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Division of Research

University Research, Scholarship and Artistic Achievement Award

About URSAAA

The University Research, Scholarship and Artistic Achievement Awards were created in 2018 to recognize Clemson University faculty who have achieved rare career milestones, such as: Receiving the highest level of national or international recognition in their field; Authoring a paper that has received more than 1,000 citations; Expending more than $1 million on research in a fiscal year. Those earning the URSAAA designation are lifetime members who will be invited to an annual gathering to celebrate scholarship and discovery at Clemson University. Recipients are listed below, along with their URSAAA achievement.

2018 Banquet Photos
Ursaa logo

Class of 2023 URSAAA Recipients

Robert Anholt
Robert Anholt
Provost’s Distinguished Professor, Genetics and Biochemistry
Department of Genetics and Biochemistry
CoS
Annual Expenditures Exceeding $1 million
Ronnie Chowdhury
Mashrur "Ronnie" Chowdhury
Eugene Douglas Mays Chair of Transportation
Department of Civil Engineering
CECAS
Annual Expenditures Exceeding $1 million
Luiz Jacobsohn
Luiz G. Jacobsohn
Associate Professor of Materials Science and Engineering
Department of Materials Science Engineering
CECAS
Fulbright Fellow Award
Kapil Madathil
Kapil Chalil Madathil
Wilfred P. Tiencken Endowed Associate Professor of Industrial & Civil Engineering
Department of Industrial Engineering
CECAS
Annual Expenditures Exceeding $1 million
K.C. Wang
Kuang-Ching Wang
C. Tycho Howle Endowed Chair of Collaborative Computing
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
CECAS
Annual Expenditures Exceeding $1 million
Lin Zhu
Lin Zhu
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
CECAS
Annual Expenditures Exceeding $1 million

URSAAA Members

Shelia Cotten
Shelia Cotten
Associate Vice President for Research Development and Provost’s Distinguished Professor
Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice; and Communication
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
stephen foulger
Stephen Foulger
Greg-Graniteville Endowed Chair and Professor
Materials Science and Engineering

