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Acclaim
Acclaim: Recent honors for Emory faculty and staff

Emory faculty and staff are frequently recognized for their work locally, nationally and internationally. The following is a sampling of recent accolades.

Honors highlighted in this column:


Beck appointed to named chairmanship

Allen D. Beck, director and chair of Emory Eye Center, has been appointed the F. Phinizy Calhoun, Sr. Chair in Ophthalmology. Beck joined the glaucoma section of Emory Eye Center in 1994 and was named director of glaucoma services in 1999. He was named interim director and chair of Emory Eye Center in 2016 and was appointed chair in 2019.


Eckert honored for recent book on West Germany

Astrid M. Eckert’s new book “West Germany and the Iron Curtain: Environment, Economy and Culture in the Borderlands” has won several recent honors. These include the Hans Rosenberg Book Prize, awarded by the Central European History Society for the best book in the field published by a North American resident in 2019; the 2020 German Academic Exchange Service/German Studies Association (DAAD/GSA) Book Prize for the best book in history or social sciences; and the 2020 Smith Award by the European History Section of the Southern Historical Association for the best book published in European history by a faculty member of a Southern college or university. Eckert is associate professor in the Department of History.


Ericson named Museum Educator of the Year

Katie Ericson, the Carlos Museum’s senior manager of school and volunteer programs, was named the Georgia Art Education Association’s Museum Educator of the Year for 2020. The Association is a professional organization of art educators who advocate for the highest quality visual arts education and expand knowledge through service, leadership and research.


Grossniklaus elected to ophthalmology board of directors

Emory Eye Center ophthalmologist Hans E. Grossniklaus, F. Phinizy Calhoun Jr. Professor of Ophthalmology and director of the L.F. Montgomery Pathology Laboratory, was appointed to the American Board of Ophthalmology (ABO) Board of Directors for a term beginning Jan. 1, 2021. The nation’s first medical specialty board, the ABO develops rigorous assessments for the certification of eye physicians and surgeons in the United States.


‘2020 Women to Watch’ list includes Howett

Ciannat Howett, associate vice president of sustainability, resilience and economic inclusion for Emory University and Emory Healthcare, was recognized by the Women in Green Initiative of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), a worldwide leadership platform for women who are shifting the narrative on empowerment, access and impact in the clean energy economy. As part of this year's "Sheroes, Stand Up" leadership recognition campaign, the USGBC South Atlantic communities shared their list of 2020 Women to Watch to recognize individuals who are making a significant impact on their local communities through their work.


Kraft elected president of American Society for Microbiology

Colleen Kraft has been elected to serve as the 2022 president of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM). Her term will begin July 1, 2021. The ASM is the largest single life science society, composed of more than 30,000 scientists and health professionals.

Kraft is an associate professor in the Department of Pathology as well as an associate professor in the Department of Medicine’s Division of Infectious Diseases. She is also the associate chief medical officer of Emory Hospital.

 

Liebeskind and Stephens named National Academy of Inventors fellows

Lanny Liebeskind and David Stephens have been named 2020 fellows of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). NAI fellow status is the highest professional distinction accorded to academic inventors.

Liebeskind is vice provost for strategic research initiatives and the Samuel Candler Dobbs professor of chemistry at Emory. His research interests center on the discovery of new reactions and application of transition metal chemistry to challenging problems in organic synthesis. He holds more than 15 patents and his discoveries have yielded useful technologies for a variety of industries, from pharmaceuticals to agro-chemicals.

Stephens, a veteran infectious diseases clinician, teacher and researcher, is vice president for research at Emory’s Woodruff Health Sciences Center (WHSC) and chair of the department of medicine in the School of Medicine. He has played a major role in the creation and development of entities that have proven foundational for Emory’s preeminence in infectious diseases research including the Emory Vaccine Center, the Emory Center for AIDS Research, and the Serious Communicable Diseases Unit. Read more.

 

Moore receives award for citizenship, community service

Charles E. Moore was presented with the Benjamin Rush Award for Citizenship and Community Service by the American Medical Association (AMA). The award recognizes physicians who have gone above and beyond their professional call of duty to make an outstanding contribution to the community. Moore was chosen by the AMA for his exceptional dedication to providing accessible and equitable medical services and health education to the people of Atlanta’s marginalized communities.

Moore is professor of otolaryngology, head and neck surgery at Emory School of Medicine and chief of the Department of Otolaryngology for Grady Health Systems. He also serves as president the HEALing Community Center and is a director of Emory University’s Urban Health Initiative.

 

O'Banion makes ’40 Under Forty’ list

The Atlanta Business Chronicle has selected comprehensive ophthalmologist Jacquelyn A. O'Banion as one of its “40 Under Forty” honorees for 2020. The award recognizes 40 rising stars in the Metro Atlanta area who are making a mark in their industries and making a difference in their communities. O’Banion is assistant professor of ophthalmology at the School of Medicine and director of the Global Ophthalmology Emory (GO-Emory) program.

 

Schinazi and Warren honored as AAAS Fellows 

Raymond F. Schinazi and Stephen T. Warren of the School of Medicine have been named Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Election as a Fellow is an honor bestowed upon AAAS members by their peers for their scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications. 

Schinazi is the Frances Winship Walters Professor of Pediatrics, director of the Division of Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology, and co-director of the of the HIV Cure Scientific Working Group within the NIH-sponsored Emory University Center for AIDS Research (CFAR).

Warren is the founding and former chairman of the Department of Human Genetics, William Patterson Timmie Professor of Human Genetics and Charles Howard Candler Chair in Human Genetics. Read more.

 

Stein earns Fellow designation as conservationist

The American Institute for Conservation has elected Renée Stein, chief conservator at the Carlos Museum, as a Fellow, the highest designation of professional membership in the national organization. AIC is the leading membership association for current and aspiring conservators and allied professionals who preserve cultural heritage.

 

Strocchia’s book wins historical studies prize

“Forgotten Healers: Women and the Pursuit of Health in Late Renaissance Italy” by Sharon Strocchia was awarded the Marraro Prize by the Society for Italian Historical Studies. In the book, Stroccia investigates the roles women played as protagonists in Renaissance health practices: contributions of convent pharmacies and pharmacists, household remedies from aristocratic women and more. Strocchia is a professor in the Department of History.

 

Umpierrez appointed to American Diabetes Association board

Guillermo Umpierrez has been appointed to the Board of Directors of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) as President-Elect for Medicine and Science. Umpierrez is a professor of medicine in the division of endocrinology at Emory’s School of Medicine and heads the Emory Latino Diabetes Education Program, a nationally accredited program dedicated to providing diabetes education to the Latinx community.. He is a national and international leader in the field of hospital management of diabetes and has published several landmark papers and guidelines in the field of inpatient diabetes. His research program is currently funded by the National Institutes of Health and American Diabetes Association.


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