Department of Chemistry Wins Big at Presidential Celebration of Excellence
From left to right: Prof. Xian Zhang, dean Kimberly Leonard, Prof. Lenore Hoyt, and Prof. Frederick Luzzio
The Department of Chemistry pulled a hat trick at this year’s Presidential Celebration of Excellence on May 1, with three professors – Frederick Luzzio, Lenore Hoyt, and Xiang Zhang – bringing home Distinguished Faculty Awards.
Prof. Frederick Luzzio was awarded the Distinguished Faculty Award for Service to the Profession, honoring his eight years of leadership service to the International Society of Heterocyclic Chemistry (ISHC); extensive service as an editor and reviewer for journal and book publications; and his lengthy and broad service to his Department, the College of A&S, and the University. Prof. David Williams of Indiana University, who serves on the Executive Committee of the ISHC, states although Prof. Luzzio “is not paid for his service to our organization… his value to our organization and its members cannot be overstated.” Department chair Craig Grapperhaus describes Prof. Luzzio’s efforts towards procuring external and internal funding for academic research as “remarkable,” stating “the broader impacts of the travel support he has garnered for graduate students and post-docs as they build their professional careers is beyond measurement.”
Prof. Lenore Hoyt, a Faculty Favorite winner in 2008 and consistent nominee in the years since, was honored with the Distinguished Faculty Award for Full-Time Teaching. Her tireless pursuit of professional development training (150 hour and counting through the Delphi Center) allowed Prof. Hoyt to incorporate “active learning” methodology in her classroom, including the development of an online version of CHEM 105 that includes active learning homework components. She willingly shares her expertise, and Prof. Raymond Chastain (Physics and Astronomy) describes her as “a wonderful resource for other faculty as they work to develop their own teaching.” A student notes “her passion is contagious and she makes me want to do the absolute best I can. She is truly an inspiration.”
Prof. Xiang Zhang received the Distinguished Faculty Award for Career Achievement in Outstanding Scholarship, Research, and Creative Activity. Prof. Zhang has a dual appointment in the School of Medicine as a Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology and also directs the Center for Regulatory and Environmental Analytical Metabolomics. Colleague Prof. Richard Baldwin states, “In my 40+ years on the faculty here at the University of Louisville, I have not had a colleague whose research resume compares to that of Professor Zhang,” who has served as lead or co-author on 156 peer-reviewed journal articles, conference proceedings, or book chapters; presented at more than 100 academic conferences; and delivered 80 invited talks. In addition, he spearheaded an “aggressive and successful pursuit of funding,” in the words of Department Chair Craig Grapperhaus, serving as PI or Co-Investigator on external grants or contracts totaling more than $23.1 million, while serving in various other roles on additional grants of $22.5 million.
Kudos to our Chemistry winners, who bring distinction to the College and the University through their commitment to the areas of service, teaching, and outstanding scholarship, research, and creative activity.
