Awards and Accolades

Awards and Accolades

By Amy WilliamsUniversity Relations – Communications
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Hao Helen Zhang
Hao Helen Zhang
Joel Cuello (third from left)
Joel Cuello (third from left)
Award given to the UA's Water & Energy Sustainable Technology Center.
Award given to the UA's Water & Energy Sustainable Technology Center.
The APDU Data Viz Awards recognize projects that use public data to convey meaningful information in a compelling manner.
The APDU Data Viz Awards recognize projects that use public data to convey meaningful information in a compelling manner.
Arizona Public Media
Arizona Public Media
Karletta Chief
Karletta Chief
Nicolette Teufel-Shone
Nicolette Teufel-Shone
Camp Wellness
Camp Wellness

Congratulations to these recently honored employees and projects.

Hao Helen Zhang Named Fellow of the Institute of Mathematical Statistics

Hao Helen Zhang, professor in the Department of Mathematics, was named Fellow of the Institute of Mathematical Statistics at an induction ceremony on July 11. She received the award for her influential contributions to nonparametric statistics, high-dimensional statistics, machine learning and data mining. Zhang was one of 16 selected for the fellowship out of 50 nominations submitted. The Institute of Mathematical Statistics is a member organization that fosters the development and dissemination of the theory and application of statistics. It has 4,000 active members around the world and only 10 percent of the members have earned fellowship status. 

Professor Elected to National Academy of Science and Technology of the Philippines

Joel Cuello, professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, was elected a corresponding member of the National Academy of Science and Technology of the Philippines. He was chosen because of his significant contributions in sustainable biological and agricultural engineering systems. He has also done significant work for NASA on hybrid solar-electric lighting systems. The National Academy of Science and Technology Philippines elected Cuello during its 38th meeting in July. Cuello has served as technical adviser to the Philippine Congressional Commission on Science, Technology and Engineering. He was also elected to the Philippine American Academy of Science and Engineering in 2012.

UA Potable Water System Wins 2016 Project of the Year Award

The UA's Water & Energy Sustainable Technology Center, along with collaborators Tucson Water and the global engineering firm CH2M, received the 2016 WateReuse Arizona Project of the Year Award for their work on a pilot wastewater-treatment system that converts wastewater into high-quality drinking water. The research for the system was one of the first major projects involving the UA's Water & Energy Sustainable Technology Center, or WEST Center. The pilot system was designed to aid in Arizona's shortage of drinking water caused by the continuing drought. The project is now eligible for a Water Environment & Reuse Foundation national award, which will be announced in September. Visit the College of Engineering website for more information.

MAP Dashboard Team Recognized

The Association of Public Data Users, or APDU, named the UA's MAP Dashboard team's data visualizations among 2016's top seven visualizations using publicly available data. The MAP Dashboard Project, created and maintained by the Eller College of Management's Economic and Business Research Center, has a goal to improve southern Arizona through data and education. The APDU Data Viz Awards recognize projects that use public data to convey meaningful information in a compelling manner. Award recipients will present their research questions, data sources and design tactics at the 2016 ADPU annual conference on Sept. 14. 

AZPM Productions and Staff Nominated for Emmy Awards

Arizona Public Media productions received 17 Rocky Mountain Emmy Award nominations, and 30 AZPM staff members were nominated to receive awards. To view the complete list of AZPM nominees, click here. Winners will be recognized on Oct. 8. AZPM will also receive the Governors' Award for the 2016 documentary production "Passing On." The Governors' Award is the highest and most prestigious award given by the Governors of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. In addition, John Booth, AZPM executive producer, will be inducted into the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Silver Circle at the Emmy Awards ceremony on Oct. 8, for his years of service to the industry.

Karletta Chief Named AISES Professional of the Year

The 2016 American Indian Science and Engineering Society Professional of the Year award was presented to Karletta Chief, assistant professor and extension specialist of hydrology in the Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science. Chief has partnered with the UA's College of Public Health on two grant-funded projects, which were both funded at over $1 million, for environmental justice work on the impact of the Gold King Mine Spill in New Mexico. Chief has secured more than $6.2 million in research funds. AISES is a national, Native American nonprofit with a mission to substantially increase the representation of American Indians in science, technology, engineering and math studies and careers. Chief was the winner of the AISES Most Promising Engineer/Scientist in 2011. 

Professor Receives Native Research Network Award

Nicolette Teufel-Shone, professor of family and child health at the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, received the Native Research Network Award for Excellence in Training for her commitment and mentorship to Native American investigators in the Center for American Indian Resilience. The Native Research Network is a scholarly leadership community of American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian and Canadian Aboriginal people promoting integrity and excellence in research. Teufel-Shone has worked with Native American communities in the Southwest for more than 25 years, addressing chronic disease prevention. Teufel-Shone also has published more than 50 peer-reviewed journal articles on American Indian health. 

UA's Camp Wellness Receives 2016 Recognition of Excellence Award

Camp Wellness, a health and wellness program for adults with serious mental illnesses, has been selected for the 2016 Recognition of Excellence in Wellness Award. Only three programs in the nation received this award, given by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The UA Department of Family and Community Medicine developed Camp Wellness in response to national studies that show adults with serious mental illnesses have a shorter life expectancy than other adults. 

We want to know about your good news. If you, your department or a colleague have 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 or team receiving the honor.
  • Name of the organization granting the honor.
  • A description of the 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 affiliations.

Questions? Contact Amy Williams at 626-4407 or amywilliams@email.arizona.edu.

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