The UNM administration has announced the recipients of the 2015 Presidential Award of Distinction.
According to a UNM press release, Jeffrey Binker, distinguished and Regent’s professor in the Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering with an appointment in the Department of Molecular Genetics & Microbiology, and Patricia Crown, distinguished professor of Anthropology, will be honored with the award at a Dec. 11 ceremony at WisePies Arena aka the Pit.
“From cancer to coffee, the recipients of the 2015 Presidential Award of Distinction have portfolios of research accomplishments that separate the scientists from many others in their fields. Both, C. Jeffrey Brinker and Patricia Crown have dedicated their lives to studying culture and health in anthropology and engineering, respectively,” the release stated.
The honor was established by current Univesity President Bob Frank in 2013 in order to recognize outstanding career achievements and leadership in a profession, according to the statement.
“The university has a number of awards that honor the varied contributions and expertise of our campus community, but this one gives me the opportunity to recognize individuals, both within and outside UNM, who support the kinds of thoughts and actions that advance the highest ideals of the citizens of our state,” said Frank in the statement. “I am indebted to all who were nominated, as well as to those nominating and advising me in selecting this year’s honorees.”
Brinker is one the leading scientists in his field and has been honored with prestigious awards in the materials research field, including the U.S. Department of Energy Ernest O. Lawrence Memorial Award in Materials Science and the Materials Research Society MRS Medal, according to the statement.
Crown has been a UNM faculty member since 1993, and has done field research in the Ancestral Pueblo, Mogollon, and Hohokam areas of the American Southwest.
Sayyed Shah is the assistant news editor at the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at news-assistant@dailylobo.com.
