Honoring Recent Award Recipients: March 2026
Northeastern University faculty continue to garner distinguished awards recognizing their impact across multiple fields. We are excited to introduce the latest group of award-winning Northeastern University scholars and the honors they have earned.
Dr. Soheil Behnezhad, Assistant Professor in the Khoury College of Computer Sciences, has been honored with a Sloan Research Fellowship in Computer Science by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. This $75,000 fellowship is awarded each year to outstanding early-career researchers recognized for their creativity, innovation, and research accomplishments. Professor Behnezhad’s research interests include theoretical computer science, graph algorithms, and the foundations of big data. Professor Behnezhad has authored a number of award-winning papers on the topic of theoretical computer science and served as a Motwani postdoc at Stanford University prior to joining Northeastern.
Dr. Tiffany Joseph, Associate Professor of Sociology and International Affairs in the College of Social Sciences and Humanities, has received the Robin M. Williams Jr. Distinguished Lecture Award from the Eastern Sociological Society (ESS). Recipients of this honor are invited to deliver a keynote lecture at the society’s annual meetings and lecture at two campuses within ESS jurisdiction. Dr. Joseph’s research examines how public policies shape individuals’ lives, focusing on immigrants’ healthcare, comparative perspectives on race and migration in the Americas, and the experiences of women and faculty of color in academia.
Dr. Sijia Dong, Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology in the College of Science, has been awarded the Young Investigator Award from the Inter-American Photochemical Society (I-APS). The award recognizes outstanding photoscientific contributions by I-APS members who have held an independent research position for no more than five years at the time of application. Professor Dong leads the Dong Theoretical and Computational Chemistry Lab which develops computational tools to study complex processes and design molecules and materials for renewable energy, biomedicine, and other applications.
Dr. Yizhi You, Assistant Professor of Physics in the College of Science, has won the Cottrell Scholar Award from the Research Corporation for Science Advancement. The three-year award recognizes outstanding teacher-scholars and provides $120,000 to support research and educational activities, including equipment, supplies, student and postdoctoral support, and travel. Professor You’s research focuses on quantum many-body theory, particularly collective phenomena that emerge from interactions among correlated electrons. Professor You is also a core faculty member of the Quantum Materials and Sensing Institute which is dedicated to accelerating the development of quantum systems.
Dr. Jenny Van Amburgh, Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs and Clinical Professor of Pharmacy and Health Systems Sciences in the Bouvé College of Health Sciences, has won the Distinguished Teaching Scholar Award from the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. This honor recognizes outstanding academic pharmacy faculty engaged in and/or supporting scholarly teaching and the scholarship of teaching and learning. Scholarly teaching involves identifying teaching challenges or opportunities, applying evidence-based educational strategies, systematically assessing outcomes, and sharing results for peer evaluation. Dr. Van Amburgh specializes in pharmaceutical care, diabetes, asthma, and cardiovascular health.
Dr. Ruth V. Aguilera, Distinguished Professor of International Business and Strategy in the D’Amore-McKim School of Business, has been inducted into the International Corporate Governance Society (ICGS) Fellows Group. The Fellows Group recognizes and honors members of the International Corporate Governance Society who have made significant contributions to the theory and practice of corporate governance and the promotion of the ICGS. Professor Aguilera’s work explores strategic organization and global strategy, with expertise in international corporate governance and corporate social responsibility. Professor Aguilera holds the distinction of being inducted as a fellow in three academic societies.
Caleb Gayle, Associate Professor of Journalism in the College of Arts, Media and Design with a joint appointment in the Department of Cultures, Societies, and Global Studies in the College of Social Sciences and Humanities, has had his nonfiction book Black Moses featured in the New York Times’ 100 Notable Books of 2025. Black Moses revisits the story of American businessman and politician Edward McCabe and his attempts to create an all-black state in the wake of the Civil War. Gayle is an acclaimed journalist and author whose work on race and identity has appeared in several major publications including The New York Times Magazine and The Atlantic.
Dr. Julia Varshavsky, Assistant Professor of Public Health and Health Sciences in the Bouvé College of Health Sciences, with a joint appointment in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, has been named a Frontiers of Science Fellow by the National Academy of Sciences. The Frontiers of Science Fellow program is designed to identify and support future leaders in science and bridge scientific fields by exposing young researchers to groundbreaking research. Professor Varshavsky’s work focuses on the human health impacts of environmental pollutants and chemical exposures, particularly endocrine-disrupting chemicals, and their effects on maternal and child health.
Dr. Mona Minkara, Assistant Professor of Bioengineering in the College of Engineering, has been honored with a Sloan Research Fellowship in Chemistry by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. This $75,000 fellowship is awarded each year to outstanding early-career researchers recognized for their creativity, innovation, and research accomplishments. Professor Minkara leads the Computational Modeling for Biointerface Engineering (COMBINE) Lab where her research focuses on the molecular components of human pulmonary surfactant, particularly the collectins, and their roles in regulating breathing and mediating immune defense.
Dr. Mark Niedre, Associate Dean of PhD Education and Distinguished Professor of Bioengineering in the College of Engineering, has been named a SPIE Fellow of the International Society for Optics and Photonics for exceptional achievements and leadership in the field and the broader scientific community. Professor Niedre’s research focuses on biomedical optics and noninvasive imaging, rare cell detection, diffuse optical imaging, and biomedical image reconstruction and signal processing. In addition to his other roles at Northeastern, Professor Niedre leads the Biomedical Optics Research Group which studies the application of optical engineering to biomedicine.
Dr. Mary Jo Ondrechen, Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology in the College of Science, has been honored with the Lifetime Mentorship Award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The award recognizes individuals who have mentored significant numbers of students from underrepresented groups to the completion of doctoral studies or have impacted the climate of a department, college, or institution to significantly increase the diversity of students pursuing and completing doctoral studies. Professor Ondrechen’s research interests include enzyme catalysis, the invention of methods to predict the biochemical function of proteins, and improving enzymatic RNA synthesis.
Dr. Nikos Passas, Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice in the College of Social Sciences and Humanities, has won the Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani International Anti-corruption Excellence Award for Academic Research and Education. Known as the ACE award, this accolade promotes the importance of combating corruption by recognizing and honoring innovative and outstanding anti-corruption initiatives. Professor Passas’s work specializes in several areas in addition to corruption including sanctions, terrorism, financial regulation, as well as organized and international crimes. Professor Passas also serves as Co-Director for the Institute for Security and Public Policy.
Additional information on upcoming awards opportunities can be found via the Honorific Awards Initiative Teams link.
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