Overview
Established in 2014 through the generosity of the MSU Research Foundation, the university awards the title "MSU Research Foundation Professor" to selected current and new faculty. Award of the title is intended to assist MSU in recruitment, recognition, and retention of outstanding faculty at all academic ranks, with the primary aim of enhancing the international stature of the institution in research and creative activity.
The award of the title will be made to individuals who combine externally recognized, exemplary scholarly accomplishment with clear professional relevance to specific areas of MSU scholarly need, disciplinary development, or research or creative emphasis.
Faculty awardees retain the title of "MSU Research Foundation Professor" for the duration of their service at MSU. Typically, each also receives scholarly support for the first five years after their award.
Nomination Process
Submission materials for the online form should include:
- A letter of nomination from an MSU dean.
- Substantial and laudatory written assessment of the accomplishments and/or prospects of the awardee from external peer reviewers.
- Approval by the Provost and the Vice President for Research and Innovation
Support for item #2 may include evidence such as:
- Letters of recommendation
- Referee reports from scholarly publications and grant proposals
- Published critical reviews of professional books, film, art exhibits, musical, dance or theatre performance, or other similar creative activity.
- Citations from externally awarded prizes or honorary degrees.
Upon selection, the nominating dean and awardee will be notified of approval by the Office of Research and Innovation, and the home college of the professor will prepare an announcement to the University community. Nominations for MSU Research Foundation Professorships are accepted throughout the year and reviewed by a committee each Fall and Spring semester. Newly named MSU Research Foundation Professors are invited to the university investiture event held in the fall.
The next deadline for nominations is February 14, 2025.
For any questions, please contact:
Brooke Gallagher-Rademacher
Chief of Staff
Office of Research and Innovation
Email galla106@msu.edu
517-355-0306
MSU Research Foundation Professors
- Bruno Basso '17, College of Natural Science, Dept. of Earth & Environmental Sciences
- Christoph Benning '14, College of Natural Science, Plant Research Laboratory
- Federica Brandizzi '15, College of Natural Science, Dept. of Plant Biology
- Ruth Nicole Brown '21, College of Arts and Letters, Dept. of African American and African Studies
- Honglei Chen, '22, College of Human Medicine, Dept. of Epidemiology and Biostatistics
- Andrew Christlieb '14, College of Natural Science, Dept. of Computational Mathematics, Science & Engineering
- Katherine Connelly '23, College of Engineering, Dept. of Computer Science and Engineering, Office of Research and Innovation
- Marcos Dantus '15, College of Natural Science, Dept. of Chemistry
- Dimitar Deliyski '15, College of Communication Arts and Sciences, Dept. of Communicative Sciences Disorders CAS
- Dean Della Penna '14, College of Natural Science, Dept. of Biochemistry
- Todd Elder '20, College of Social Science, Dept of Economics
- Asgi Fazleabas '18, College of Human Medicine, Dept. of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology
- Ken Frank '15, College of Education, Dept. of Counseling, Educational Psychology & Special Education
- Linda Greene '22, College of Law
- Brian Gulbransen '17 College of Natural Science, Neuroscience Program
- Gregg Howe '16, College of Natural Science, Plant Research Laboratory
- Xuefei Huang '17, College of Natural Science, Dept. of Chemistry
- Joey Huston '16, College of Natural Science, Dept. of Physics-Astronomy
- Jerlando F. Jackson '23, Dean College of Education
- Thomas Jayne '15, Professor Emeritus, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Dept. of Agricultural Food & Resource Economics
- Jiming Jiang '17, College of Natural Science, Dept. of Plant Biology
- Deborah Johnson '22, College of Social Science, Dept. of Human Development and Family Studies
- Russell Johnson '20, Eli Broad College of Business, Dept. of Management
- R. James Kirkpatrick *, '17, College of Natural Science, Depts. of Chemistry, and Earth and Environmental Sciences
- Chris Klausmeier '16, College of Natural Science, Kellogg Biological Station
- James Klausner '16, College of Engineering, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering
- Kelly Klump '14, College of Social Science, Dept. of Psychology Social Science
- Elena Litchman '16, College of Natural Science, Kellogg Biological Station
- Xiaoming Liu, '21, College of Engineering, Dept. of Computer Science and Engineering
- Yunhao Liu '18, College of Engineering, Dept. of Computer Science and Engineering
- Saweda Liverpool-Tasie '23, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Dept. of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics
- Richard Lucas '15, College of Social Science, Dept. of Psychology Social Science
- Tapabrata (Taps) Maiti '17 College of Natural Science, Dept. of Statistics & Probability
- Shannon Manning '15, College of Natural Science, Dept. of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics CNS
- Laura McCabe '19 Colleges of Natural Science and Osteopathic Medicine, Depts. of Physiology and Radiology
- James McCusker '17 College of Natural Science, Dept. of Chemistry
- Joydeep Mitra, '22 College of Engineering, Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering
- David Morgan '19 College of Human Medicine, Dept. of Translational Science and Molecular Medicine
- Amirpouyan Nejadhashemi '19 College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Depts. of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering and Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences
- Thomas O’Halloran '21 College of Human Medicine, and College of Natural Science, Depts.of Chemistry and Dept. of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics
- Ioannis "John" Papapolymerou '15, College of Engineering, Dept. of Electrical & Computer Engineering
- Piotr Piecuch '20, College of Natural Science, Dept. of Chemistry
- Hayder Radha '20, College of Engineer, Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Seung Yon Rhee '24, College of Natural Science, Depts. of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Plant Biology, and Plant, Soil, and Microbes
- Peter Savolainen '18, College of Engineering, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Xiaobo Tan '16, College of Engineering, Dept. of Electrical & Computer Engineering
- Jiliang Tang, '23, College of Engineering, Dept. of Computer Science and Engineering
- Terrie Taylor '19 College of Osteopathic Medicine, Dept. of Tropical Medicine
- Cameron Thies '22 Dean of James Madison College
- Michael Thomashow '16, College of Natural Science, Dept. of Plant Soil & Microbial System
- Alexander (Sasha) Volberg '15, College of Natural Science, Dept. of Mathematics
- Guowei Wei, '20, College of Natural Science, Dept. of Mathematics
- Teresa Kaye Woodruff '20, College of Human Medicine, Depts. of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology and Biomedical Engineering
- Yimin Xiao '18, College of Natural Science, Dept. of Statistics and Probability
* Deceased