CECAS
Fulbright award recipient
Eric Johnson
Eric Johnson
Comporium and PalmettoNet Endowed Chair in Optoelectronics
Electrical and Computer Engineering
CECAS
Annual expenditures exceeding $1 million
Feng Luo
Feng Luo
Marvin Pinson Jr. Distinguished Professor, 
School of Computing
CECAS
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
Ye Luo
Ye Luo
Professor
Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice
CBSHS
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations and Fellow, Gerontological Society of America
Trudy Mackay
Trudy Mackay
Self Family Endowed Chair
Human Genetics
CoS
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations; and Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Royal Society of London and the National Academy of Sciences
George Palacios
George Palacios
Associate Professor
Languages
CAAH
Asociacion de Colombianistas Prize for best research book on Colombia
Srikanth Pilla
Srikanth Pilla
Robert P. Jenkins Endowed Professor
Automotive Engineering
CECAS
Annual expenditures exceeding $1 million
Elizabeth Rivlin
Elizabeth Rivlin
Associate Professor
English
CAAH
National Endowment for the Humanities Award
Mashal Saif
Mashal Saif
Associate Professor
Philosophy and Religion
CAAH
Senior Fellow, American Institute of Pakistan Studies
Christopher Saski
Christopher Saski
Associate Professor
Plant and Environmental Sciences
CAFLS
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
James Wang
James Wang
Professor
School of Computing
CECAS
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
Marco Ajello
MARCO AJELLO
Assistant Professor, Physics and Astronomy
CoS
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
Todd Anderson
TODD ANDERSON
Assistant Professor, Art
CAAH
Exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, November 2017-February 2018
Ronald Andrus
RONALD ANDRUS
Professor, Civil Engineering
CECAS
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
Jeffrey Anker
JEFFREY N. ANKER
Associate Professor, Chemistry
CoS
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
AMY APON
AMY APON
Professor and C. Tycho Howle Director
School of Computing
CECAS
Annual expenditures exceeding $1 million
Susanna Ashton
SUSANNA ASHTON
Professor and Chair, English
CAAH
Fulbright Award
Scott Baier
SCOTT BAIER
Chair, Economics
CoB
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
John Ballato
JOHN BALLATO
J. E. Sirrine Endowed Chair in Optical Fiber, Materials Science & Engineering
CECAS
Fellow of: The American Ceramic Society; International Society of Optical Engineering; Optical Society of America; Academician in the World Academy of Ceramics; National Academy of Inventors
Celeste Bates
CELESTE BATES
Associate Professor, Education and Human Development
CoE
Annual expenditures exceeding $1 million CoE
STAN BIRCHFIELD
STAN BIRCHFIELD
Adjunct Associate Professor
Electrical and Computer Engineering
CECAS
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
DAVID BLAKESLEY
DAVID BLAKESLEY
Professor and Campbell Chair in Technical Communication
English
CAAH
Fellows of the Rhetoric Society of America and awarded the George E. Yoos Distinguished Service Award
HOWARD BODENHORN
HOWARD BODENHORN
Professor
Economics
CoB
John Simon Guggenheim Fellow​ship in 2008/09
RAJENDRA K. BORDIA
RAJENDRA K. BORDIA
Chair
Materials Science & Engineering
CECAS
Fellow, American Ceramic Society; Fellow, Indian Institute of Metals; Fellow (Academician), World Academy of Ceramics; Humboldt Senior Scientist Research award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Germany
THOMAS BRITT
THOMAS BRITT
Trevillian Distinguished Professor
Psychology
CBSHS
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
DAVID BRUCE
DAVID BRUCE
Chair and Professor
Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
CECAS
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
JULIA BRUMAGHIM
JULIA BRUMAGHIM
Professor
Department of Chemistry
CoS
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
JAMES BURNS
JAMES BURNS
Chair and Professor
History
CAAH
Fulbright Award winner
VERNON BURTON
ORVILLE VERNON BURTON
Professor
History
CAAH
Pew National Fellow Carnegie Scholar (2000-2001)
GEORGE CHUMANOV
GEORGE CHUMANOV
Professor
Chemistry
CoS
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
CHRISTINE COLE
CHRISTINE COLE
Emeritus Professor
Materials Science and Engineering
CECAS
Expenditures exceeding $1 million
STEPHEN CREAGER
STEPHEN CREAGER
Professor
Analytical Chemistry
CoS
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
MURRAY S. DAW
MURRAY S. DAW
R.A. Bowen Professor
Physics and Astronomy
CoS
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
LIANG DONG
LIANG DONG
Professor
Electrical and Computer Engineering
CECAS
Annual expenditures exceeding $1 million
ANDREW DUCHOWSKI
ANDREW DUCHOWSKI
Professor
School of Computing
CECAS
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
SANDIP DUTTA
SANDIP DUTTA
Lecturer
Mechanical Engineering
CECAS
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
RON FALTA
RON FALTA
Professor
Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences
CECAS
John Hem Award for Excellence in Science & Engineering, National Ground Water Association
