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The Office of the Vice President for Research is pleased to announce the recipients of the McKnight Land-Grant Professorships. The goal of the program is to advance the careers of our most promising junior faculty at a critical point in their professional lives. Recipients are honored with the title McKnight Land-Grant Professor, a special award they will hold for two years. The award consists of a research grant in each of two years and a research leave in the second year.
The winners were chosen for their potential for important contribution to their field; the degree to which their achievements and ideas demonstrate originality, imagination, and innovation; the significance of their research; and the potential for attracting outstanding students.
Yingling Fan
Public Affairs
Transforming the Built Environment for Health and Equity: Integrated Socio-Spatial Planning
Urban systems are complex and adaptive. They consist of interacting spatial, social and economic dimensions. Without sufficient understanding of socio-spatial dynamics in cities, urban planners may make decisions harmful to our economy, health and quality of life. Fan's research explores theories and practices that enable integrated socio-spatial planning, with a focus on identifying novel built environment solutions to promote human health and social equity. As such, she provides an interdisciplinary framework for urban planning in which social and economic processes in cities are changed by interventions in spatial forms and structures.
Joshua Feinberg
Earth Sciences
Mineral Magnetism: Applications to Geology, Archaeology and Mineral Physics
Feinberg's goal is to understand the way magnetic minerals form in nature. He aims to use their magnetic properties to improve our knowledge of past geologic processes and our interactions with modern-day natural systems. Drawing on the magnetic recording preserved in rocks and sediments, he addresses a broad range of interdisciplinary problems: the strength of Earth's ancient magnetic field, the age of archaeological sites and fundamental mineral physics. The common thread of these themes is a deep appreciation for the origin of magnetic minerals, which Feinberg studies by combining field methods, geophysical experiments and advanced microscopy.
Melissa Gardner
Genetics, Cell Biology & Development
Minuscule Forces with Major Consequences: Unraveling the Forces that Mediate Cell Division
Life requires energy. That energy is often translated into forces that are required to perform daily activities, from dancing to carrying laundry. Each cell in the body also relies on forces to properly complete tasks, such as to move internal components, or to separate chromosomes during cell division. Gardner will use mathematical modeling and quantitative imaging of living cells to unravel how cells regulate and respond to forces during cell division. This work will provide a new outlook on current clinical trial drugs that limit the proliferation of cancer cells by disrupting the mechanical properties of cellular components.
Jason Hill
Bioproducts & Biosystems Engineering
Sustainable Energy and Agriculture: Life Cycle Perspectives for Informed Decision Making
How can we sustainably support a world population growing in both numbers and affluence? Which alternatives have the greatest promise and chance of success? Hill's research seeks to understand, from a life-cycle perspective, the multifaceted consequences of decisions we make concerning energy, agriculture and natural resources. His focus is the emerging bioenergy industry and its potential for accomplishing multiple sustainability objectives simultaneously. His goal is to quantify environmental, economic and social impacts, and to provide decision makers with information to make informed choices.
Daniel Keefe
Computer Science & Engineering
Working in Virtual Spaces: Interactive Visual Computing for Data Visualization and Creative Design
In recent years, many powerful computing technologies have emerged, but the potential to closely couple computational techniques with sight, touch and other human capacities remains largely untapped. Keefe's research integrates 3D computer graphics, human-computer interfaces, and real-world (often data-intensive) applications. His goal is to enable scientific discovery, creative workflows and new applications of computer science — creating new opportunities for humans and computers to collaborate in virtual spaces used for engineering, medicine, art and more.
Dominique Tobbell
Surgery
Delivering Care, Governing Health: Academic Health Centers and the States since 1960
Academic health centers have served as core units of organization in the American health care system for several decades. They were created in the 1960s and 1970s as a potential solution to the nation's rising health care costs, regional disparities, and shortages of health care professionals. As the U.S. continues to confront these problems, Tobbell's research offers historical analysis of academic health centers and their role in integrating education, research and delivery. The goal is to provide policymakers with timely insights into current efforts to reform and reorganize the nation's health care system.
