Accolades
June 2026
Awards
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Johanna Heidorn Krey (Office of Institutional Advancement), Kaleb Williams (CLASS), Laura Johnson (Office of Institutional Advancement), gold award in the design category, College of Liberal Arts viewbook
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Clancy Theade (School of Music), maroon award in the design category, School of Music Undergraduate and Graduate Handbooks Redesign
Fellowships & Grants
Professors Christine Marran (Asian & Middle Eastern Studies) and Daniel Philippon (English) have recently been awarded a 2026 Impact Goals grant from the Institute on the Environment for their project: Environmental Humanities Initiative Support.
Associate Professor Sonja Kuftinec (Theatre Arts & Dance) has also been awarded a 2026 Impact Goals grant from the Institute on the Environment for her project: Prairie Restorations: Arts-based engagement for sustainable farming futures.
May 2026
Awards
Associate Dean Peggy Nelson (Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences) was honored at the Acoustical Society of America Women in Acoustics reception last night for her contributions to acoustics and to the society.
Congratulations to the winners of 2026-28 Social Science Research Grants:
- Associate Professor Mark Bell (Political Science): The Dynamics of Extended Deterrence
- Associate Professor Michelle Brown (Anthropology): Monkeys Across Space and Time: Historical Analyses of Primate Behavior
- Associate Professor Kerry Ebert (Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences): Facilitating Change in DLD Identification for Bilingual Children
- Associate Professor Dan Myers (Political Science): Measuring the Quality of Political News Coverage at Scale Using Custom AI Models
- Assistant Professor Sofía Pacheco-Forés (Anthropology): Looking for Migrants: A Biogeochemical Analysis of the Role of Migration in State Formation in Prehispanic Mesoamerica
- Associate Professor Adam Saffer (Hubbard School Of Journalism and Mass Communication): Benchmarking Expressed Identity: National Validation of the PersonaLex Classifier
Congratulations to the winners of 2026-28 Imagine Fund, Faculty Research Grants:
- Associate Professor Hakim Abderrezak (French & Italian): Color-Bound Injustice in the Words and Works of Writers and Artists: A Book Project
- Professor Christine Baeumler (Art): Field Notes of a Changing Climate: A Riparian Phenology Journal
- Professor Ananya Chatterjea (Theatre Arts & Dance): Love, Present Occupation: A Creative Investigation
- Professor Gabriela Currie (School of Music): Between the Rivers and Across the Steppe: Harps in the Middle Asian Interaction Sphere
- Professor Carl Flink (Theatre Arts & Dance): Choreography as Fast Architecture/Architecture as Slow Choreography: An Embodied Conversation about Frank Lloyd Wright at Taliesin
- Associate Professor Njeri Githire (African American and African Studies): At the Fortress Gate: African Experience of Migration in 21st Century Literature & Film
- Assistant Professor Serra Hakyemez (Anthropology): The Indigenous Environment of Foreign Aid in Somalia
- Professor Maggie Hennefeld (Cultural Studies & Comparative Literature): Archives of Feminist Film Comedy
- Professor Alice Lovejoy (Cultural Studies & Comparative Literature): Part and Particle: A History of Moving-Image and Nuclear Technologies
- Professor S. Douglas Olson (Classical & Near Eastern Religions & Cultures): Two Stays at the Fondation Hardt
- Associate Professor Yuichiro Onishi (African-American and African Studies): Afro-Asian Feminist Literary Translation 2.0
- Assistant Professor Bula Wayessa (African-American and African Studies): Artisanal Gold Mining and Jewelry Making in Wollega, Oromia State, Ethiopia
- Associate Professor Mathew Zefeldt (Art): After Malvinas: Painting Architectures of Proxy, Simulation, Surface, and State Violence
Congratulations to the following CLA faculty who were selected as 2026-27 Institute for Advanced Study Residential Faculty Fellows:
- Associate Professor Nick Estes (American Indian Studies): Red Power/Red Scare: Archives of Repression and Indigenous Resistance
- Assistant Professor Tamara Fakhoury (Philosophy): Reasons to Resist
- Assistant Professor Dingru Huang (Asian and Middle Eastern Studies): Between Animal and Machine: Ecologizing Modernisms in Wartime China
- Professor Alice Lovejoy (Cultural Studies & Comparative Literature): Surface and Memory: A Media and Environmental History of Tape
- Assistant Professor Rahsaan Mahadeo (African-American and African Studies): When the Hands of Time are Cold as I.C.E.: The Interminability of Deportation
- Professor Kathryn Nuernberger (English): A Natural History of War: Poems
- Assistant Professor Rotem Tamir (Art): Latitude 33°
- Associate Professor Elizabeth Wrigley-Field (Sociology): How Demography Constrains and Enables Ideational Persistence and Change
Congratulations to Associate Professor Claire Segijn (Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication), whose paper "When Phones Seem to Listen to Personalize Ads: The Effects of Conversation-Related Advertising on Advertising and Surveillance Responses" won the Best Conference Paper Award from the American Academy of Advertising. The paper is based on research supported by the Warwick MidCareer Faculty Research Award and conducted at the State Fair.