F. ALEX FELTUS
F. ALEX FELTUS
Associate Professor
Genetics and Biochemistry
CoS
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
RACHEL GETMAN
RACHEL GETMAN
Associate Professor
Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
CECAS
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
ANAND GRAMOPADHYE
ANAND GRAMOPADHYE
Dean
College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences
CECAS
Annual expenditures exceeding $1 million
WILLIAM HALLER
WILLIAM HALLER
Associate Professor
Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice
CBSHS
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
SARAH HARCUM
SARAH HARCUM
Professor
Bioengineering
CECAS
Expenditures exceeding $1 million
DIETER H HARTMANN
DIETER H HARTMANN
Professor
Physics and Astronomy
CoS
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
CYNTHIA HAYNES
CYNTHIA HAYNES
Professor
English
CAAH
Rhetoric Society of America 2017 Annual Book Award
SANDRA HEDETNIEMI
SANDRA HEDETNIEMI
Professor
School of Computing
CECAS
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
DOUG HIRT
DOUG HIRT
Professor
Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
CECAS
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
ADAM HOOVER
ADAM HOOVER
Professor
Electrical and Computer Engineering
CECAS
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
ANJALI JOSEPH
ANJALI JOSEPH
Spartanburg Regional Health System Endowed Chair of Architecture and Health Design
CAAH
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
TANJU KARANFIL
TANJU KARANFIL
Professor
Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences
CECAS
Scientific achievement award, The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK)
ANTONIS KATSIYANNIS
ANTONIS KATSIYANNIS
Alumni Distinguished Professor
Special Education
CoE
Recipient of the Frederick J Winetraub Outstanding CEC Leadership Award
WILLIAM KETTINGER
WILLIAM KETTINGER
William S. Lee Distinguished Professor
Management Information Systems
CoB
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
Fullbright Award Winner
MIRIAM KONKEL
MIRIAM KONKEL
Assistant Professor
Genetics and Biochemistry
CoS
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
ROBIN KOWALSKI
ROBIN KOWALSKI
Professor
Psychology
CBSHS
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
STEPHEN KRESOVICH
STEPHEN KRESOVICH
Robert and Lois Coker Trustees Endowed Chair of Genetics
Genetics and Biochemistry; Plant and Environmental Sciences
CAFLS
Annual expenditures exceeding $1 million, and publication exceeding 1,000 citations
MICHAEL LEMAHIEU
MICHAEL LEMAHIEU
Associate Professor
English
CAAH
American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) Fellowship for 2018-2019
LINDA LI-BLEUEL
LINDA LI-BLEUEL
Professor
Department of Performing Arts
CAAH
Fulbright Award Recipient
SUSAN LIMBER
SUSAN LIMBER
Dan Olweus Distinguished Professor
Youth, Family and Community Studies
CBSHS
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
GORDON (JEFF) LOVE
GORDON (JEFF) LOVE
Research Professor
Languages
CAAH
First member of the Clemson faculty to be selected as a National Humanities Center Fellow
IGOR LUZINOV
IGOR LUZINOV
Professor
Materials Science & Engineering
CECAS
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
KEN MARCUS
KEN MARCUS
Professor
Chemistry
CoS
Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (London), the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Society for Applied Spectroscopy, and the National Academy of Inventors
BERT MCCARTY
BERT MCCARTY
Professor
Plant and Environmental Sciences
CAFLS
Among fewer than 30 individuals worldwide to achieve each of the following: the Fred V. Grau Turfgrass Science Award; and fellowships with Crop Science Society of America and American Society of Agronomy
BRYAN MILLER
BRYAN MILLER
Associate Professor
Criminal Justice
CBSHS
Fulbright Award winner
ASHOK MISHRA
ASHOK MISHRA
Assistant Professor
Civil Engineering
CECAS
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
LEE MORRISSEY
LEE MORRISSEY
Professor
English
CAAH
Fulbright Scholar at the National University of Ireland-Galway, in the 2010-2011 academic year
ANDREW MOUNT
ANDREW MOUNT
Associate Professor
Biological Sciences
CoS
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
ANGELA NAIMOU
ANGELA NAIMOU
Associate Professor
English
CAAH
2016 Association for the Study of the Arts of the Present (ASAP) Book Prize
AMOD OGALE
AMOD OGALE
Dow Chemical Professor
Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
CECAS
Fellow of three societies: Society for Advancement of Materials and Process Engineering; Society of Plastics Engineers; and the American Carbon Society
LAURA OLSON
LAURA OLSON
Professor
Political Science
CBSHS
Fulbright Award
JUNE J. PILCHER
JUNE J. PILCHER
Alumni Distinguished Professor
Psychology
CBSHS
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations and Fulbright-Freud Visiting Scholar Award and Fulbright Specialist in Public/Global Health
T. ANDREW POEHLMAN
T. ANDREW POEHLMAN
Assistant Professor
Marketing
CoB
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
AMIR POURSAEE
AMIR POURSAEE
Associate Professor
Civil Engineering
