Members of the university community who have made outstanding contributions in the classroom, to their disciplines, or for the benefit of the community or world were honored at a reception held May 7 at the home of President Richard L. McCormick.

The Rutgers Board of Trustees Award for Excellence in Research, the university’s highest honor for distinguished research contributions, includes a citation and a check for $1,000.

Mark C. Baker, professor of linguistics, Rutgers Center for Cognitive Science, New Brunswick, was honored for his explorations of a range of typologically different languages that revealed the deepest universal principles of language.

Martha Greenblatt, professor of chemistry and chemical biology, New Brunswick, was recognized for her research in the field of solid state chemistry, including the synthesis and crystal structure determinations of many new compounds and the study of oxide bronzes.

Yanyan Li, professor of mathematics, New Brunswick, was honored for his contributions in the field of geometry and toward the understanding of a broad spectrum of partial differential equations, including the development of new methods with diverse applications that allowed him to solve outstanding problems.

Dimitris Metaxas, professor of computer science and biomedical engineering in the School of Arts and Sciences, New Brunswick, and the School of Engineering, New Brunswick, respectively, was recognized for his research in the fields of computer vision, computer graphics, and medical image analysis, including his work on three-dimensional deformable models and in the coupling of physics-based modeling and machine learning methods.

Margaret M. Shiffrar, professor of psychology, Newark, was honored for her research into perception and the visual analysis of human movement.  

The Rutgers Board of Trustees Research Fellowship for Scholarly Excellence honors faculty members who have recently been promoted with tenure and whose work shows exceptional promise. The fellowship includes a citation and a $2,000 research account.

Holly V. Blackford, associate professor of English, Camden, was recognized for her study of the literature and culture of childhood, including her work on the reading experience and narrative-aesthetic engagement.

Paul V. de Lacy, associate professor of linguistics, New Brunswick, was honored for his contributions to Optimality Theory, including his cross-linguistic discoveries associated with markedness and its theoretical characterizations.

David Greenberg, associate professor of journalism and media studies, School of Communication, Information and Library Studies, New Brunswick, was recognized for his work in integrating media history and the cultural history of politics.

Benjamin J. Justice, associate professor of educational theory, policy, and administration, Graduate School of Education, New Brunswick, was honored for his research into the historic role of religion in American public schools.

Adrian B. Mann, associate professor of materials science and engineering, School of Engineering, New Brunswick, was recognized for his work on nanomaterials and biomaterials, including his research on nanoindentation and small-scale mechanical properties.

Lisa L. Miller, associate professor of political science, New Brunswick, was recognized for her analysis of the roles of federalism and interest groups in American public policy and American political development.

M. Silvina Tomassone, associate professor of chemical and biochemical engineering, School of Engineering, New Brunswick, was honored for her contributions to the field of pharmaceutical engineering, including her studies of particle-fluid interactions at the molecular level and the behavior of cohesive particle-particle systems.

The Ernest E. McMahon-Class of 1930 Award is named in honor of Ernest E. McMahon (RC’30) who was a dean of University College, dean of the University Extension Division, and director of the Institute of Management and Labor Relations. This award is given to an individual or a group within Rutgers University that has made a significant and creative contribution to the extension of the educational resources of the university to the people of New Jersey. The award carries a citation and a $1,000 honorarium.

Donald Roden, associate professor of history, New Brunswick, was recognized for his work at the Mountainview Correctional Facility, where he began as a volunteer reading tutor and later established an institutional partnership between Rutgers and Mountainview, and the Project Inside program. These efforts enable former inmates to obtain college degrees by building skills for academic, career, and interpersonal development and by creating a safe environment that supports positive school performance.

The Rutgers College Class of 1962 Presidential Public Service Award recognizes distinguished, uncompensated service that reaches beyond the university community. The honoree receives a citation and a $2,500 check.

Charlotte A. Bunch, professor of women’s and gender studies, New Brunswick, and executive director of the Center for Women’s Global Leadership, which she founded, was honored for the influential role her research and policy recommendations on women’s rights have played in the shaping of international agreements, human rights theory, and political activism around the globe. She is particularly noted for her work in the areas of violence against women, human rights and security, and the global campaign against AIDS, and is honored for her public service at the local, state, and national level.

The Rutgers Faculty Scholar-Teacher Award honors faculty members who have made outstanding contributions in research and teaching, making visible the vital link between teaching and scholarship. Honorees receive a citation and a $1,000 honorarium.

Noshir A. Langrana, professor of biomedical engineering and mechanical and aerospace engineering, School of Engineering, New Brunswick, was honored for his work in orthopedic biomechanics and for developing state-of-the-art undergraduate and graduate training facilities in mechanical and biomedical engineering that enable students to engage in active research on biomechanics and rehabilitation.

Jack Lynch, associate professor of English, Newark, was recognized for his research on Samuel Johnson and the cultural context of 18^th-cenury literature and for his ability to instill the excitement of scholarship in his undergraduate and graduate students.

The Warren I. Susman Award for Excellence in Teaching, named to honor the memory of the noted historian and Rutgers University professor, recognizes faculty members for their outstanding service in stimulating and guiding the intellectual development of students at Rutgers. The award carries a citation and a $1,000 honorarium.

Mukund V. Karwe, professor of food science, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, New Brunswick, was recognized for his contributions to undergraduate and graduate education in the field of food engineering, for his mentorship in the laboratory, and for his success in improving the quality of education at all academic levels by building bridges across programs, departments, and professions.

Jeffrey D. Robinson, associate professor of communication, School of Communication, Information and Library Studies, New Brunswick, was honored for contributions to undergraduate and graduate education in his field and for his use of diverse and creative teaching methods, his sensitivity to individual learning styles, and his ability to foster critical thinking in his classes.

Charles M. Roth, associate professor of chemical and biochemical engineering and biomedical engineering, School of Engineering, New Brunswick, was recognized for his instrumental role in the development of the program in molecular and cellular bioengineering, his efforts to enhance the quality of the undergraduate experience through the creation of the Biomedical Engineering Honors Academy, and his ability to challenge his undergraduate and graduate students in the classroom and the laboratory to think beyond disciplinary boundaries.  

The President’s Award for Research in Service to New Jersey is given to faculty and staff members whose research benefits Garden State citizens. The award includes a citation and a research account of $5,000.

The Rutgers Food Innovation Center, New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, was recognized for providing technological and business assistance to food-related and agricultural companies across the state, such as business mentoring, small business incubation, product development, and technology transfer. The center has assisted more than 800 businesses since its creation in 2001, and is particularly noted for its work with businesses in rural communities in the southern part of the state.