Five ISU faculty members honored for their research activities

Five faculty members at Iowa State University were honored Monday (Sept. 22) during Iowa State's Fall Convocation for their research efforts.

The recipients and their awards included:

Iowa State University Award for Outstanding Achievement in Research
This award recognizes a faculty member who has a national or international reputation for contributions in research, and who has influenced the research activities of students. A $1,500 award is granted.

Robert Jernigan, professor of biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology, Laurence H. Baker Center for Bioinformatics and Biological Statistics director
Jernigan is nationally recognized for work that improved understanding of the essential aspects of the largest biological structures. His work incorporates a wide variety of technologies and methodologies, including computational biology, bioinformatics, systems biology and postgenomic studies. He uses new approaches to computer modeling and simulation to develop applications for new medical therapies, such as protein engineering and pharmaceutical design. Jernigan has more than 200 refereed journal articles and publications, and his current research funding totals nearly $5.5 million. Among his many awards are the Special Achievement Award and Merit Award from the National Institutes of Health.

John Verkade, University Professor, professor of chemistry
Verkade joined Iowa State right after earning his doctorate in chemistry, and his work over the ensuing 48 years has established Iowa State as a leader in phosphorous chemistry. He and his graduate students have developed new phosphorous compounds to better understand their novel chemical properties, such as catalysis of important reactions. The new catalysts they developed now are commonly used in commercial manufacturing. Some of his recent discoveries are useful in producing value-added products from biomass and recycling waste polyester fabrics. He wrote or co-authored more than 400 research publications and five books, and holds 14 patents.

Iowa State University Award for Mid-Career Achievement in Research
This award recognizes a faculty member who has demonstrated exemplary research performance or scholarship accomplishments as documented by peers and experts in the field. A $1,500 award is granted.

Victor Shang-Yi Lin, professor of chemistry, professor of biomedical sciences, Center for Catalysis director
Lin is a world-renowned expert in the design of porous nanomaterials for selective catalysis and applications in biotechnology and biomedical areas. His research involves designing and developing novel strategies to control structure, morphology, biocompatibility and function of these nanomaterials, and he has achieved significant results in drug delivery and catalyst development for biorenewable applications and biofuel production. Catilin Inc., an Iowa-based company started by Lin to commercialize his new catalyst technology, recently completed a pilot plant at the Iowa Energy Center's Biomass Conversion Facility to produce one million gallons of biodiesel annually. The plant was funded by a $3 million venture capital investment and represents one of his many partnerships with biofuel companies.

Balaji Narasimhan, professor of chemical and biological engineering, College of Engineering associate dean of research and economic development
Narasimhan is an international leader in biomedical devices for drug delivery and combinatorial synthesis of biomaterials. His research is supported by more than $12 million in funding from such agencies as the National Science Foundation; National Institutes of Health; U.S. departments of Agriculture, Energy and Defense; and the Dreyfus, Whitaker and Keck Foundations. He holds three patents, and has contributed to more than 65 publications and 175 invited talks. He is a fellow of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineers, and he has received the Whitaker Foundation Biomedical Engineering Research Award, 3M Non-Tenured Faculty Award and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Technology Review 100 Award, which recognizes the nation's top 100 young innovators.

Iowa State University Award for Early Achievement in Research
This award recognizes a faculty member who has demonstrated outstanding accomplishments unusually early in his or her professional career. A $1,500 award is granted.

Xiaoli Tan, associate professor of materials science and engineering
Tan has compiled an impressive record of accomplishment in his six years at Iowa State. He has developed new characterization methods for ferroelectric materials in the transmission electron microscope, and his use of these methods has overturned long-accepted beliefs about the nature of these materials, earning him praise from leading scientists in the field. He also has distinguished himself in both undergraduate and graduate teaching and made significant contributions to his professional organizations. He has received more than $2.5 million in funding for his research and published more than 50 articles in refereed journals.