As the spring semester starts winding down, each year the University of Georgia\u2019s Honors Week marks a time to celebrate exceptional performance in the classroom, in the service arena\u2014and in research, as faculty and graduate students are recognized for their contributions to scientific discovery.<\/p>\n
Celebrating its 45th<\/sup> year, UGA\u2019s Research Awards banquet and ceremony pay tribute to those who have made groundbreaking strides in their respective fields through research, innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship.<\/p>\n The 2024 Research Awards take place on April 4 as part of Honors Week activities<\/a>. The awards are sponsored by the University of Georgia Research Foundation.<\/a><\/p>\n The full list of 2024 winners includes:<\/p>\n Robert C. Anderson Award<\/strong><\/p>\n Huimin Cheng<\/a> \u2014 Franklin College of Arts and Sciences Department of Statistics<\/p>\n James L. Carmon Award<\/strong><\/p>\n Erica Mitchell<\/a> \u2014 doctoral candidate in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences Department of Chemistry<\/p>\n Postdoctoral Research Awards<\/strong><\/p>\n Ahva Potticary<\/a> \u2014 postdoctoral fellow in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences\u2019 Department of Entomology<\/p>\n Brent Simpson<\/a> \u2013 postdoctoral fellow in the College of Veterinary Medicine\u2019s Department of Infectious Diseases<\/p>\n Team Impact Award<\/strong><\/p>\n The Center on Human Trafficking, Research & Outreach (CenHTRO)<\/a> \u2014 Director David Okech, Hui Yi, Laura Zimmerman, Tamora Callands, Nathan Hansen, Andrea Dennis, Jody Clay-Warner, and Lydia Aletraris.<\/p>\n Inventor of the Year<\/strong><\/p>\n Qingguo \u201cJack\u201d Huang<\/a> \u2014 <\/strong>professor of Crop and Soil Sciences in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences<\/p>\n Entrepreneur of the Year<\/strong><\/p>\n John Gibbs<\/a> \u2014 <\/strong>associate professor in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences Department of Theatre and Film Studies<\/p>\n Regents\u2019 Entrepreneur<\/strong><\/p>\n Valentine Nzengung<\/a> \u2014 professor of environmental geochemistry in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences\u2019 Department of Geology<\/p>\n Research Communications Award<\/strong><\/p>\n Michael J. Chamberlain<\/a> \u2014 Terrell Distinguished Professor of Wildlife Ecology and Management in the Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources<\/p>\n Non-Tenure Track Faculty Research Excellence Awards<\/strong><\/p>\n Lydia Aletraris<\/a> \u2014 associate research scientist in the School of Social Work<\/p>\n Soraya Leal-Bertioli<\/a> \u2014 senior research scientist in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Department of Plant Pathology<\/p>\n Early Career Scholar: Michael F. Adams Award<\/strong><\/p>\n James Naigus<\/a> \u2014 assistant professor of horn in the Hugh Hodgson School of Music<\/p>\n Early Career Scholar: Fred C. Davison Award<\/strong><\/p>\n Pengpeng Bi<\/a> \u2014 assistant professor in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences\u2019 Department of Genetics and Center for Molecular Medicine<\/p>\n Amanda Frossard<\/a> \u2014 assistant professor in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences\u2019 Department of Chemistry<\/p>\n Early Career Scholar: Charles B. Knapp Award<\/strong><\/p>\n Drew Abney<\/a> \u2014 assistant professor in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences\u2019 Department of Psychology<\/p>\n Creative Research Medals<\/strong><\/p>\n Logan Fiorella<\/a> \u2014 associate professor in the Mary Frances Early College of Education\u2019s Department of Educational Psychology<\/p>\n Hitesh Handa<\/a> \u2014 associate professor and Distinguished Faculty Fellow in the School of Chemical, Material, and Biomedical Engineering<\/p>\n Giorgis Petridis<\/a> \u2014 associate professor in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences\u2019 Department of Mathematics<\/p>\n Susan Rosenbaum<\/a> \u2014 associate professor in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences\u2019 Department of English<\/p>\n Juliet Sekandi<\/a> \u2014 associate professor in the College of Public Health\u2019s Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics and the Global Health Institute<\/p>\n Albert Christ-Janer Creative Research Award<\/strong><\/p>\n J. Derrick Lemons<\/a> \u2014 associate professor in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences\u2019 Department of Religion<\/p>\n Lamar Dodd Creative Research Award<\/strong><\/p>\n Jessica Kissinger<\/a> \u2014 Distinguished Research Professor in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences\u2019 Department of Genetics<\/p>\n Dennis E. Kyle<\/a> \u2014 professor in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences\u2019 Department of Cellular Biology<\/p>\n Paul Pollack<\/a> \u2014 professor in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences\u2019 Department of Mathematics<\/p>\n William A. Owens Creative Research Award<\/strong><\/p>\n Christina Boyd<\/a> \u2014 Thomas P. and M. Jean Lauth Professor of Political Science in the School of Public and International Affairs<\/p>\n Distinguished Research Professors<\/strong><\/p>\n Samuel E. Aggrey<\/a> \u2014 Richard B. Russell Endowed Chair and Professor in the Department of Poultry Science in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences<\/p>\n James E. \u201cJeb\u201d Byers<\/a> \u2014 UGA Athletic Association Professor in the Odum School of Ecology<\/p>\n Jamie Kreiner<\/a> \u2014 professor in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences\u2019 Department of History<\/p>\n Aaron Mitchell<\/a> \u2014 professor and head of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences\u2019 Department of Microbiology<\/p>\n