CECAS
Recipient of Humboldt Research fellowship
BRIAN A POWELL
BRIAN A POWELL
Professor
Environmental Engineering & Earth Sciences
CECAS/CoS
Annual expenditures exceeding $1 million
SAMANTHA A. PRICE
SAMANTHA A. PRICE
Assistant Professor
Biological Sciences
CoS
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
APPARAO RAO
APPARAO RAO
Associate Dean for Discovery
College of Science
CoS
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
ALEDA ROTH
ALEDA ROTH
Burlington Industries Distinguished Professor
Management
CoB
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
PHIL ROTH
PHIL ROTH
Trevillian Distinguished Professor
Management
CoB
Fellow of the Society for Organizational Psychology and named one of top 100 most prolific researchers in his field by the Academy of Management Learning and Education
LAXMIKANT SARAF
LAXMIKANT SARAF
Director
Electron Microscopy Lab
EM Facility
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
ZEKI SIMSEK
ZEKI SIMSEK
Gressette Chair
Business Strategy & Planning
CoB
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations and named one of top 100 most prolific researchers in his field by the Academy of Management Learning and Education
RAJENDRA SINGH
RAJENDRA SINGH
D. Houser Banks Professor
Electrical & Computer Engineering
CECAS
Fellow of 4 major societies: International Society for Optics and Photonics; American Association for the Advancement of Science; Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers; and ASM International
AGA SKRODZKA
AGA SKRODZKA
Associate Professor
Film & Media Studies
CAAH
Fulbright Award winner
MARK SMALL
MARK SMALL
Chair
Youth, Family and Community Studies
CBSHS
Fulbright awards in 2004 as a traditional scholar in the Czech Republic; in 2006 as a senior specialist in the Czech Republic; and as a core scholar in Albania from 2015-1017, and publication exceeding 1,000 citations
KERRY SMITH
KERRY SMITH
Professor
Genetics and Biochemistry
CoS
Annual expenditures exceeding $1 million
JACOB SORBER
JACOB SORBER
Associate Professor
School of Computing
CECAS
Fulbright Award Recipient
CHAD SOSOLIK
CHAD SOSOLIK
Professor
Physics and Astronomy
CoS
Annual expenditures exceeding $1 million
WAYNE STEWART
WAYNE STEWART
Professor
Management
CoB
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
STEVEN J. STUART
STEVEN J. STUART
Professor
Chemistry
CoS
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
YA-PING SUN
YA-PING SUN
Frank Henry Leslie Professor
Chemistry
CoS
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
ROBERT TAMURA
ROBERT TAMURA
Professor
Economics
CoB
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
RHONDDA THOMAS
RHONDDA THOMAS
Calhoun Lemon Professor
Literature
CAAH
National Endowment for the Humanities Faculty Research Award recipient and Whiting Foundation Public Engagement Fellow
LESLY TEMESVARI
LESLY TEMESVARI
Alumni Distinguished Professor
Biological Sciences
CoS
Annual expenditures exceeding $1 million
JERRY TESSENDORF
JERRY TESSENDORF
Professor
School of Computing
CECAS
Received a Technical Achievement Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and is a Fellow of the Hagler Institute for Advanced Study
SUMANTA TEWARI
SUMANTA TEWARI
Professor
Physics and Astronomy
CoS
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
JIANHUA TONG
JIANHUA "JOSHUA" TONG
Associate Professor
Materials Science & Engineering
CECAS
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
BRYGG ULLMER
BRYGG ULLMER
Professor
School of Computing
CECAS
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
KUMAR VENAYAGAMOORTHY
KUMAR VENAYAGAMOORTHY
Duke Energy Distinguished Professor
Electrical & Computer Engineering
CECAS
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
MAREK URBAN
MAREK URBAN
J.E. Sirrine Foundation Endowed Chair
Materials Science & Engineering
CECAS
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations and fellowship in the Chemical Heritage Foundation, The Royal Society of Chemistry, and The American Chemical Society (Polymeric Materials Science and Engineering Division)
NARENDRA R VYAVAHARE
NARENDRA R VYAVAHARE
Hunter Endowed Chair
Bioengineering
CECAS
Annual expenditures exceeding $1 million
IAN WALKER
IAN WALKER
Professor
Electrical and Computer Engineering
CECAS
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
J. CRAIG WALLACE
J. CRAIG WALLACE
Chair
Management
CoB
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
LIANGJIANG WANG
LIANGJIANG WANG
Associate Professor
Genetics and Biochemistry
CoS
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
SARAH WHITE
SARAH WHITE
Professor
Plant and Environmental Sciences
CAFLS
Annual expenditures exceeding $1 million
PAUL WILSON
PAUL W WILSON
Professor
Economics
CoB
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
JACK WOLF
JACK G. WOLF
Associate Professor
Finance
CoB
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
HAI XIAO
HAI XIAO
Samuel Lewis Bell Distinguished Professor and Chair
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
CECAS
Annual expenditures exceeding $1 million
VALERIE ZIMANY
VALERIE ZIMANY
Chair and Associate Professor
Art
CAAH
Fulbright Award winner

