Two CSE professors named University Regents Professors
The designation is the highest level of recognition given to faculty by the University
MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL (06/20/19) — Two of three faculty named Regents Professors this year by the University of Minnesota Board of Regents are from the College of Science and Engineering. They are Ned Mohan from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and David Pui from the Department of Mechanical Engineering. The third Regents Professor is Marlene Zuk from the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior in the College of Biological Sciences.
The designation of Regents Professor is the highest level of recognition given to faculty by the University.
“We’re honored to have Professors Mohan, Pui, and Zuk at the University of Minnesota as they showcase the exceptional teaching, research and scholarship here,” said University President Eric Kaler. “I offer congratulations on behalf of the University for this well-deserved distinction and I thank them for their continued contributions to this institution.”
Ned Mohan, Regents Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Ned Mohan is a world-renowned researcher and professor in the College of Science and Engineering’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Oscar A. Schott Professor in Power Electronics and Systems.
In his 43-year career at the University, Mohan’s innovations in power engineering education have helped the U.S.’s power grid to become cleaner, smarter and more reliable. He continues to press for innovation in the field of power electronics, holding 20 patents. He is also a global leader in the development of educational materials about energy systems and is at the forefront of preparing the next generation of scientists and engineers grappling with challenging energy questions. As author of several widely used textbooks and founder of the Consortium of Universities for Sustainable Power—which includes 235 partner universities—Mohan has significantly modernized energy education. He has received numerous awards and in 2014, he was elected to the National Academy of Engineering, which is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer.
David Pui, Regents Professor of Mechanical Engineering
David Pui is a professor in the College of Science and Engineering’s Department of Mechanical Engineering; director of the University of Minnesota’s Particle Technology Laboratory and the Center for Filtration Research; a Distinguished McKnight University Professor; and the L.M. Fingerson/TSI Incorporated Chair in Mechanical Engineering. He also holds three degrees from the University of Minnesota—a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering 1970, M.S. 1973, Ph.D. 1976.
One of the world’s leading experts in nanoparticle characterization and filtration technology of fine particles, Pui is well known for his groundbreaking work on electrospraying and charging of aerosols. He has shaped the academic field of particle technology and is highly influential in commercializing his inventions, holding 40 patents. Pui has more than 380 publications and his work has nearly 13,000 citations on Google Scholar. At the University of Minnesota, he has been the principal investigator or co-principal investigator on grants and contracts totaling more than $28 million. In 2013, he received the Einstein Professorship — the highest award of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) — and in 2010, he was awarded the Fuchs Memorial Award, which is the highest honor conferred jointly by the American, Japanese and German aerosol associations. In 2016, he was inducted into the National Academy of Engineering.
Marlene Zuk, Regents Professor of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior
Marlene Zuk is a professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior in the College of Biological Sciences; the college’s associate dean for faculty; and a governing board member for the Minnesota Center for Philosophy of Science.
Her work has played a key role in connecting parasitology with modern thinking about evolution, ecology and behavior, and she is considered a pioneer in studying the evolution of reproductive behavior and sexual selection. Zuk has published more than 150 research papers and her work has more than 14,000 citations. Her work on the evolution of sex differences and the way that people think about animals and gender has been highly influential. In 2017, she was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and holds elected fellowships in the Animal Behavior Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She was recently elected to the National Academy of Sciences. She also holds honorary doctorates from Uppsala University in Sweden and the University of Jyväskylä in Finland.
About the Regents Professorship
The Regents Professorship was established in 1965 by the Board of Regents to recognize the national and international prominence of faculty members. It serves as the highest recognition for faculty who have made unique contributions to the quality of the University of Minnesota through exceptional accomplishments in teaching, research, scholarship, and creative work, and contributions to the public good.
The 2019 recipients will be honored by the Board of Regents at their Sept. 13 meeting.
See the current list of all University of Minnesota Regents Professors.
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