Recipients of the Distinguished Professors/Curators Award

Distinguished Professor Lecture Series

April 17, 2025 @ 1:00
Zhonghui Fan
Distinguished Professor 
Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
College of Engineering
TBA lecture title
J. Wayne Reitz Union, Ground Floor, Chamber Room & via Livestream
TBA Flyer

TBA Date @ TBA time
Dominick Angiolillo
Distinguished Professor & Chief, Division of Cardiology;
Medical Director of the UF Health Cardiovascular Center & of the Cardiovascular Research Program
Program Director of the Interventional Cardiology Fellowship & of the General Cardiovascular Care Fellowship
Department of Medicine
College of Medicine - Jacksonville
TBA lecture title
TBA Room & available via TBA Livestream
TBA Flyer
(TBA Webcast link)

TBA Date @ TBA time
Thomas Bianchi
Distinguished Professor and Jon and Beverly Thompson Endowed Chair in Geological Sciences
Department of Geological Sciences
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
TBA lecture title
TBA Room & available via TBA Livestream
TBA Flyer
(TBA Webcast link)

TBA Date @ TBA time
Warren Dixon
Distinguished Professor, Dean’s Leadership Professor and Department Chair
Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
College of Engineering
TBA lecture title
TBA Room & available via TBA Livestream
TBA Flyer
(TBA Webcast link)

(TBA Webcast link)

TBA Date @ TBA time
Juan Gilbert
Distinguished Professor, The Andrew Banks Family Preeminence Endowed Professor & Department Chair
Department of Computer & Information Science and Engineering
College of Engineering
TBA lecture title
TBA Room & available via TBA Livestream
TBA Flyer
(TBA Webcast link)

TBA Date @ TBA time
Christian Jobin
Distinguished Professor, Tenure Program Leader, Cancer Microbiota & Host Response, UF Health Cancer Center
Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition
Department of Medicine
College of Medicine
TBA lecture title
TBA Room & available via TBA Livestream
TBA Flyer
(TBA Webcast link)

TBA Date @ TBA time
Rafael Munoz-Carpena
Distinguished Professor , Hydrology & Water Quality
Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering
College of Agricultural and Life Sciences
TBA lecture title
TBA Room & available via TBA Livestream
TBA Flyer
(TBA Webcast link)

TBA Date @ TBA time
Laura Ranum
Distinguished Professor Director of Center for NeuroGenetics, Professor, Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Member, UF Genetics Institute
Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology
College of Medicine
TBA lecture title
TBA Room & available via TBA Livestream
TBA Flyer
(TBA Webcast link)

TBA Date @ TBA time
Neil Sullivan
Distinguished Professor 
Department of Physics
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
TBA lecture title
TBA Room & available via TBA Livestream
TBA Flyer
(TBA Webcast link)

Michele V. Manuel
Distinguished Professor and Past MSE Chair
Department of Materials Science & Engineering (MSE)
College of Engineering

May 2, 2024 @ 5:00 p.m.
Andreas Keil 
Distinguished Professor 
Department of Psychology and
Center for the Study of Emotion & Attention
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
The Building Blocks of Mental Health: Linking Basic Science of Brain and Behavior to Well-being and Resilience.
J. Wayne Reitz Union, Ground Floor, Chamber Room & via Livestream
Flyer
(Webcast)

April 18, 2024 @ 1:00 p.m.
Matias Kirst  
Distinguished Professor of Quantitative Genetics and Genomics
School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences
UF IFAS
Deciphering Plant Exceptionalism.
J. Wayne Reitz Union, Ground Floor, Chamber Room & via Livestream
Flyer
(Webcast)

April 12, 2024 @ 4:00 p.m.
Chris Janiszewski
Distinguished Professor and Russell Berrie Eminent Scholar Chair
Marketing Department
Warrington College of Business
Processing Fluency in Decision Making.
Bryan 130 & via *Zoom
*https://ufl.zoom.us/j/91666899388 / Meeting ID: 916 6689 9388 / Dial: +1 305 224 1968
Flyer
(Webcast)

April 4, 2024 @ 10:00 a.m.
David Leavitt
Distinguished Professor 
Co-director, MFA@FLA Creative Writing Program
Department of English
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Alan Turing and the Origins of A.I.
J. Wayne Reitz Union, Ground Floor, Chamber Room & via Livestream
Flyer
(Webcast)

March 25, 2024 @ 1:00 p.m.
Valerie de Crecy-Lagard
Distinguished Professor
Department of Microbiology and Cell Science
College of Agricultural and Life Sciences
Beyond Base Pairs: Decoding Function by Dissecting Protein Families.
Microbiology & Cell Science Building 981, 1355 Museum Drive, Seminar Rooms 1042/1044 & via *Zoom
*https://ufl.zoom.us/j/93405980184?pwd=SUF3ZWxyblB5TXNDcUJYN0NqM3F3Zz09 / Meeting ID: 934 0598 0184 / Passcode: 3615
(Webcast)
Flyer