Brian Aukema, Entomology;
Aditya Bhan, Chemical Engineering & Materials Science;
Christopher Hogan, Mechanical Engineering;
Chad Myers, Computer Science & Engineering;
Chengyan Yue, Horticulture Science & Applied Economics
Vladas Griskevicius, Marketing & Logistics; Ibrahim Volkan Isler, Computer Science & Engineering; Alex P. Jassen, Classical & Near Eastern Studies; Daniel H. Kaplan, Dermatology; Kenneth H. Kozak, Fisheries, Wildlife & Conservation; Vuk Mandic, Physics & Astronomy; Jennifer Jane Marshall, Art History; Dylan B. Millet, Soil, Water & Climate; Yoichiro Mori, Mathematics; John Ohlfest, Pediatrics & Neurosurgery
Click here to learn about McKnight Land-Grant Professors from previous years. Note: For all McKnight awards prior to 2011, only current U of M faculty appear in the listing.
2009 — Arindam Banerjee, Computer Science & Engineering; Giancarlo Casale, History; Ryan Elliott, Aerospace Engineering & Mechanics; Tian He, Computer Science & Engineering; Alan C. Love, Philosophy; Julian Marshall, Civil Engineering; Steven P. Matthews, History-UMD; Kieran McNulty, Anthropology; Jennifer Powers, Ecology, Evolution & Behavior; Martin O. Saar, Geology & Geophysics; Sangwon Suh, Bioproducts & Biosystems Engineering
2008 — Taner Akkin, Biomedical Engineering; Alptekin Aksan, Mechanical Engineering; Elizabeth Beaumont, Political Science; Mark A. Bee, Ecology, Evolution & Behavior; Nicholas Hopper, Computer Science & Engineering; Chris H. Kim, Electrical & Computer Engineering; Kirill A. Martemyanov, Pharmacology; Katsumi Matsumoto, Geology & Geophysics; Jason McGrath, Asian Languages & Literatures; Elizabeth J. Wilson, Public Affairs; Michael L. Wilson, Anthropology; Hui Zou, Statistics
2007 — Daniel R. Bond, Microbiology & BioTechnology Institute; Kathleen A. Collins, PolitcalScience; Christy L. Haynes, Chemistry; Karen Ho, Anthropology; Nihar Jindal, Electrical & Computer Engineering; Marta Lewicka, Mathematics; William Schuler, Computer Science & Engineering; Kathleen D. Vohs, Carlson School of Management; Christophe M. Wall-Romana, French & Italian; Chun Wang, Biomedical Engineering
2006 — Demoz Gebre-Egziabher, Aerospace Engineering & Mechanics; Yongdae Kim, Computer Science & Engineering; Efie Kokkoli, Chemical Engineering & Materials Science; Ronald R. Krebs, Political Science; Angus W. MacDonald, III, Psychology; Steven M. Manson, Geography; Stergios I. Roumeliotis, Computer Science & Engineering; Mark J. Thomas, Neuroscience
2005 — Reuben S. Harris, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology & Biophysics; Alex Kamenev, Physics & Astronomy; Dan S. Kaufman, Medicine; Michelle N. Mason, Philosophy; Stuart McLean, Anthropology; Ezra Miller, Mathematics; Randall S. Singer, Veterinary & Biomedical Sciences; T. Andrew Taton, Chemistry; Eric Van Wyk, Computer Science & Engineering; George D. Weiblen, Plant Biology
2004 — Alec T. Habig, Physics/UMD; Heiko O. Jacobs, Electrical & Computer Engineering; Jonathan S. Marchant, Pharmacology; Joachim Mueller, Physics & Astronomy; Aaron David Redish, Neuroscience; J. B. Shank, History; Kathleen M. Thomas, Child Development.
