The Luminaries Outstanding Faculty Awards showcase the extraordinary talent shaping the future of science, arts, innovation, and education. From groundbreaking discoveries to transformative teaching, these faculty members represent the pinnacle of intellectual achievement. Their work illuminates classrooms, labs, and communities alike, embodying the Wildcat spirit of curiosity, creativity, and commitment to student success.
Awardees will receive ceremony invitations via their university email. A recording of the ceremony will be available on this page in early October.
2026 Awardees
The University of Arizona's excellence is shaped by faculty whose work expands knowledge, enriches lives, and creates lasting impact. We proudly celebrate our 2026 Luminaries.
Janko Nikolich, MD, PhD
Bowman Professor and Head, Immunobiology
College of Medicine – Phoenix
2026 REGENTS PROFESSOR
Heidi E. Brown, PhD
Program Director and Professor, Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health
2026 DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR
Anna Ochoa O'Leary, PhD
Department Head and Professor, Mexican American Studies
College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
2026 DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR
Elise Gornish, PhD
Extension Specialist and Professor, School of Natural Resources and the Environment
College of Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences
2026 DISTINGUISHED OUTREACH FACULTY
Brian Mayer, PhD
Professor, Sociology
College of Social & Behavioral Sciences
2026 DISTINGUISHED OUTREACH FACULTY
Stephanie Russo Carroll, PhD
Associate Professor, Community, Environment and Policy
Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health & Udall Center
2026 DISTINGUISHED SCHOLAR
Bo Guo, PhD
Associate Professor, Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences
College of Science
2026 DISTINGUISHED SCHOLAR
Mohammed Tharwat Hassan, PhD
Associate Professor, Physics
College of Science
2026 DISTINGUISHED SCHOLAR
Craig Aspinwall, PhD
Department Head and Professor, Chemistry & Biochemistry
College of Science
2026 DISTINGUISHED DEPARTMENT HEAD
Bruce Tabashnik, PhD
Department Head and Regents Professor, Entomology
College of Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences
2026 DISTINGUISHED DEPARTMENT HEAD
Susan Hester, PhD
Associate Professor of Practice, Molecular and Cellular Biology
College of Science
2026 UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA FOUNDATION LEICESTER AND KATHRYN SHERRILL CREATIVE TEACHING AWARD
Allyson Roof, PhD
Assistant Professor, Physiology
College of Medicine – Tucson
2026 MARGARET M. BRIEHL AND DENNIS T. RAY FIVE STAR FACULTY AWARD
Elizabeth Hall-Lipsy, PhD
Associate Dean of Faculty and Academic Affairs; Associate Professor of Practice, Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science
R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy
HENRY AND PHYLLIS KOFFLER PRIZE FOR EXCELLENCE IN PUBLIC SERVICE/OUTREACH
Elizabeth Oglesby, PhD
Associate Professor, School of Global Studies
College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
HENRY AND PHYLLIS KOFFLER PRIZE FOR EXCELLENCE IN PUBLIC SERVICE/OUTREACH
Beatrice C. Dupuy, PhD
Professor, French and Italian | Public and Applied Humanities
College of Humanities
2026 UNIVERSITY FACULTY SERVICE AWARD
Andrea K. Gerlak, PhD
Director, Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy
College of Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences
2026 DISTINGUISHED MENTOR
Helena W. Morrison, PhD
Associate Professor, Nursing
College of Nursing
2026 MENTORING FUTURE SCHOLARS AWARD
Michael D. L. Johnson, PhD
Associate Professor, Immunobiology
College of Medicine – Tucson
2026 GRADUATE TEACHING AND MENTORING AWARD
Louise Roth, PhD
Professor, School of Sociology
College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
2026 GRADUATE TEACHING AND MENTORING AWARD
Timothy Kistner, PhD
Research Associate, Cancer Center
College of Medicine – Tucson
2026 POSTDOC-AS-MENTOR AWARD
Hang Xue, PhD
Associate Professor, Mathematics
College of Science
2026 EXCELLENCE IN POSTDOCTORAL MENTORING AWARD
Genesis Arizmendi, PhD
Assistant Professor, Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences | Cognitive Science
College of Science
2026 EARLY CAREER SCHOLAR
M. Maya Kaelberer, PhD
Assistant Professor, Physiology
College of Medicine – Tucson
2026 EARLY CAREER SCHOLAR
Debankur Sanyal,PhD
Assistant Professor, Environmental Science
College of Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences
2026 EARLY CAREER SCHOLAR
Julia Yarrington, PhD
Research Fellow, Psychology
College of Science
2026 OUTSTANDING POSTDOCTORAL SCHOLAR
Kentaro Yumigeta, PhD
Research Associate, Materials Science and Engineering
College of Engineering
2026 OUTSTANDING POSTDOCTORAL SCHOLAR
Learn more about University of Arizona awards and past honors recipients.
A Legacy of Impact
At the University of Arizona, the passion, dedication and achievements of our Outstanding Faculty create a positive environment for all.
These awards recognize luminary faculty for their spark of lasting contributions to the common good in our community, nation, and world.
Artwork designed by Dwayne Manuel
Reaching Higher
Outstanding Faculty medallions are reserved for Regents Professors, Distinguished Outreach Professors, and University Distinguished Professors. Learn more about the artist who helped craft each of these pieces.