The University of Connecticut celebrated its outstanding faculty, staff, students, and community partners at the annual Provost’s Awards Ceremony held this month. The event recognized exceptional contributions to UConn’s academic mission, innovative research, and community engagement, highlighting the remarkable impact these individuals and groups have made within the University and beyond.

Provost Anne D’Alleva, who hosted the ceremony, opened the event by reflecting on the significance of honoring those who have made a lasting difference at UConn. “This evening, we celebrate the achievements of individuals whose dedication and innovation inspire us all. Their work enhances UConn’s reputation as a top public research institution, while also enriching the lives of our students, their fields of study, and the communities we serve.”

Among the honorees were faculty who excelled in teaching, research, and service, as well as community partners whose collaborations with UConn have had a profound impact on local communities. The ceremony also highlighted students for their leadership and commitment to community engagement and staff members for their dedicated service in support of student success.

The evening featured special recognitions, including the Alumni Faculty Excellence Award, Provost’s Outstanding Service Award, and the Provost’s Award for Excellence in Community Engaged Scholarship, which acknowledges outstanding contributions to addressing critical community issues through collaborative efforts. The ceremony concluded with a celebration of the Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor awardees, UConn’s highest faculty honor, including Dr. Nora Berrah, Dr. Ki H. Chon, and Dr. Crystal L. Park, whose pioneering work in their respective fields has brought distinction to UConn.

A full listing of the honorees is below.

 

Alumni Faculty Excellence Award

• • Kari Adamsons, Human Development and Family Sciences
  • Senjie Lin, Marine Sciences
  • Annamaria Csizmadia, Human Development and Family Sciences

Provost’s Outstanding Service Award

• • Caroline Dealy, UConn Health
  • Steve Zinn, Animal Science
  • Michael Finiguerra, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Provost’s Award for Excellence in Community Engaged Scholarship

• Faculty

• • Stephany Santos, Biomedical Engineering (Emerging Faculty Instructor)
  • Dan Burkey, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering (Distinguished Faculty Instructor)
  • Tatiana Andreyeva, Agricultural and Resource Economics (Emerging Faculty Community Impact)
  • Angela Bermúdez-Millán, Public Health Sciences (Distinguished Faculty Community Impact)
  • Roman Shrestha, Allied Health Sciences (Emerging Faculty Research Scholar)
  • Richard Pomp, Law (Distinguished Faculty Research Scholar)

• Students

• • Erin Cova, UConn School of Medicine (Graduate Student)
  • Letian Sun, Undergraduate Student

• Staff

• • Megan Delaney, School of Pharmacy

• Community Partners

• • Erica Fearn, 4-H Education Center at Auerfarm
  • Herb Virgo, Keney Park Sustainability Project
  • Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, accepted by Jeremy Whipple, Executive Director of Department of Agriculture

• Institutional Impact

• • UConn Writing Center, accepted by Tom Deans, Director
  • Nadine Brennan, David Embrick, Cynthia Miranda-Donnelly, Janice Castle, and Kim Schwarz, Research on Resilient Cities, Racism, & Equity Initiative (RRCRE)

Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor

• Nora Berrah, Physics
• Ki H. Chon, Biomedical Engineering
• Crystal L. Park, Psychological Sciences