2003 — Vinay K. Gidwani, Geography; William M. Gray, Plant Biology; Kathryn J. Kohnert, Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences; Erika Lee, History; Tian-Jun Li, Mathematics; Krishnan Mahesh, Aerospace Engineering & Mechanics; Paul G. Mermelstein, Neuroscience; Fernando Porté-Agel, Civil Engineering; Natalia Y. Tretyakova, Medicinal Chemistry
2002 — Paul D. Cannan, English/UMD; Markus Keel, Mathematics; David J. Odde, Biomedical Engineering; Frank J. Symons, Educational Psychology; Valerie Tiberius, Philosophy; David Treuer, English; Kevin D. Wickman, Pharmacology
2001 — Bruce P. Braun, Geography; Shaul Hanany, Physics & Astronomy; George E. Heimpel, Entomology; Victoria L. Interrante, Computer Science & Engineering; Canan Karatekin, Child Development; Monica Luciana, Psychology; Gary J. Muehlbauer, Agronomy & Plant Genetics; Claudia Schmidt-Dannert, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology & Biophysics; Yoav Segal, Medicine; Jiaping Wang, Mathematics; Barbara Y. Welke, History
2000 — Sheng He, Psychology; Marc A. Hillmyer, Chemistry; Sarah E. Hobbie, Ecology, Evolution & Behavior; Dihua Jiang, Mathematics; David Largaespada, Genetics, Cell Biology & Development; Richa Nagar, Women's Studies; David J. Samuels, Political Science; Ajay Skaria, History; Zhi-Li Zhang, Computer Science & Engineering
1999 — Paul A. Crowell, Physics and Astronomy; Ray Gonzalez, English; Mats Per Erik Heimdahl, Computer Science & Engineering; Marc Hirschmann, Geology & Geophysics
1998 — C. Daniel Frisbie, Chemical Engineering & Materials Science; Martha Tappen, Anthropology; Donna Whitney, Geology & Geophysics
1997 — John Bischof, Mechanical Engineering; Kristin Hogquist, Laboratory Medicine & Pathology; Andreas Stein, Chemistry
1996 — Victor Reiner, Mathematics; J. Ilja Siepmann, Chemistry
1995 — Prodromos Daoutidis, Chemical Engineering & Materials Science; Susan Mantell, Mechanical Engineering; Nikolaos Papanikolopoulos, Computer Science & Engineering; Carol Shield, Civil Engineering; Marla Spivak, Entomology; John Watkins, English
1994 — Christopher Cramer, Chemistry; David Lilja, Electrical & Computer Engineering; Ellen Longmire, Aerospace Engineering & Mechanics; Ann Rougvie, Genetics, Cell Biology & Development
1993 — Gary Balas, Aerospace Engineering & Mechanics; Andrew Elfenbein, English; Lorraine Francis, Chemical Engineering & Materials Science;Lisa Norling, History; Jeffrey Simon, Genetics, Cell Biology & Development
1992 — Patricia Frazier, Psychology; Lawrence Jacobs, Political Science; Jean O’Brien-Kehoe, History; Keshab Parhi, Electrical & Computer Engineering; Maria Sera, Child Development; Thomas Shield, Aerospace Engineering & Mechanics; William Tolman, Chemistry
1991 — Jeffrey Derby, Chemical Engineering & Materials Science; Michal Kobialka, Theatre Arts & Dance; Kathryn Sikkink, Political Science; Stanley Thayer, Pharmacology
1990 — R. Lawrence Edwards, Geology & Geophysics; Yuichi Kubota, Physics & Astronomy; Karen Mesce, Entomology; Mary Porter, Genetics, Cell Biology & Development; Gloria Goodwin Raheja, Anthropology
1989 — Linda Brady, Food Science & Nutrition; James Kakalios, Physics & Astronomy; Nita Krevans, Classical & Near Eastern Studies; Kenneth Leopold, Chemistry; Ellen Messer-Davidow, English; Christian Teyssier, Geology & Geophysics; Robert Tranquillo, Chemical Engineering & Materials Science
1988 — Anath Das, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology & Biophysics; Charles Fletcher, Psychology; William Grove, Psychology; Steven Kass, Chemistry; Ann Masten, Child Development; Ann Waltner, History
1987 — David Bernlohr, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology & Biophysics; Doreen Leopold, Chemistry; David Lipset, Anthropology; Steven Ruggles, History
Learn more about the McKnight recipients, past and present.
Distinguished McKnight Recipients
McKnight Land-Grant Recipients
Distinguished McKnight Instructions
McKnight Land-Grant Instructions
