Across campus and academia, Arts & Sciences students, staff, faculty, and alumni are recognized for their scholarly pursuits, their leadership, and their contributions to their professions and communities — on campus and on the national or global level. Below are some of the accolades that our community received during the 2022-2023 academic year. If your name is missing on any of these lists, please email us.
Faculty Accolades
External Awards and Honors
Earth & Environment Research Professor Rachel Abercrombie was elected president of the American Geophysical Union’s Seismology division.
Manos Athanassoulis, assistant professor of computer science, received a Faculty Early Career Development Award from the National Science Foundation.
Clare Boothe Luce Associate Professor of Mathematics Jennifer Balakrishnan was awarded the 2023-2024 AMS Joan and Joseph Birman Fellowship for Women Scholars.
Director of Undergraduate Studies and Clinical Professor of American Studies Mary Battenfeld received a Fulbright Specialist Program Award to Nepal to work at the Institute of Advanced Communication, Education, and Research.
Kathryn Bard, professor emerita of archaeology and classical studies was awarded the MLE of Egyptology Award from El Museo Liceo Egipcio de León.
Professor of Archaeology and Religion Andrea Berlin was awarded a Fulbright Senior Scholar Award to conduct her research for four months at Tel Aviv University during Spring 2023.
Sociology Professor Deborah Carr received the 2022 Matilda White Riley Distinguished Scholar award from the ASA Section on Aging & the Life Course.
Assistant Professor of Psychological & Brain Sciences Chandramouli Chandrasekaran received an honorable mention from the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation for the 2022 Freedman Prize, which recognizes exceptional research in mental illness.
Charles B. Chang, professor of linguistics, was named a Fellow of the Psychonomic Society, the preeminent society for the experimental study of cognition.
The Society for Neuroscience recognized Psychological & Brain Sciences Professor Alice Cronin-Golomb with the Bernice Grafstein Award for Outstanding Accomplishments in Mentoring.
Professor of Economics Krishna Dasaratha was awarded a National Science Foundation research grant to study information and learning on social media platforms.
Master Lecturer in Spanish María Datel, was honored with the Nelson Brooks Award for Excellence in the Teaching of Culture, one of the American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages’ highest national awards.
Susan Eckstein, professor in the Pardee School of Global Studies and in the sociology department, was awarded the Latin American Studies Association Lifetime Achievement Award.
Associate Professors of Political Science Katherine Levine Einstein, David Glick, and Maxwell Palmer received the Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association Open Door Champion Award for their research on the local politics of housing.
Professor of Astronomy Catherine Espaillat and Associate Dean of the Graduate School and Professor of Chemistry Malika Jeffries-EL were elected by their academic peers as American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) fellows, recognizing their scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications.
Assistant Professor of Anthropology Luke Glowacki received a grant for $447,000 from the Human Networks and Data Science Program of the National Science Foundation.
Assistant Professor of Physics Chris Grant was awarded a $165k grant from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science in support of his Neutrino lab’s research project, “Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay with CUPID.”
BU chemist and biomedical engineer Mark Grinstaff received the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Centenary Prize in “recognition of brilliance in research and innovation.”
Professor of Chemistry Mark W. Grinstaff was awarded the 2023 ACS award in applied polymer science.
Professor Emeritus of Mathematics & Statistics and Psychological & Brain Sciences Steve Grossberg was awarded the Lofti A. Zadeh Pioneer Award from the IEEE Systems, Man, and Cybernetics Society for “seminal contributions to understanding brain cognition and behavior and their emulation by technology.”
Brandon A. Güell (GRS’20,’23), a PhD student studying biology, and alum Russell Laman (CAS’22), who earned a dual degree in marine science and in conservation ecology and conservation biology, had photos chosen for the 58th annual Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest.
Margarita Guillory, associate professor of religion, was chosen by the Provost’s Office to be Boston University’s delegate to the Higher Education Leadership Development for Women Institute, a nine-day intensive program that trains women to take on positions in university administration.
Malika Jefferies-EL, associate dean for the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences and professor of Chemistry, was elected director-at-large to the 2023 American Chemical Society Board of Directors.
Masha Kamenetska, assistant professor of chemistry and physics, received a Faculty Early Career Development Award from the National Science Foundation.
