UofM Honors 2025 Faculty Award Recipients for Research Excellence

Recognizing Faculty Excellence in Research, Scholarship, and Creative Achievement

The University of Memphis celebrated its 2025 Faculty Award recipients on May 1 at the Maxine A. Smith University Center, recognizing exceptional contributions in research, scholarship, and creative activity across campus.

The University’s highest faculty honor, the Willard R. Sparks Eminent Faculty Award, was presented to Dr. Xiaohua Huang, professor in the Department of Chemistry in the College of Arts & Sciences. A UofM faculty member since 2010, Dr. Huang has dedicated her research to advancing the field of cancer nanomedicine, developing innovative technologies to detect, monitor, and treat cancer more effectively.

Dr. Huang is a Top 2% Most Cited Scholar in the World, with over 40,000 citations, and is a frequent expert reviewer for the National Cancer Institute. Her groundbreaking research and leadership continue to elevate the University’s impact in biomedical science.

Additional 2025 Faculty Research Awards, presented by the UofM Alumni Association, include:

• Distinguished Research in the Humanities:
  Dr. Lyn Wright, Professor of Applied Linguistics and TESOL, Department of English
• Distinguished Research in the Social Sciences, Business & Law:
  Dr. Huigang Liang, Professor of Management Information Systems, FedEx Chair of Excellence in MIS
• Distinguished Research in Science, Engineering, and Mathematics:
  Dr. Hasan Ali, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
• Distinguished Research in the Creative Arts:
  Dr. Sarah Brown, Associate Professor of Theatre and Dance

These awards reflect the University’s continued commitment to academic excellence and research leadership. Congratulations to all this year’s recipients!