Congratulations to the following CLA staff members who are recipients of a 2025-26 Outstanding Service Award:
Individual awardees
- Stacy Bonn, CLA Fiscal
- Tessa Cicak, LATIS
- Kyle Edwards, OFAA
- Lydia Garver, Global Studies/Premodern Studies
- Eric Gorecki, CLASS
- Ann Miller, Sociology
- Coby Oertel, Global Studies/RIDGS
- Sophia Paschke, Political Science
- Deb Pearson, Theatre Arts & Dance
- Patrick Russell, LATIS
- Hope Savaria, Psychology
- Amanda Schmit, Psychology
- Will Shuford, Economics
- Christal Vang, CLA HR
Workgroup awardees
- Zang Lee, CLA HR
- Angie Plambeck, CLA HR
- Christal Vang, CLA HR
CLA recognizes the profound impact of our 2026 Faculty Emeriti:
- Professor Pat Frazier (Psychology)
- Professor Kelley Harness (Music)
- Regents Professor Allen Isaacman (History)
- Professor Larry Jones (Economics)
- Professor Dan Kersten (Psychology)
- Professor Jane Kirtley (Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication)
- Professor Alex Lubet (Music)
- Associate Professor Jerry Luckhardt (Music)
- Professor Nabil Matar (English)
- Professor Saje Mathieu (History)
- Associate Professor Martha Tappen (Anthropology)
Associate Professor Elizabeth Wrigley-Field (Sociology) was awarded the ASA Biology and Society section's Best Publication Award for her 2025 Annual Review of Sociology article, "Three Ways of Looking at Black-White Mortality Differences in the United States."
Professor Kirsten Fischer (History) was selected for a Fulbright U.S. Scholar award to Poland in 2026-27 where she will teach a course on memoirs as sources for American history.
The Department of History is proud to announce that the exhibit “Students Speak Out” was awarded the Alice Smith Prize for public history by the Midwestern Historical Association (MHA). The project was researched and produced by students Dori Catz, Reid Campani, Zach Khan, Malia Knoblauch Killian, Talia Magnuson, and Charles Payne, working with Dr. Yalile Suriel and Archivist Ellen Holt-Werle.
Publications
Associate Professor Amy O'Connor (Hubbard School of Journalism & Mass Communication) published The Mine Next Door, a book that "peels back the veneer of corporate public relations to expose the jagged edges that define the boundaries of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Minnesota’s Iron Range."
Professor Valerie Tiberius (Philosophy) published Artificially Yours, "a human perspective on the nature of friendship in the age of artificial intelligence."
Fellowships & Grants
Associate Faculty Davente Gilreath (Theatre Arts and Dance) has been named a McKnight Dancer Fellow. These fellowships provide each artist with funds for unrestricted support, enabling time for study, reflection, experimentation, and exploration—whether to pursue a new opportunity, begin a project, or deepen their practice.
Congratulations to Professor Penny Edgell (Sociology), recipient of a grant from the Russell Sage Foundation to support her project "Christian Nationalism and Economic Attitudes."
Congratulations to Associate Professor Jennifer Row (French & Italian), recipient of a Long-Term Fellowship from the Folger Shakespeare Library. She will spend the academic year consulting the Folger's archives around the history of embodiment and disability for her book, The Body Perfect: the Aesthetics of Race and Ableism in the Francophone Early Modern World.
March 2026
Awards
Associate Professor Elizabeth Wrigley-Field (Sociology) is the 2026 College of Liberal Arts Dean's Medalist. Dean’s Medalists are scholars who exemplify the highest standards of research, instruction, interdisciplinary reach, University citizenship, academic leadership, and local and national engagement.
Assistant Professor Emily Fairfax (Geography, Environment & Society) is the 2026 Scholar of the College and Professor Cindy García (Theatre Arts & Dance) is the 2026 Waldfogel Scholar of the College.
Senior Lecturer Lydia Belatèche (French & Italian) and Lecturer Charles McNamara (Classical & Near Eastern Religions & Cultures) are the 2026 recipients of CLA's Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award.
Professor Andrew Scheil (English) and Associate Professor Elliott Powell (American Studies) are the 2026 recipients of CLA's Arthur “Red” and Helene B. Motley Exemplary Teaching Award.
Associate Professor Molly Kessler (Writing Studies) and Graduate Program Coordinator Alison Hribar (Spanish and Portuguese Studies) are the 2026 recipients of the Excellence in Graduate Student Career Support Award. This award recognizes one faculty member and one staff member who demonstrate outstanding dedication to mentoring, advising, and empowering graduate students in exploring a wide range of career paths.
Senior Lecturer Melissa Licht (English), Professor Bonnie Klimes-Dougan (Psychology), and Associate Professor Jane Sumner (Political Science) are the 2026 recipients of the University's Distinguished Teachers Morse-Alumni Award. This honor is awarded to exceptional candidates nominated by colleges in their quest to identify excellence in undergraduate education.
