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Exceptional faculty named Regents' and President's Professors


February 17, 2011

Nine outstanding professors were inducted into the top ranks of academia at ASU on Feb. 17, honored for their extraordinary contributions in the classroom and in their fields of expertise. Six were named Regents’ Professors, and three were named President’s Professors.

Regents’ Professor is the highest faculty honor awarded at ASU, conferred on faculty who have made pioneering contributions in their areas of expertise, who have achieved a sustained level of distinction, and who enjoy national and international recognition for these accomplishments.

The Regents' Professors are:

Rachel G. Fuchs: History
Rachel G. Fuchs’ pathbreaking investigations of family life in France have made her one of the world’s most eminent social historians of modern France, illuminating the lives of poor women and children through the techniques of social, political and cultural history. She is a beloved teacher and mentor who has won many teaching awards and whose students often stay in touch with her for years after graduation.


Devens Gust: Chemistry and Biochemistry
Devens Gust is recognized worldwide for his pioneering efforts in photochemistry and artificial photosynthesis, setting the foundations of much modern research on the mechanisms of light interacting with molecules. His prolific research has led to more than 280 peer-reviewed manuscripts being published in such prestigious journals as Nature and Science, and he currently holds 10 patents for his work in photosynthesis.

 

ASU rock entry

Sally L. Kitch: Women and Gender Studies
Sally L. Kitch has played a major role in the creation of the field of women's studies in the United States. She is known internationally for her pioneering research on the intellectual history of gender as a concept in the context of race, religion and other categories of social difference.  Her many books and articles have won the respect and recognition of scholars in a variety of disciplines, including history, American Studies, cultural anthropology and literary studies.



Ana L. Moore: Chemistry and Biochemistry
Ana L. Moore’s important contributions in science stem from her knack for synthetic organic chemistry. She has led her team of students and postdoctoral associates to design complex sequences of synthetic pathways that produced intricate and exquisitely functional, organic molecules. A native of Argentina, Moore has been a dedicated teacher and mentor, providing a meaningful example and role model for female and Hispanic students and young faculty members.


Thomas A. Moore: Chemistry and Biochemistry
Thomas A. Moore’s international leadership and vision have influenced the development of artificial photosynthesis and bioenergy as a pathway for developing the fundamental knowledge upon which practical new technologies for harvesting solar energy could be based. He has become a senior ambassador of science, lecturing on the science and causes of global warming and providing assessments of ways to reverse deleterious trends.


V. Kerry Smith: Economics
V. Kerry Smith is one of the leading environmental economists in the world, particularly well known for his work on the valuation of environmental goods, the most fundamental issue in the field. Most environmental goods are public goods for which market prices do not exist. He has fundamentally changed the approaches used in economic valuation, pioneering techniques involving hedonic pricing and applied general equilibrium analysis.


 

The President’s Professor Award recognizes tenured faculty who have made outstanding contributions to undergraduate education at ASU. Selection is based on mastery of subject matter, enthusiasm and innovation in the learning and teaching process, ability to engage students both within and outside the classroom, ability to inspire independent and original thinking in students, innovation in course and curriculum design and scholarly contributions.

The President's Professors are:

Leona S. Aiken: Psychology
Leona S. Aiken is a world-class quantitative psychologist who teaches challenging statistics courses and yet manages to inspire loyalty, respect and even devotion from her students. She provides complex material in creative and accessible ways. Aiken is recognized for producing among the most utilized reference works and texts in quantitative psychology, and in setting high standards for sophisticated approaches to data analyses.


Richard Creath: Life Sciences
Richard Creath is an internationally recognized scholar and researcher in the philosophy of science who utilizes his 35 years of experience in the classroom to inspire students to explore new and differing values, opinions and ways of looking at the world. He teaches students that an ability to evaluate conflicting and diverse views is the basis for science and the humanities.



Amy L. Ostrom: Marketing
Amy L. Ostrom’s colleagues call the young professor a consummate scholar and educator, a person whose energy, sincerity and commitment to students is exemplary. She has become a world renowned scholar and thought leader in service science, and she shares her knowledge and enthusiasm with students in a personal way, impacting their lives. An effective teacher who has won many teaching awards, she uses a variety of innovative learning methods and skill-building exercises, creating an environment that promotes and demands learning at the highest levels.