March 21, 2024 @ 1:00 p.m.
Ageliki (Lily) Elefteriadou
Barbara Goldsby Distinguished Professor
Director, UF Transportation Institute (UFTI)
Department of Civil & Coastal Engineering
Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering
Can AI, Autonomous Vehicles, and Other Advanced Technologies Reduce Congestion?
J. Wayne Reitz Union, Ground Floor, Chamber Room & via Livestream
Flyer
(Webcast)

February 15, 2024 @ 1:00 p.m.
Jack E. Davis
Distinguished Professor 
Rothman Family Chair in the Humanities 
Department of History
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Coming Ashore: Wonder, Creativity, and the Environmental Humanities.
J. Wayne Reitz Union, Ground Floor, Chamber Room & via Livestream
Flyer
(Webcast)

January 18, 2024 @ 5:00 p.m.
Michael S. Okun
Adelaide Lackner Distinguished Professor of Neurology
Executive Director, Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases
College of Medicine
Journey to the Center of the Brain and Back.
J. Wayne Reitz Union, Ground Floor, Chamber Room & via Livestream
Flyer
(Webcast)

November 16, 2023 @ 1:00 p.m.
Christine E. Schmidt
Distinguished Professor and J. Crayton Pruitt Family Endowed Chair
J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering
Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering
Engineering Materials for Clinical Nerve Repair, and Other Applications Along the Way.
J. Wayne Reitz Union, Ground Floor, Chamber Room & via Livestream
Flyer
(Webcast)

Baba C. Vemuri 
Distinguished Professor
Department of Computer and Information Science and Engineering
Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering
Topic Focus: Geometry Aware Learning and Inference from Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Images with Applications to Neurology.
-On Sabbatical in 2022-3-

April 18, 2023 @ 4 p.m.
Frank J. Bova
Albert E. and Birdie W. Einstein Fund Professorship of Computer-Assisted Stereotactic Neurosurgery
Distinguished Professor, Department of Neurosurgery, College of Medicine
Joint Professor, College of Engineering
Joint Professor, College of Veterinary Medicine
Changes in the Bench to Bedside Development Process: 1977-2023
McKnight Brain Institute, DeWeese Auditorium, Room #LG-101A MBI (1149 Newell Dr, Gainesville, FL 32610) & via *Zoom
*https://ufl.zoom.us/j/92703539776?pwd=NS9jY3ZJTVR3L3p0Vmc5RTdENjk3UT09 Meeting ID: 927 0353 9776 Passcode: 903629 
Reception: 5 – 6 p.m. @ Harrell Medical Education Building (HMEB) Lobby/Scott Commons (Address: 1104 Newell Dr, Gainesville, FL 32601)
(Webcast)

April 13, 2023 @ 5 p.m.
Valeria V. Gordan
Associate Dean for Research & Distinguished Professor
Restorative Dental Sciences Department
College of Dentistry
Bridging Research Results to Everyday Clinical Care Using the PBRN Model
Harrell Medical Education Building (Health Center), Room 135 & via Zoom https://ufl.zoom.us/j/95139856956 / Meeting ID: 951 3985 6956 / Passcode: 2023
Reception to follow in Room 135 Lobby
(Webcast)

March 24, 2023 @ 3:30 p.m.
Mo Wang
Distinguished Professor
Lanzillotti-McKethan Eminent Scholar Chair, Management Department
Director, Human Resource Research Center
Associate Dean, Warrington College of Business
Is Retirement a Curse or a Blessing? Work and Retirement Pathways Matter
130 Bryan Hall & via Zoom: https://ufl.zoom.us/j/98203941571?pwd=c0hUUVZqMHJXWTNUZ2FObUJPamJ4Zz09 
or Join by Skype for Business: https://ufl.zoom.us/skype/98203941571
(Webcast)

February 27, 2023 @ 4 p.m.
Wayne L. Nicholson 
Distinguished Professor
Department of Microbiology and Cell Science
Florida Space Life Sciences Laboratory, Kennedy Space Center, FL
UF/IFAS
Considerations for Interplanetary Transport of Microbial Life
Microbiology & Cell Science Building 981, 1355 Museum Drive, Seminar Room 1044 & via *Zoom
*https://ufl.zoom.us/j/93405980184?pwd=SUF3ZWxyblB5TXNDcUJYN0NqM3F3Zz09  Meeting ID: 934 0598 0184  Passcode: 3615 
(Webcast)

Sara J. Nixon
Distinguished Professor & Co-Vice Chair
Chief of Addiction Research
Director, UF CTSI Biobehavioral Core
Director, Neurocognitive Laboratory, Psychiatry Dept.
Department of Psychiatry
College of Medicine

