Inaugural Klein College awards and KNOBEL prizes recognize faculty and staff excellence

May 18, 2025
Categories: College News, Faculty Excellence
8 award winners from the Klein College of Science hold their large framed certificates.

The Klein College of Science held their annual award ceremony on Monday, May 12, in the Cone University Center.

With the recent formation of the College, the KCOS Dean’s office established awards to recognize excellence in research, teaching and mentoring, leadership and service, and community engagement. These recognitions will be awarded annually following a nomination period.

The 2025 nominations were reviewed and awarded by teams of employees from inside Klein College as well as across the University, and recognized staff; early and advanced career faculty; research and teaching faculty; and part- and full-time faculty.

The College also established a set of KNOBEL prizes (KCOS prize for NOtaBLe Achievements) based on namesake Fred Klein’s challenge to KCOS to develop a future Nobel laureate.

Klein College of Science Founding Dean Bernadette Donovan-Merkert presented the awards and prizes, along with Adam Reitzel, associate dean for research and graduate education, Banita Brown, associate dean for undergraduate student affairs, and Matthew Parrow, associate dean for academic administration.

Faculty who are retiring at the end of June were celebrated:

  • Xingde Dai, professor of mathematics, was honored for 35 years of service at UNC Charlotte (not pictured).
  • Adalira Saenz-Ludlow, professor of mathematics education, was honored for 30 years of service at UNC Charlotte. 
Adalira Saenz-Ludlow and Dean Bernadette Donovan-Merkert

2025 Klein College Award winners

Adam Reitzel, Mikhail Klibanov, Bernadette Donovan-Merkert

KCOS Award for Excellence in Research – Advanced Scholar

Recipient: 

Mikhail Klibanov, mathematics and statistics

Honorable Mentions:

  • Shan Yan, biological sciences
  • Juan Vivero-Escoto, chemistry

KCOS Award for Excellence in Research – Rising Star

Recipients (not pictured): 

  • Danillo Augusto, biological sciences
  • Kristen Funk, biological sciences

KCOS Award for Excellence in Graduate Teaching or Mentoring

Recipient: 

M. Brittany Johnson, biological sciences

Adam Reitzel, M. Brittany Johnson, Bernadette Donovan-Merkert
Banita Brown, Susan Trammell, Lauren Woods, Bernadette Donovan-Merkert

KCOS Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching

Recipients:

  • Susan Trammell, physics and optical science
  • Lauren Woods, chemistry

KCOS Award for Excellence in Teaching by a Part-Time Faculty Member

Recipient: 

Umesh Silwal, physics and optical science

Banita Brown, Umesh Silwal, Bernadette Donovan-Merkert
Banita Brown, Ellen Wisner, Bernadette Donovon-Merkert (Richard Chi not pictured).

KCOS Award for the Integration of Undergraduate Teaching and Research

Team Recipient: Richard Chi and Ellen Wisner, biological Sciences

KCOS Faculty Leadership Award

Recipients:

  • Tonya Bates, biological sciences
  • Michael Walter, chemistry
Matthew Parrow, Tonya Bates, Michael Walter, Bernadette Donovon-Merkert
Matthew Parrow, Ed Davis, Bernadette Donovon-Merkert (Lucy Chen and Quincey Hinson not pictured).

KCOS Outstanding Staff Award

Recipients:

  • Lucy Chen, biological sciences
  • Ed Davis, Botanical Gardens
  • Quincey Hinson, mathematics and statistics

KCOS Community Engagement Award

Team Recipient:

Rosario Porras Aguilar (Physics and Optical Science) and Label-Free STEM Education Team

Matthew Parrow, Rosario Porras Aguilar, Bernadette Donovon-Merkert

2025 Klein College KNOBEL Prizes

Klein College of Science 2025 KNOBEL Prize winners

KNOBEL Prize for Research and Scholarship

  • Bao-Hua Song, biological sciences
  • Andrew Truman, biological sciences
  • Shan Yan, biological sciences
  • Jay Foley, chemistry
  • Will Brian, mathematics and Statistics
  • Kevin McGoff, mathematics and Statistics
  • Rosario Porras-Aguilar, physics and optical science
  • Susan Trammell, physics and optical science

KNOBEL Prize for Teaching

  • Team: Chemistry– Kathy Asala, Eric McKenzie, Susan Michael, Jessica White
  • Team: QEP Coordinators for Courses, GTAs and Preceptors– mathematics and statistics
    • Anna Athanasopoulou
    • Sarah Birdsong
    • Caylah Crosby
    • Allison Alowson
    • Ree Linker
    • Wan Othman
    • Jennifer Reed
    • Scott Wilde

KNOBEL Prize for Leadership and Service

  • Morgan Carter, biological sciences
  • Team: Michael Grabchak, Xingjie (Helen) Li, Kevin McGoff and REU Team

KNOBEL Prize for Leadership and Service

Sarah Birdsong, mathematics and statistics