Awards & Accolades

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Robert Q. Berry III, dean of the College of Education

Robert Q. Berry III, dean of the College of Education

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Karletta Chief, University Distinguished Outreach Professor of environmental science in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Karletta Chief, University Distinguished Outreach Professor of environmental science in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

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Roberta Diaz Brinton, director of the Center for Innovation in Brain Science

Roberta Diaz Brinton, director of the Center for Innovation in Brain Science

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IMPACT Award winners from University Communications include, from left, science writers Daniel Stolte and Mikayla Mace Kelley, and news writer Kyle Mittan.

IMPACT Award winners from University Communications include, from left, science writers Daniel Stolte and Mikayla Mace Kelley, and news writer Kyle Mittan.

Robert Q. Berry III receives lifetime achievement award

Robert Q. Berry III, dean of the College of Education, was honored recently with the Benjamin Banneker Association's Lifetime Achievement Award. The Benjamin Banneker Association is a national nonprofit organization that advocates for high quality mathematics education for Black students. The Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to educators and advocates whose careers have been dedicated to the association's mission and goals.

Berry focuses much of his work on minimizing equity issues in math education. He developed Mathematics Scan, an observation instrument for mathematics classrooms and was elected to the National Academy of Education earlier this year.

"You have been a dedicated and highly respected educator, researcher, leader and speaker," Shelly Jones, president of the association, wrote in a congratulatory letter to Berry. "Your commitment to excellence for Black children in mathematics exemplifies the vision and mission of the Benjamin Banneker Association."

Berry was honored at the association's 2022 Exemplary Teacher Reception, held at the University of Southern California in September.

Karletta Chief honored with 2022 Women in Discovery award

Karletta Chief, University Distinguished Outreach Professor of environmental science in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, is among four women honored with Women of Discovery awards by WINGS WorldQuest, an organization that supports women in science and exploration with funding opportunities and platforms for collaboration.

Chief's research focuses primarily on watershed and soil hydrology, particularly in arid environments. A Diné researcher, Chief centers much of her research on Indigenous communities and seeks to evaluate how these groups may be disproportionately affected by climate change. The organization praised Chief for her work in areas including water policy, mining, solar energy and food safety.

Chief and her fellow awardees were recognized at an awards gala In New York City last month. Each fellow received a $10,000 grant to support their work.

Roberta Diaz Brinton named AZ Bioscience Researcher of the Year

Roberta Diaz Brinton, director of the Center for Innovation in Brain Science, has been named 2022 AZ Bioscience Researcher of the Year by the Arizona Bioindustry Association. The organization aims to support Arizona's growing life sciences sector through networking, mentoring, workforce and other resources.

Brinton, whose research focuses on Alzheimer's disease. founded the Center for Innovation in Brain Science, a research center working towards treatments and cures for degenerative neurological diseases, in 2016. Since its inception, CIBS has received more than $112 million in grants to advance cures for these neurodegenerative diseases.

The Arizona Bioindustry Association award honors scientists who have made "significant contributions to the advancement of knowledge and understanding of biological processes."

"Dr. Roberta Diaz Brinton is an internationally recognized expert in the cause and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease," said Joan Koerber-Walker, president and CEO of the Arizona Bioindustry Association. "Her findings have shaped how the field understands the disease and unlocked the potential for new and innovative therapies to prevent and treat Alzheimer's."

Brinton received the honor at the 2022 AZ Bio Awards in Phoenix earlier this fall.

You can read more about the award on the Health Sciences webpage.

University honored by the Southern Arizona chapter of the Public Relations Society of America

Several University of Arizona teams were honored by the Southern Arizona chapter of the Public Relations Society of America at the 2022 IMPACT Awards. The annual awards recognize excellence in communications and public relations projects. These projects are judged by the chapter's board members.

The University's winning entries, and the categories in which they won, are listed below.

Awards of Excellence

  • Research, Innovation and Impact and Tech Parks Arizona – Tech Parks Arizona Foreign Direct Investment Brochure (Creative Collateral or Media Placement)
  • University Communications – Native American Student Tuition and Black Hole Image Reveal (Media Placement)
  • Health Sciences Office of Communications – Cannabis Awareness Month (General Marketing) and Women in Health Sciences (Digital Communications)
  • University of Arizona Center for Innovation and Caliber Group – An Entrepreneur's Journey (Creative Collateral or Media Placement)

Certificates of Excellence Merit Awards

  • University of Arizona – UANow (Newsletter)
  • University of Arizona Center for Innovation and Biosphere 2 – Grand Opening (Special Event or Observance)
  • Research, Innovation and Impact – Women of Impact Awards & Celebration (Internal Communications)

The awardees were honored on Oct. 25 at the Tucson Museum of Art.


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 University 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 University title or other affiliation.

Questions? Contact Lo Que Pasa at uaatwork@email.arizona.edu.


Isabel Kidwell is a student employee in the Office of University Communications.

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