A team led by Boston University Marine Program (BUMP) Professor of Biology Les Kaufman and Professor of Earth & Environment Suchi Gopal received two grants to apply their research modeling methods and visioning tools that examine how the human and natural world interact to help address pressing problems in conservation and economic sustainability.
Nazli Kibria, professor of sociology, received the Eastern Sociological Society Conference’s 2023 Merit Award, which recognizes an ESS member’s exceptional achievement and a lifetime of scholarly contribution to the discipline and profession of sociology.
Frank J. Korom, professor of religion and anthropology, was invited to give the Distinguished Lecture in Social Anthropology at Presidency University in Kolkata, West Bengal, India on the topic of “The Dynamics of Contemporary Sufi Hagiographies in South Asia.”
Laurence A. Bloom Professor of Economics Kevin Lang was elected by his peers to the Executive Committee of the American Economic Association.
Associate Professor of Earth & Environment Dan Li was appointed to two international climate organizations: the International Association for Urban Climate (IAUC) and the US Climate Variability and Predictability (CLIVAR).
Associate Professor of Earth & Environment Dan Li was the recipient of the International Association for Urban Climate’s 2022 Timothy Oke Award for Original Research in the Field of Climatology.
Judith J. Lok, associate professor of mathematics and statistics, was selected for the Harvard Radcliffe Institute’s 2023-2024 cohort of fellows.
Assistant Professor of Computer Science Renato Mancuso received a five-year National Science Foundation award for “Timeliness as a Controllable Dimension via Knowledge-driven System Management.”
Professor of Economics Robert Margo was honored for his longtime economic contributions at the 2023 National Bureau of Economic Research conference, “Historical Labor Markets and Inequality.”
Dilip Mookherjee, professor of economics and director of the Institute of Economic Development, received a grant from Asia Development Bank to study groundwater policies in India.
Carol Neidle, professor of linguistics and romance studies, was awarded a National Science Foundation grant of $750,000 in support of her research project seeking to enable deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals to participate as first-class citizens in our information society, thereby enhancing equity, inclusion, and accessibility.
Professor of Anthropology Fallou Ngom was awarded $129,837 by the British Library for his project titled “Digital Preservation of Fuuta Jalon Scholars’ Arabic and Ajami Materials in Senegal and Guinea.”
Professor of Economics Juan Ortner received a Jerry S. Cohen Award for Antitrust Scholarship for the Best Antitrust Article in 2022 on Collusion in Auctions.
Psychological & Brain Sciences Professor Michael Otto was selected as one of two winners of the 2023 Caldwell-Colbert Award for Distinguished Educator in Clinical Psychology from the Society of Clinical Psychology.
Robert Reinhart, assistant professor of psychological & brain sciences, received the top honor in the Science & PINS Prize for Neuromodulation.
Associate Professor of Economics Natalia Ramondo received a National Science Foundation grant to study multinational corporations and carbon emissions.
Professor of Physics Bradley Lee Roberts was awarded the American Physical Society’s 2023 W.K.H. Panofsky Prize in Experimental Particle Physics for leadership of the muon g-2 experiment in collaboration with Dr. William M. Morse of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory.
Assistant Professor of Psychological & Brain Sciences Steve Ramirez was awarded the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative’s inaugural Science Diversity Leadership Award, which will provide $1.15M for his research and mentorship activities.
Merav Shohet, assistant professor of anthropology, was awarded the Carole H. Browner Society for Medical Anthropology Undergraduate Mentorship Award at the American Anthropological Association meeting.
Jessica Simes, professor of sociology, received a National Science Foundation Award for her research on racial inequality, mass incarceration, the conditions of prison confinement, and the social structure of cities.
Professor of Earth & Environment Benjamin Sovacool was elected to the National Academies’ Board on Environmental Change and Policy.
Professor of Philosophy Susanne Sreedhar was awarded a fellowship at the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study.
Assistant Professor of Economics Linh Tô was awarded a three-year grant from the National Science Foundation titled “Labor Market and Public Policy Preferences.”
Classical Studies Department Chair and Associate Professor James Uden was named one of three Charles J. Goodwin Award of Merit winners for his work, “Spectres of Antiquity: Classical Literature and the Gothic, 1740-1830.”