Emeritus URSAAA Members

DONALD BEASLEY
DONALD BEASLEY
Professor
Mechanical Engineering
CECAS
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
JAMES BOTTUM
JAMES BOTTUM
Research Professor
Electrical and Computer Engineering
CECAS
Annual expenditures exceeding $1 million
GERALD P. DWYER
GERALD P. DWYER
Professor and BB&T Scholar
Economics
CoB
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations.The Society of Nonlinear Dynamics and Econometrics created the “Gerald P. Dwyer Award” in Financial Econometrics in 2008 to honor Dr. Gerald Dwyer’s academic contribution to the Financial Econometrics field
RICHARD FIGLIOLA
RICHARD FIGLIOLA
Alumni Distinguished Professor
Mechanical Engineering & Bioengineering
CECAS
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
STEPHEN HEDETNIEMI
STEPHEN HEDETNIEMI
Professor Emeritus
School of Computing
CECAS
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
LARRY HODGES
LARRY HODGES
Professor
School of Computing
CECAS
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
BRUCE KING
BRUCE KING
Professor
Psychology
CBSHS
Fellow for three international societies: Association for Psychological Science, American Psychological Association, International Behavioral Neuroscience Society
THOMAS KUEHN
THOMAS KUEHN
Professor Emeritus
History
CAAH
National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship, 2003-04; Marraro Prize of the American Historical Association, 2010
RUSS MARION
RUSS MARION
Professor
Educational & Organizational Leadership Development
CoE
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
JAMES MCCUBBIN
JAMES MCCUBBIN
Professor
Psychology
CBSHS
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations. Fellow of the American Psychological Association, the Academy of Behavioral Medicine Research, and the Society for Behavioral Medicine
JOHN MORSE
JOHN MORSE
Professor Emeritus
Entomology
CAFLS
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
MICHAEL PURSLEY
MICHAEL PURSLEY
Holcombe Chair
Electrical & Computer Engineering
CECAS
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
TERRY TRITT
TERRY TRITT
Professor and Chair
Physics and Astronomy
CoS
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
VICTOR J. VITANZA
VICTOR J. VITANZA
Professor Emeritus
English
CAAH
Fellows of the Rhetoric Society of America and awarded the George E. Yoos Distinguished Service Award

Former Faculty - URSAAA members

Kai He
KAI HE
Assistant Professor
Materials Science and Engineering
CECAS
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
JOSEPH P. MAZER
JOSEPH P. MAZER
Associate Professor, Associate Department Chair
Communication
CBSHS
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
JASON OSBORNE
JASON OSBORNE
Former Dean
Graduate School
Grad School
Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
JILLIAN WEISE
JILLIAN WEISE
Associate Professor
Creative Writing
CAAH
Winner of the Academy of American Poets James Laughlin Award and the BOA Editions Isabella Gardner Award