2025 College Awards honor staff who sustain growth

The University of Arizona College of Engineering staff and faculty were recognized on April 2 for their essential administrative and academic contributions, supporting expanding programs and a growing student body.

The Department of Systems and Industrial Engineering – after rolling out master’s and accelerated master’s options in January 2024 – launched a PhD program in software engineering. Additionally, the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering introduced master’s and PhD programs in computer science and engineering. 

Using strong organizational skills and a willingness to remain flexible, staff have broadened administrative support for these students and instructors have trained future engineers to meet the demand for skilled professionals.

“Today is a celebration to recognize our outstanding staff and faculty for making this college shine day in and day out,” said David W. Hahn, the Craig M. Berge Dean, who turned the awards program into an annual event in 2022.

Stellar staff

Three staff awards recognized exceptional leaders, trailblazers and student advocates. 

The innovation award went to Megan Letchworth, academic advisor III in the Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering and Mechanics, while Valerie Koellisch, grant and contract manager II in the Harshbarger-Mines Business Center, accepted the leadership award. 

Koellisch’s nominator, Kandie Stanton, director of finance and administration in the HMBC, wrote in a recommendation letter about her agile nature in the office: “Her ability to embrace change and manage complex transitions has been a key factor in her leadership success.”

Stanton’s nomination letter lauded Koellisch for leading a team of five grant and contract administers in supporting five academic units and the School of Mining and Mineral Resources. Her team processed annual research expenditures exceeding $30 million for over 100 faculty members.

Juliana Lincoln, senior academic advisor I for SIE, was honored with the Advisor of the Year award. Peers nominated Lincoln for helping lead the college’s recent program updates to success. 

“Since she joined the department of 2021, Juliana has made a significant impact in development of the software engineering program,” said Kelly Potter, associate dean of academic affairs. “Her leadership organization skills and unwavering dedication to student success have been invaluable in supporting both the rapid growth of the software engineering program and the department's other engineering programs.”

In an exciting turn of events, the William P. Cosart Award – honoring exemplary staff service since 2001 – was presented to three lab members from three different departments. This marks the first time three recipients have won the award in the same year.

• Dale Drew, instrument maker in the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
• Armando Durazo, research and development engineer/scientist IV in the Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering
• Lane Hammond, CAEM’s instrument maker/designer

Tenacious faculty

Five awards celebrated faculty members crafting novel research while balancing the mentorship of budding graduate students. Mark Van Dyke, associate dean of research, and Hahn presented the winners. 

Zafer Mutlu, assistant professor of materials science and engineering, was honored with the Peterson Family Outstanding Early Career Faculty award.

“Since joining the college in 2020, Zafar has secured millions of dollars in grants leading to dynamic research with graduates and post-docs," Hahn said. “He is recognized as an exceptional teacher and an exceptional mentor, guiding students toward research opportunities.”

The presenters celebrated additional faculty with these awards:

• Teacher of the Year – Tenure-Track: Robert Fleischman, professor of CAEM
• Teacher of the Year – Career-Track: Monica Titus, associate professor of practice of CHEE
• Researcher of the Year: Jeong-Yeol Yoon, professor of biomedical engineering
• Doctoral Dissertation Advisor/Mentor: Suchol Savagatrup, assistant professor of CHEE

College-wide awards

The Inclusion Excellence award recognizes a student or employee for their efforts to promote these ideals in the college and the engineering profession. Greatness Ojum, a senior mining and geological engineering student, was honored with this distinction. As president of the U of A’s Women in Mining student chapter, Ojum has led the charge in broadening access to mining scholarships, internships and industry connections.

This year’s Wildcat Engineering Student Society Recognition of Excellence award went to the university’s chapter of the Design-Build Institute of America, whose members took home first prize at the 2024 Design-Build Institute of America’s national competition.

Other acknowledgments

Hahn recognized faculty who impressed at the university and nationally this year.

U of A Research, Innovation, and Impact Women of Impact awards:

• Erika Eggers, professor of BME
• Hee-Jeong Kim, assistant professor or CAEM
• Kimberly Ogden, chair and professor of CHEE
• Janet Roveda, professor of ECE and BME

University Outstanding Faculty awards:

• University Distinguished Professor Award: Suresh Garimella, professor of AME and U of A president
• University Distinguished Professor Award: Robert Fleischman, professor of CAEM
• Gerald J. Swanson Prize for Teaching Excellence: Afrooz Jalilzadeh, assistant professor of SIE
• Gerald J. Swanson Prize for Teaching Excellence: Hal Tharp, associate department head and associate professor of ECE

The American Association for the Advancement of Science announced its 2024 class of fellows on March 27. AAAS, the world's largest general scientific society and publisher of the Science family of journals, included three engineering faculty members:

• Liesl Folks, professor of ECE
• Jill C. Tardiff, professor of BME
• Armin Sorooshian, professor of CHEE

Hahn also announced that MSE Professor Pierre Deymier was selected as the 2025 da Vinci Circle Fellow and as a 2025 U of A Alumni Extraordinary Faculty. Deymier has served the university for 40 years and, among many career accomplishments, was granted $30 million from the National Science Foundation in 2024 to lead the New Frontiers of Sound Science and Technology Center.

See more of the 2025 College Awards photos.