
Lisa Ordóñez, vice dean in the Eller College of Management and professor of management and organizations, has been named one of AZ Big Media's 59 Most Influential Women in Arizona for 2018. Ordóñez will be honored at a ceremony in Phoenix later this month.
AZ Big Media publishes nine magazines that cover Arizona business and lifestyle. Its annual Most Influential Women in Arizona list recognizes women leaders in commercial real estate and business for their "courage, innovation and excellence in leadership." Ordóñez is featured on the cover and inside the July/August issue of AzBusiness Magazine.
Ordóñez, who began at the UA as an assistant professor in 1994 and was appointed vice dean in 2015, is co-chair of the UA's strategic planning committee.
Engineer Receives Legacy Award From Alma Mater
Altaf Engineer, an assistant professor in the School of Architecture and the UA Institute on Place, Wellbeing and Performance, will be honored by the College of Fine and Applied Arts at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, his alma mater.
Engineer, who holds a master's degree and a doctorate from the University of Illinois, was selected to receive the Emerging Legacy Award. He will be honored in September as part of the inaugural Fine and Applied Arts Legacy Awards ceremony.
The Legacy Awards recognize "alumni and friends who have demonstrated courage, curiosity, and passion in their work and honor individuals who have impacted their fields in transformative ways – catalysts with a distinguished service to the arts."
Engineer began at the UA in August 2017.
Marx Named 'Visionary Steward' by Tucson Values Teachers
Ronald Marx, professor of educational psychology and dean emeritus of the College of Education, has been named a Visionary Steward by nonprofit organization Tucson Values Teachers. Marx will be recognized at "Let's Talk Ed," a Sept. 20 event celebrating the organization's 10th anniversary.
Tucson Values Teachers brings business leaders, educators and other local leaders together to help schools and districts in Southern Arizona attract, retain and support K-12 teachers.
The organization has recognized Marx and five others as Visionary Stewards, or people who "believed in the mission of Tucson Values Teachers, launched and established the organization, and provided the leadership and investment to ensure our success." As a founding member of the organization's board of directors, Marx was an "influential contributor to the data and research that shaped TVT strategies and programs."
Marx came to the UA when he was appointed dean in 2003. He stepped down from the position in June 2017 to return to the faculty.
We want to know about your good news. If you, your team or a colleague has won any major awards, been honored nationally or internationally, or accomplished some other major feat that deserves recognition, let us know about it.
To submit your news, please send us an email with the following information:
- Name of the person, team or unit receiving the honor with full UA titles.
- Information about the award/honor and the organization that granted it. Please include a link to the official announcement of the award/honor, when the honor was announced and when it will be presented (or was presented).
- A photo of the honoree. If others appear in the photo, please provide their names and identifying information, such as their UA title or other affiliation.
Questions? Contact Lo Que Pasa at uaatwork@email.arizona.edu.