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Tag: 2014

Michael Usher

on March 2, 2016

Michael UsherCreative Research Medal 2014

Michael Usher, associate professor of mathematics, is recognized for his breakthrough development of a new tool known as “boundary depth,” which helps mathematicians working in the field of symplectic geometry better understand the intricacies of an important geometric space known as the group of Hamiltonian diffeomorphisms. While Usher’s contributions are in pure mathematics, the field of symplectic geometry was born from and is strongly tied to applications in physics. Hamiltonian diffeomorphisms of symplectic manifolds provide a unified perspective on the dynamics of physical systems according to the laws of classical mechanics. They are used to mathematically model those physical systems in which energy is preserved. Greater insight into these transformations has improved our understanding of turbulent fluid flow, the stability of the solar system, the foundations of quantum mechanics and many other phenomena. In a series of five papers, Usher helped settle many longstanding problems in this field, but he also introduced new concepts that help bridge gaps between fundamental mathematical theories.

John Drake

on March 2, 2016

University of Georgia researcher John DrakeDistinguished Research Professor 2017

John Drake, professor in the Odum School of Ecology, is a globally recognized authority on the ecology of infectious diseases. Described by an external evaluator as “possibly the leading ecologist of his generation,” Drake conducts research in the interdisciplinary field of population biology, crossing boundaries between ecology, evolutionary biology and epidemiology. His contributions include new theoretical results, original experiments and the development of new quantitative methods for reconciling theory and data. He developed a novel experimental system that showed for the first time that characteristic statistical fluctuations known as “critical slowing down” may be used to devise early warning signals of environmental deterioration. He developed a new approach to model-independent early-warning systems for emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. He is now working on an approach to anticipate and respond to emerging infectious diseases that is proactive and data-driven. In 2016, he founded and now directs the UGA Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases.

Previous Award

  • Creative Research Medal 2014

Tianming Liu

on March 2, 2016

University of Georgia researcher Tianming LiuDistinguished Research Professor

Tianming Liu, professor of computer science, is an internationally recognized researcher in the field of brain imaging and mapping. In addition to building a fundamental understanding of the brain, his research has enabled our understanding of the relationship between brain anatomy and function, with applications to medical and surgical interventions and the treatment of psychological and psychiatric disorders. Highlights of Liu’s distinguished record include the discovery of a novel mechanism of cerebral cortex folding, which offers a general framework for describing and modeling the anatomical connectional and functional architectures of the brain. His research group developed a map of the human brain named DICCCOL, which shows great promise as a new guide to the inner workings of the body’s most complex and critical organ. Recently, Liu and his group developed holistic atlases of functional networks and interactions, and he discovered and characterized the interactions between external multimedia streams and the brain’s functional responses.

Previous Award

  • Creative Research Medal 2014

Phaedra Corso

on March 2, 2016

CreaPhaedra Corsotive Research Medal 2014

Phaedra Corso, professor of health policy and management, has been a pioneer in the application of economic evaluation methods to inform policy making in public health. Economic evaluation refers to applied analytic tools used to systematically assess the impact of policies, programs and practices on costs and health outcomes. Increasingly, governmental funding sources require, in addition to efficacy and effectiveness data, economic evaluations of programs to justify allocation of resources to providers. Despite their value, the field of public health is in the nascent stages of fully incorporating economic evaluations into their mainstream research. Corso has helped to remedy this neglect by developing fundamental primers on how to conduct economic evaluations, leading national and international trainings on economic evaluation and applying the tools of economic evaluation to public health interventions in the state and across the country. She is expanding her application of economic evaluation to new areas of public health that impact vulnerable populations, including substance abuse and obesity.

Walid Alali

on March 2, 2016

Walid AlaliCreative Research Medal 2014

Walid Alali, assistant professor of epidemiology at the Center for Food Safety, conducts critical research focused on the epidemiology and control of Salmonella in poultry production. Poultry meat is a significant source of Salmonella infections, and Alali’s research provides an improved understanding of the pathogen’s frequencies and transmission dynamics. He led a project funded by the USDA to collect data on Salmonella in poultry from emerging market countries, such as China, Russia and Colombia, where there was little data or the data did not exist. In addition, Alali investigated the presence of antibiotic resistant strains of Salmonella in these locations and found high levels of multi-drug resistance in these organisms. Alali worked closely with the World Health Organization and local officials to plan and execute a response to this problem. From these experiences, he has published a series of well-reviewed manuscripts in some of the field’s top journals.

Noel Fallows

on March 2, 2016

Noel Fallows Distinguished Research Professor 2015

Noel Fallows is Associate Dean of International and Multidisciplinary Programs and the senior Professor of Spanish in the Department of Romance Languages. Literary critic, historian, translator, and editor, Fallows is one of the foremost authorities in the world in the field of Medieval and Renaissance chivalric culture. His work focuses on Western Europe, with particular emphasis on the Iberian Peninsula. He has published a large number of influential books and articles on topics as varied as jousts, tournaments, military medicine, early equine medicine, knightly cults of wounds, propaganda campaigns, psychological warfare, mounted combat and riding techniques and arms and armor. The clear and accessible style of his books and articles offers a wide range of readers the opportunity to consider social and political questions from the past that remain powerfully resonant today, including questions of war and peace as well as the complexities of relations between Christians and Muslims. His research publications have garnered numerous international awards, and have been widely acclaimed for their innovative interdisciplinary research, meticulous textual analysis, and thorough cultural contextualization.

Previous Award

Albert Christ-Janer Award 2014
Creative Research Medal 2013

Allen Moore

on February 24, 2016

University of Georgia researcher Allen MooreLamar Dodd Creative Research Award 2017

Allen Moore, Distinguished Research Professor of Genetics, is an evolutionary behavior geneticist who conducts research on the genetics of sociality using insects, which have often played key roles in elucidating the evolution of social behavior. His work combines theoretical and statistical approaches to tackle evolutionarily important problems in behavior, and then brings the full arsenal of modern molecular techniques to dissect the underlying mechanisms. Moore has selected his insect systems in a way that allows him to manipulate experimentally varied social behaviors, including aggression, mating, altruism, and notably, parental care. In his latest advance, Moore uses genomic approaches to understand complex behavioral traits in burying beetles. His work will test the importance of specific genes in determining differences between care provided by mothers and fathers, and between single parents and biparental teams. It may open the doors to understanding pathways of gene interaction both within parents and between parents and offspring.

Previous Award

  • Distinguished Research Professor 2014