Vladimir Rakov
Distinguished Professor 
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering

March 17, 2022 @ 5 p.m.
Reitz Union Chamber
Presenter: Julie K. Levy
Fran Marino Endowed Distinguished Professor Of Shelter Medicine Education
Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences
College of Veterinary Medicine
Spayathon for Puerto Rico: Lessons & Outcomes from 50,000 Surgeries
(Webcast)

January 20, 2022 @ 5 p.m.
Reitz Union Chamber
Presenter: Almut G. Winterstein
Distinguished Professor & Chair
Department of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy
Director, Center For Drug Evaluation & Safety (CoDES)
College of Pharmacy
Drugs and Vaccines are Safe. Or are they?
(Webcast)

December 16, 2021 @ 5 p.m.
Reitz Union Chamber
Presenter: W. Robert Knechel
Director, International Accounting and Auditing Center
Distinguished Professor and Frederick E. Fisher Eminent Scholar in Accounting
Senior Editor, The Accounting Review
Fisher School of Accounting
Warrington College of Business
Who Do You Trust? Accounting and the (Political) Economy
(Webcast)

September 23, 2021 @ 5 p.m.
Reitz Union Chamber
Presenter: Sanjay Ranka
Distinguished Professor
Department of Computer Information Science and Engineering
Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering 
Big Data versus Big Brother: Leveraging AI for Smarter Transportation
(Webcast)

Mark Sherwood
Distinguished Professor
Department of Ophthalmology
Director of the Center for Vision Research
-Abroad in 2021-

April 22, 2021 @ 3 p.m.
via *Zoom:  https://ufl.zoom.us/j/99994579664?pwd=RWNCazRtZnI5OFpkNE5FclVzRVRCUT09 (Inactive after 4.22.21)
*Registration required
Presenter:  Mary T. Brownell
UF Distinguished Professor
Director, Collaboration for Effective Educator Development, Accountability, and Reform Center
School of Special Education, School Psychology and Early Childhood Studies
College of Education
Improving Teaching Quality for Students with Disabilities: Translating Research into Practice
Zoomcast

April 8,  2021 @ 3 p.m.
via *Zoom:  https://ufl.zoom.us/j/94374717745?pwd=ZjlNTFZLUHQxRWZVMHJzMjdqZ0J5Zz0 (Inactive after 04.08.21)
*Registration required
Presenter:  Nancy E. Dowd
UF Distinguished Professor
David H. Levin Chair in Family Law
Fredric G. Levin College of Law
Radical Brown: A Mandate for Systemic Comprehensive Educational Equality.
Zoomcast

March 11,  2021 @ 3 p.m.
via Zoom:  https://ufl.zoom.us/j/95808283440?pwd=Mm9NeTR6SDZncFNPcHAvN0t0aTg0UT09 (Inactive after 03.11.21)
Presenter:  Wesley E. Bolch
UF Distinguished Professor
Director of ALRADS – Advanced Laboratory for Radiation Dosimetry Studies
J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering
College of Engineering
Cancer Risks Following Medical Imaging:  The Scare, The Science, and The Path to Resolution.
Zoomcast

February 20, 2020 @ 5 p.m.
Reitz Union Chamber
Presenter:  Patricia Snyder
UF Distinguished Professor and David Lawrence Jr. Endowed Chair in Early Childhood Studies
Director, Anita Zucker Center for Excellence in Early Childhood Studies
College of Education
The “New” 3Rs: How the Science of Early Childhood Development and Learning Informs Research, Policy, and Recommended Practices for the Benefit of Young Children and their Families
Webcast

January 30, 2020 @ 5 p.m.
Reitz Union Chamber
Presenter:  R. Raymond Issa
Rinker Distinguished Professor and School Director
M.E. Rinker, Sr. School of Construction Management
College of Design, Construction and Planning
Modular off-site Construction and Building Information Modeling: Case studies
Webcast

Yuguang "Michael" Fang
UF Distinguished Professor
College of Engineering
-On sabbatical in China in 2020-

May 9, 2019 @ 5 p.m.
Reitz Union Chamber
Presenter:  William Hager
UF Distiinguished Professor
Department of Mathematics
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
Making things invisible with coatings
Webcast

February 21, 2019 @ 5 p.m.
Reitz Union Chamber
Presenter:  Krista Vandenborne
UF Distiinguished Professor
Department of Physical Therapy
College of Public Health & Health Professions
The role of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the pursuit of a treatment for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.
Webcast

January 24, 2019 @ 5 p.m.
Reitz Union Chamber
Presenter:  Simon Phillpot
UF Distiinguished Professor
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering
What is heat and how can we control it at the nanoscale?
Webcast

