The College of LAS has honored 20 professors, researchers, and research staff members with named scholar positions and research awards in recognition of their contributions to education and learning at the University of Illinois.
The awards include the LAS Interdisciplinary Research Award and the LAS Emerging Scholar Award. The named scholar positions include the Conrad Professorial Scholars and the Lincoln Excellence for Assistant Professors (LEAP) Scholars. The awardees are as follows:
LAS Interdisciplinary Research Award
The LAS Interdisciplinary Research Award recognizes faculty members or research teams who engage in substantial interdisciplinary work, integrating theories, methods, or analytical approaches from two or more LAS disciplines. Awarded projects demonstrate effectiveness, innovation, or meaningful impact through cross‐disciplinary collaboration.
The recipients are Gökçe Dayanikli, professor of statistics, Pamela Martinez, professor of microbiology and statistics.
Their project, “Incorporation of Game Theory Tools to Improve the Policy Making to Mitigate Epidemics of Respiratory Diseases,” aims to improve policymaking processes to mitigate the transmission of respiratory pathogens by incorporating individuals’ decision-making and socio-demographic heterogeneity. The researchers have been developing game-theoretical mathematical models, as well as simulation tools and numerical approaches, that can be adapted to specific public health problems.
LAS Emerging Scholar Award
The LAS Emerging Scholar Award recognizes postdoctoral researchers and research staff who have demonstrated exceptional promise through high‐quality, original research. Their scholarship reflects creativity, rigor, and strong potential for future impact within their field and across LAS.
The recipients are Kathy Low, assistant director of the Beckman Institute’s Cognitive Neuroimaging Laboratory; and Kevin Rigby Jr., a postdoctoral research associate in African American studies.
Low arrived at U of I in 2001 to help launch the Cognitive Imaging Laboratory, which continues important operations today. She served first as a research assistant professor, then senior research scientist, and now as assistant director. She’s praised by her colleagues for her scientific contributions, technical skills, one-to-one teaching skills, and exceptional work ethic.
Rigby arrived on campus in 2025 and has distinguished himself as an energetic and committed teacher and an innovative scholar. His project, “Black Protest at the Limits of the Political: On the Translation of Revolt,” draws upon analysis of Black Lives Matter protests in Minneapolis, 2020, to powerfully reframe understanding of Black political action.
Conrad Professorial Scholar
These professorial scholar awards are funded by a gift from Arlys Conrad and are designed to support the work of exceptionally promising associate professors within the College of LAS.
The recipients are Jessica Brinkworth, anthropology; Julian Catchen, evolution, ecology, and behavior; Jonathan Dunn, linguistics; Jorge Lemus, economics; Xin Li, cell and developmental biology; Gautham Narayan, astronomy; Bobby Smith II, African American studies; Chadly Stern, psychology; Corey Van Landingham, English; and Sihai Dave Zhao, statistics.
Lincoln Excellence for Assistant Professors (LEAP) Scholars
The LEAP award’s goal is to foster excellence and recognize the impact assistant professors have in the College of LAS. Those honored are decided by scholarly productivity and contributions to the college’s educational mission. That includes research, teaching, service, and commitment to fostering an inclusive and equitable scholarly community.
The recipients are Steven Burgess, plant biology; Benedek Kurdi, psychology; Anna Torres-Cacoullos, Spanish and Portuguese; Tess McNulty, English; Yuri Ramirez, history; and Kevin Van Bortle, cell and developmental biology.