Professor Christopher Federico (Political Science), Professor Ronald Greene (Communication Studies), and Professor Andrew Oxenham (Psychology) are the 2026 recipients of the Award for Outstanding Contributions to Graduate and Professional Education. This honor is awarded to exceptional candidates who have been nominated by colleges for excellence in graduate and professional education.
The goal of the McKnight Land-Grant Professorship Program is to advance the careers of assistant professors at a crucial point in their professional lives. The designation of “McKnight Land-Grant Professor” is held by recipients for a two-year period. Congratulations to the following CLA faculty who were recognized as 2026 McKnight Land-Grant Professors:
- Assistant Professor Maria Nieves-Colón (Anthropology)
- Assistant Professor Juan Del Toro (Psychology)
- Assistant Professor Aamina Ahmad (English)
- Assistant Professor Laura Garbes (Sociology)
- Assistant Professor Di Zhu (Geography, Environment & Society)
The Distinguished McKnight University Professorship program recognizes outstanding faculty members who have recently achieved full professor status. Congratulations to the following CLA faculty who were recognized as 2026 Distinguished McKnight University Professors:
- Professor Kathleen A. Collins (Political Science)
- Professor Douglas Kearney (English)
- Professor Scott Vrieze (Psychology)
Fellowships & Grants
Congratulations to the following CLA faculty who were selected as 2026-27 Institute for Advanced Study Residential Faculty Fellows:
- Assistant Professor Tamara Fakhoury (Philosophy), "Reasons to Resist"
- Assistant Professor Dingru Huang (Asian and Middle Eastern Studies), "Between Animal and Machine: Ecologizing Modernisms in Wartime China"
- Assistant Professor Rotem Tamir (Art), "Latitude 33°"
- Associate Professor Elizabeth Wrigley-Field (Sociology), "How Demography Constrains and Enables Ideational Persistence and Change"
- Associate Professor Nick Estes (American Indian Studies), "Red Power/Red Scare: Archives of Repression and Indigenous Resistance"
- Assistant Professor Alice Lovejoy (Cultural Studies & Comparative Literature), "Surface and Memory: A Media and Environmental History of Tape"
- Assistant Professor Rahsaan Mahadeo (African American & African Studies), "When the Hands of Time are Cold as I.C.E.: The interminability of deportation"
- Professor Kathryn Nuernberger (Creative Writing/English), "A Natural History of War: Poems"
Congratulations to Assistant Professor Megan Giddings (English), recipient of the University's 2026 McKnight Presidential Fellow Award. The McKnight Presidential Fellows Program is a three-year award given to the most promising individuals who have been granted both tenure and promotion to associate professor in an academic year.
Assistant Professor Juan Del Toro (Psychology) has been named a Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science (APS). The honor recognizes scholars whose research makes significant contributions to the science of psychology.
February 2026
Awards
Congratulations to:
- Senior Lecturer Gayle G.G. Golden (Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication)
- Senior Academic Advisor Charissa Blue, Senior Academic Advisor (Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Program / American Indian Studies)
recipients of the John Tate Awards for Excellence in Undergraduate Advising. These awards recognize sustained and substantial contributions to undergraduate education at the University of Minnesota through commitment to academic and/or career advising.
Professor Anna Lise Seastrand (Art History, Religious Studies) has received an Honorable Mention from the Association of Asian Studies South Asia Council for the Bernard S. Cohn Prize (First Book on South Asia). Her book, Body, History, Myth: Early Modern Murals in South India (Princeton University Press), was recognized for its outstanding contribution to the field of South Asian studies.
Publications & Creative Activities
Professor Maggie Hennefeld's (Cultural Studies & Comparative Literature) book Death by Laughter: Female Hysteria and Early Cinema (Columbia UP, 2024) was recently awarded the Limina Prize for Best International Film Studies Book, for publications that appeared in 2024. The prize was awarded by the Italian Consulta Universitaria Cinema and the international journal CINEMA & CIE.
Assistant Professor Atilla Hallsby (Communication Studies) has published Sovereign, Settler, Leaker, Lie: Forms of the Secret in U.S. Political Rhetoric (Ohio State University Press, 2026). Surveying presidential scandals, detective narratives, national security disclosures, and racist dogwhistles, this book examines the rhetorical forms of political secrets and their material consequences for twenty-first-century public culture in the United States.
Professor Michelle Phelps (Sociology) received the 2026 Outstanding Book award from the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences for her book, The Minneapolis Reckoning: Race, Violence, and the Politics of Policing in America.
January 2026
Awards
The Liberal Arts Engagement Hub will be receiving an "Upholding Our Beloved Community Award" from Sweet Potato Comfort Pie at their annual MLK Junior Holiday of Service event on Saturday, January 18. In 2023, Sweet Potato Comfort Pie had a residency at the Hub, and they have continued to use the space for their Juneteenth play rehearsals.