Maritere Urióstegui-Arcos, a postdoc in the Fiszbein Lab, was named a 2022 Pew Latin American Fellow.
Research Associate Professor of Archaeology and Anthropology Catherine West and Professor of Earth & Environment Bruce Anderson received a grant from the Navigating the New Arctic division of the National Science Foundation for their project “Historical Ecology of the Pacific Cod Fishery.”
Chen Yang, associate professor of chemistry, joined the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering’s College of Fellows.
Assistant Professor of Biology Meg Younger was awarded the Smith Family Award for Excellence in Biomedical Research.
BU Awards and Honors
Mary Anne Boelcskevy, master lecturer in African American & Black Diaspora studies, received the 2023 Frank and Lynne Wisneski Award for Excellence in Teaching.
Ran Canetti, professor of computer science, was awarded the Wang Professorship, a university-level endowed professorship award given to a faculty member who is a distinguished scholar and teacher in the natural sciences, mathematics, computer science, or engineering.
John (Chip) Celenza, associate professor of biology and director of biochemistry & molecular biology was the faculty recipient of the Susan K. Jackson Award.
Joanna Davidson, associate professor of anthropology, received the 2023 Metcalf Award for Excellence in Teaching.
Lara Durgavich, anthropology lecturer, received the 2023 Dean’s Award for Excellence in Part-Time Teaching.
Neha Gondal, assistant professor of sociology, received the 2023 Dean’s Award for Excellence in Graduate Education.
Rui Hua, assistant professor of history, received the East Asian Studies Career Development Professorship.
Sophie Klein, Core Curriculum senior lecturer; Duncan Fitzgerald, professor of Earth & Environment; and Merav Shohet, assistant professor of anthropology received the 2023 Templeton Awards for Excellence in Student Advising.
Petrus Liu, associate professor of world languages & literatures and women’s, gender, and sexuality studies, received the 2023 Gitner Award for Distinguished Teaching.
Assistant Professor of Economics Benjamin Marx, was one of the recipients of the Boston University Initiative on Cities (IOC) ninth annual request for proposals for early-stage urban research.
Assistant Professor of Psychological & Brain Sciences Heidi Meyer was awarded the Cecile Kaplan Dalton Career Development Professorship.
Professors of Anthropology Ayse Parla and Caterina Scaramelli, PhD student Kendra Gimblet, and Society of Fellows Postdoctoral Scholar Alize Arican, received funding from the Center on Forced Displacement for a collaborative research project on “Capillary Livelihoods” in Istanbul.
Assistant Professor of Biology and Anthropology Christopher Schmitt was named a 2023 Academic Advising Award Winner.
Christine Slaughter, assistant professor of political science, was awarded the Moorman-Simon Interdisciplinary Career Development Professorship.
Indara Suarez, assistant professor of physics; and Rachel Edwards, program administrator for the African American & Black diaspora studies, received CAS Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Access, Leadership Awards.
Zsuzsanna Várhelyi was named the next National Endowment for the Humanities Distinguished Teaching Professor.
Emi Yamanaka, senior lecturer in world languages and literature (Japanese), received the 2023 Neu Family Award for Excellence in Teaching.
Staff Accolades
Staff Awards and Honors
African American & Black Diaspora Studies Program Administrator Rachel Edwards (CAS`19) was selected as one of four recipients of the inaugural CAS Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Access and Leadership (IDEAL) Award.
Cady Steinberg (CAS`12, Wheelock`18), administrator of the department of history, was the staff recipient of the 2023 Susan K. Jackson Award.
Sean Mullady, advising graduation advisor; Maria Sousa, archaeology program administrator; Haydee Torres, administrative secretary of clinical psychology; Michael Williams, administrative assistant in the department of romance studies; and Andrew Vigue, assistant director for reservations and events with Boston University’s Events & Conferences Office received the 2023 CAS Outstanding Service Awards for Staff.
Student Accolades
External Fellowships & Scholarships
Sabrina Abreu (CAS’23, GRS’23), who recently completed the joint BA in Political Science and MA in Political Science and Government, became the first student from Boston University to receive the prestigious FAO Schwarz Fellowship in social impact.
