Faculty Recognition | Office of Research and Innovation

Vice President Gage placing medal around a female faculty member

Honoring Excellence

Michigan State University conducts world-class research and creative activity, ranking as one of the top research universities globally. MSU research excellence has been recognized through institutional membership in the American Association of Universities (AAU) since 1964.

The university attracts and welcomes an international community of outstanding graduate students, postdoctoral associates, and faculty visitors to a broad range of highly ranked graduate programs, research centers, and interdisciplinary collaborations.

National and international faculty awards are an important component of institutional reputation. Each year, Michigan State University faculty members earn a variety of honors for their scholarly contributions. Some receive prizes and awards from learned societies or government agencies for specific work or career contributions.

Please review the curated lists of prestigious awards earned by your colleagues and consider those for which you might nominate others. Please contact the Faculty Honorifics Office for assistance.

Announcements

Renn Named AERA Fellow

Mar 17, 2025

Professor and internationally recognized scholar Kristen Renn was named an American Educational Research Association Fellow in March 2025. The honor recognizes scholars for their “exceptional contributions to, and excellence in, education research,” said AERA in a news release. She joins a group of 29 scholars recognized with the distinction.

Nejadhashemi Recognized for Pioneering Work in Water Resources

Mar 14, 2025

A water resources expert at Michigan State University received the 2024 American Water Resources Association (AWRA) Honorary Member Award.

Pouyan Nejadhashemi was elected to the prestigious honorary position for his “acknowledged eminence in a branch of water resources science and technology.”

Cowan Awarded for Work with People Living with Schizophrenia in Michigan

Mar 3, 2025

Henry Cowan, assistant professor of clinical science in the Department of Psychology at Michigan State University, received a 2024 Young Investigator Award from the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation and was chosen to be the Frederick & Alice Coles and Thomas & Nancy Coles Investigator through their Research Partners Program.

Elliott Awarded Red Cedar Distinguished Professorship

Mar 3, 2025

Kevin C. Elliott, professor of philosophy and member of the Lyman Briggs College Science and Society faculty group, was promoted to Red Cedar Distinguished Professor on March 1, 2025.

Demir Receives Prestigious Sloan Research Fellowship

Feb 24, 2025

Selvan Demir, an assistant professor of chemistry at Michigan State University, is a recipient of a 2025 research fellowship by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

Woodruff To Receive 'Women’s Health Visionary Award' from Society for Women’s Health Research

Feb 19, 2025

The Society for Women’s Health Research, or SWHR, announced it will present the "Women’s Health Visionary Award” to Teresa Woodruff, MSU Research Foundation Professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology.

Hong Named MSU Research Foundation Professor

Feb 12, 2025

Charles (Chaz) Hong, MD, PhD, has been named a Michigan State University Research Foundation Professor in recognition of his decades of scientific research and clinical impact, including groundbreaking research focused on phosphoinositol-3-kinase and mitogen-activated kinase signaling in artery-vein specification.

Jain Receives the BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award

Feb 10, 2025

Anil K. Jain has received the prestigious BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Information and Communication Technologies for core contributions to machine learning which have unlocked “applications of far-reaching impact on society as a whole.” He shares this award with Michael I. Jordan, University of California, Berkeley, for his contributions to predictive algorithms.