Kathy Halvorsen and Quiying Sha have been honored for their substantial contributions to teaching, research, and service and are among seven professors recognized through Michigan Tech’s Distinguished and University Professorships. They represent a small percentage of faculty recognized with these awards by the Office of the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs.
University Professors represent no more than two percent of the total number of tenured and tenure-track faculty at Michigan Tech. Since its inception in 2020, four of the seven University Professors have hailed from the College of Sciences and Arts, including three from the Department of Physics. Halvorsen is the first recipient from the Department of Social Sciences.
Distinguished Professors represent no more than 10 percent of the number of tenured and tenure-track faculty in a specific college or school. Since its inception in 2018, four of the 11 Distinguished Professors have been chosen from the College of Sciences and Arts. Sha is the first recipient from the Department of Mathematical Sciences.
This is the second time Halvorsen has been honored as a University Professor. She first received the award in 2019. Halvorsen serves as the University’s associate vice president for research development and a professor in the Department of Social Sciences and College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science. The nomination materials commended Halvorsen’s ability to maintain an active research program while holding an administrative position. Halvorsen has published more than 55 papers.
Sha, named a 2024 Distinguished Professor, is a professor in the Department of Mathematical Sciences. The nomination materials commended Sha’s excellence in teaching, research, and service. Sha is an internationally recognized leader in statistical genetics, developing statistical methods for understanding the genetic basis of human diseases and traits. Her work has been supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and she has published over 70 papers. Sha has also been previously selected as a member of NIH’s review panel and an editorial board member for Scientific Reports. She has served on early career management committees and many other committees at Michigan Tech.
Learn more about Sha’s recognition on the Michigan Tech Mathematical Sciences Blog.
Learn more about Halvorsen’s recognition on the Michigan Tech Social Sciences Blog.
About the College of Sciences and Arts
The College of Sciences and Arts strives to be a global center of academic excellence in the sciences, humanities, and arts for an increasingly technological world. Our teacher-scholar model provides the foundation for experiential learning, innovative research and scholarship, and civic leadership. The College offers 33 bachelor’s degrees and 25 graduate degrees and certificates. The College conducts approximately $12,000,000 in externally funded research in health and wellness, sustainability and resiliency, and the human-technology frontier.
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Steve Mintz is the marketing and communications manager for the College of Sciences and Arts at Michigan Tech.