March 15, 2018 @ 5 p.m.
Reitz Union Chamber
Presenter:  Mingzhou Ding
UF Distiinguished Professor
J Crayton Pruitt Family Dept of Biomedical Engineering
Multimodal Imaging and Human Brain Functions
Webcast

April 10, 2017 @ 4 p.m.
Emerson Hall Classroom
Presenter:  Sivaramakrishnan Balachandar
UF Distinguished Professor
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Simulatiing Nature:  Petascale computations of environmental flows on world's largest supercomputers
*** Reserved parking available North Lawn of Stadium***
Webcast

March 27, 2017 @ 4 p.m.
Emerson Hall Classroom
Presenter:  Michael Perfit
UF Distinguished Professor
Geology
Submarine Rifts and Volcanoes:  Vents and Eruptions in the Deep Sea
*** Reserved parking available North Lawn of Stadium***
Webcast

February 20, 2017 @ 4 p.m.
Emerson Hall Classroom
Presenter:  Robert Ferl
UF Distinguished Professor
IFAS
Taking Life off this planet:  What does spaceflight teach us about biology, adaptation, and our place in the universe
*** Reserved parking available North Lawn of Stadium***
Webcast

February 13, 2017 @ 4 p.m.
Emerson Hall Classroom
Presenter:  Kevin Jones
UF Distinguished Professor
Material Science and Engineering
The Impact of Materials on Society or an engineer, sociologist, 3 historians, 2 english professors, 2 anthropologists and a classics professor walk into a bar.....
*** Reserved parking available North Lawn of Stadium***
Webcast

February 6, 2017 @ 4 p.m.
Emerson Hall Classroom
Presenter:  Mark Law
UF Distinguished Professor
Engineering
Semiconductors, Engineering, Liberal Arts, and Honors Education:  Educating Chefs, not Cooks
*** Reserved parking available North Lawn of Stadium***
Webcast

January 23, 2017 @ 4 p.m.
Reitz Union Auditorium
Presenter:  Jeffrey Jones
UF Distinguished Professor
Plant Pathology
Insights into host-specific pathogenic Xanthomonas species on major crops in Florida
Webcast

October 17, 2016 @ 4 p.m.
Emerson Alumni Hall
Presenter:  Francis Putz
UF Distinguished Professor
Biology
Still Trying to Save Tropical Forests
Webcast

April 25, 2016 @ 4 p.m.
Emerson Alumni Hall
Presenter:  Nan-Yao Su
UF Distinguished Professor
Entomology
Termite Bait:  A Simple Solution to a Complicated and Expensive Problem
Webcast

April 14, 2016 @ 4 p.m.
Emerson Alumni Hall
Presenter:  Peter Hirschfeld
UF Distinguished Professor
Physics
Superconductivity:  How Two Electrons can Attract Each Other and What it Might Mean to You Someday
Webcast

March 21, 2016 @ 4 p.m.
Emerson Alumni Hall
Presenter:  Mark Orazem
UF Distinguished Professor
Chemical Engineering
Electrochemistry in Society
Webcast

April 6, 2015 @ 4 p.m.
Emerson Alumni Hall
Presenter:  Kirk S. Schanze
Prominski Professor of Chemistry
UF Distinguished Professor
Pushing Photons for Fun (and Profit?):  Photochemistry from small molecules to materials and fundamentals to applications.
Webcast

February 9, 2015 @ 4 p.m.
Emerson Alumni Hall
Presenter:  Rogert B. Fillingim, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor, Dentistry
This Will  Hurt Me More than it Hurts You:  Understanding Individual Differences in Pain
Webcast

October 29, 2014 @ 4 p.m.
Emerson Alumni Hall Classroom/Auditorium
Presenter:  Bruce J. MacFadden, PhD
Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology at Florida Museum of Natural History
Discovering the ancient biodiversity of the New World tropics - A once-in-a-century opportunity in Panama.
Webcast

March 24, 2014 @ 4 p.m.
President's Ballroom, Emerson Alumni Hall
Presenter:  Leonid Moroz, Professor
Dept of Neuroscience
College of Medicine
The Final Frontiers:  Genomics - from Brain & Memory to  Antarctic & Space
Webcast

February 17, 2014 @ 4 p.m.
President's Ballroom, Emerson Alumni Hall
Presenter:  Ranganathan Narayanan, Bonnie and Fred Distinguished Professor
Director, Center for Surface Science and Engineering
College of Engineering
Bhopal - a Tale of Technology, Tragedy, and  Travesty
Webcast

January 27, 2014 @ 4 p.m
President's Ballroom, Emerson Alumni Hall
Presenter:  Leslie Thiele, Director of Sustainability Studies
Department of Political Science, Innovation and Ethics
College of Arts & Science
Fostering A Culture of Responsible Creativity
Webcast