NC State Continues Tradition of Faculty Achievement
The Celebration of Faculty Excellence is held each spring to recognize outstanding faculty who have received prestigious state, national and international awards, accolades or other distinctions during this academic year. This year, NC State honored 26 faculty members during the 2025 Celebration of Faculty Excellence on April 8.
Chancellor Randy Woodson presented the Alexander Quarles Holladay Medal for Excellence, NC State’s highest award recognizing faculty achievement.
The 2025 honorees were:
- Brian Gilger, professor, Department of Clinical Science
- Jacob Jones, Kobe Steel Distinguished Professor, Department of Materials Science and Engineering
- Xiangwu Zhang, Samuel S. Walker Distinguished Professor, Department of Textile Innovation, and associate dean for research in the Wilson College of Textiles
NC State Board of Trustees Chair Ed Weisiger, Jr. assisted in the presentation.
Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Warwick Arden recognized the following NC State recipients of UNC System-level awards:
- Clyde Sorenson, professor, Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology: University of North Carolina Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching
- Craig Yencho, William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor, Department of Horticultural Science: University of North Carolina System’s O. Max Gardner Award
Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Excellence Kim Grainger and Interim Vice Provost for Research and Innovation Alyson Wilson recognized the following honored faculty:
- Hudson Ashrafi, associate professor, Department of Horticulture Science: Fulbright U.S. Scholar
- Jayant Baliga, emeritus professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Millennium Technology Prize
- Sarah Bowen, professor, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, and associate dean for research and engagement, College of Humanities and Social Sciences: Fulbright U.S. Scholar
- Justin Bradley, associate professor, Department of Computer Science: National Science Foundation Early Career Development (CAREER) Award
- Diane Chapman, executive director and associate vice provost of faculty development, Office for Faculty Excellence: Fulbright U.S. Scholar
- Catherine Davis, assistant professor, Department of Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Sloan Research Fellow
- Meg Day, assistant professor, Department of English: Guggenheim Poet-in-Residence
- Chris DePerno, professor, Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources: American Council for Education Fellow
- Jan Genzer, S. Frank and Doris Culberson Distinguished Professor, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow
- Amanda Hulse-Kemp, USDA Assistant Professor, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences: Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers Award
- Tamecia Jones, assistant professor, Department of STEM Education: National Science Foundation Early Career Development (CAREER) Award
- Nathalie Lavoine, assistant professor, Department of Forest Biomaterials: National Science Foundation Early Career Development (CAREER) Award
- Jim Pfaendtner, Louis Martin-Vega Dean of the College of Engineering: American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow
- Rubén Rellán Álvarez, associate professor, Department of Molecular and Structural Biochemistry: Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers Award
- Renran Tian, assistant professor, Fitts Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering: National Science Foundation Early Career Development (CAREER) Award
- Martin Thuo, professor, Department of Materials Science and Engineering: National Academy of Inventors Fellow
- Victor Veliadis, professor and executive director of PowerAmerica, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: National Academy of Inventors Fellow
- Ge Yang, professor, Department of Nuclear Engineering: National Academy of Inventors Senior Member
- Jie Yen, associate professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering: Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers Award
- Christina Zakas, assistant professor, Department of Biological Sciences: National Science Foundation Early Career Development (CAREER) Award
- Yang Zhang, assistant professor, Department of Textile Engineering, Chemistry and Science: National Science Foundation Early Career Development (CAREER) Award
2025 marks the fourteenth year of the Celebration of Faculty Excellence. In recognition of all honored faculty, the university lit the Memorial Belltower red for the night on April 8.
This post was originally published in Provost's Office News.