Political Science and Philosophy Student Michael Arellano (CAS’24) was a Truman Scholarship National Finalist.
Political Science and International Relations Student Sahika Aydinol (CAS’23) was named a Critical Language Scholar (CLS).
Asian Studies and Archaeology Student Hallie Baker (CAS’25) was named a Boren Scholar.
International Relations Student Gabriel Calistro (CAS’23, Biology), Computer Science Student Natalia Clark (CAS ’23), International Relations Student Bridgette Lang (CAS’23), and Anthropology PhD Student Zoe Albert received grants from the Fulbright US Student Program.
Astronomy & Physics Students Nicole Flors (CAS’24) and Madison VanWyngarden (CAS’24) were named Goldwater Scholars.
Neuroscience Student Sabrina Ghosh (CAS’21) was awarded the Gates Cambridge scholarship.
Chemistry Student Kyle Hsu (CAS’23), Psychology Student Shiba Esfand (CAS’21), Mathematics Student Zoe McDonald (CAS’23), Neuroscience Student Kavya Raghunathan (CAS’18), Earth and Environment PhD Student Hristiana Stoynova, Anthropology PhD Student Francis Short, Neuroscience PhD Student Arielle Moore, Biology PhD Student Renata Serio, and Biology PhD Student Erin Frates received the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (GRFP).
International Relations and Middle East & North African Studies Student Nikta Khani (CAS’20) was named a Schwarzman Scholar.
Michael Small (CAS’23) was awarded the Initiative on Cities’ Student Prize.
Campus Awards & Honors
American & New England Studies Program — Anna Michele Rafferty
Anthropology — Emma Michelle Quarequio
Archaeology — Erin Mooneyham
Astronomy — Hannah Rachael Willy
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology — Hongru Ni
Biology — Alexandra Nicolle Grudzinski
Chemistry — Ariana L. Rauch
Cinema & Media Studies Program — Cloe A. Rankin
Classical Studies — Zowie M. Rico
Computer Science — Ciaran Hikaru Ueda Fitzgerald
Earth & Environment — Amir D. Wilson
Economics — Alexandra L. Powell
English —Saskia Lily Bilder den Boon
History — Priscilla Ann Bright
History of Art & Architecture — Rebecca Anne Kielar
Linguistics — Abigail S. Roberts
Marine Program — Abigail G. Grassick
Mathematics & Statistics — Christopher Quinn La Fond
Medical Science — Anisha Patel
Neuroscience— Sophia Caetano Carias
Philosophy — David Louis Winner
Physics — Emmy Blumenthal
Political Science — Arlo J. Hatcher
Psychological & Brain Sciences — Defne Yucebas
Romance Studies — Erin Elizabeth Sutton-Beals
Sociology — Rose Caroline Paxon
World Languages and Literatures — Dina Famin
Saskia Lily den Boon (CAS’23, CFA’23) received the Gregory Hudson Award for Writing Excellence in the Humanities.
Jena DiMaggio, PhD candidate in the department of English; Nishaat Mukadam, clinical psychology graduate student received a CAS I.D.E.A.L. Award
Kenya St. Fleur (CAS’23), an office assistant for faculty actions at the College of Arts & Sciences, was awarded the Undergraduate Outstanding Service Award.
Nikki H. Huang (CAS’23) received the Michael A. Sassano III and Christopher M. Sassano Award for Writing Excellence in the Social Sciences.
Minji Kwak (CAS’23) received the Francis Bacon Award for Writing Excellence in the Natural Sciences.
Alexandra Mascarello (CAS’23), department of philosophy, was the undergraduate student recipient of the Susan K. Jackson Award.
Amanda Pinheiro, PhD candidate in the department of biology, was the graduate student recipient of the Susan K. Jackson Award.
David L. Winner (CAS’23) received the Award for Writing Excellence in the Humanities in Honor of Robert E. Charm.
Alumni Accolades
Boston University Awards
Danielle De La Fuente (CGS’04, Pardee’06), Mitchell Garabedian (CGS’71, CAS’73), and Santiago Levy (CAS’77, GRS’78,’80) received the 2023 BU Distinguished Alumni Award.