Nine professors receive 2009 Romnes Faculty Fellowships

Nine faculty have been honored with Romnes Faculty Fellowships.

The awards are given by the Graduate School and funded by the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation. They recognize tenured faculty members who have attained tenure within the prior four years. Winners receive a $50,000 flexible research fund.

Recipients are:

Thomas Brunold, chemistry. Brunold came to UW-Madison in 1999 after receiving his Ph.D. from the University of Bern, Switzerland. His research has contributed to understanding the chemistry and biochemistry of vitamin B12, as well as the function of enzymes that are essential to human health.

Sara Guyer, English. Guyer received her Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, seven years ago, and has published 22 essays, reviews and translations; delivered 44 lectures at some of the most prestigious venues in the United States and Europe; has co-edited a special issue of Diacritics; and published “Romanticism After Auschwitz.” On campus, Guyer co-organized the Mellon Workshop “In the Name of Difficult Words” and is director of the Center for the Humanities.

Francine Hirsch, history. Hirsch is an expert on Soviet history, with research and teaching interests in issues of empire, international relations and human rights. Her first book, “Empire of Nations: Ethnographic Knowledge and the Making of the Soviet Union,” won several awards. She is currently writing about the role of the Soviets in the Nuremberg trials.

James Keck, biomolecular chemistry. Keck’s work has helped define how cells replicate, correct and protect their genetic material. By mapping the structures of key proteins that drive these processes, the Keck lab has revealed protein architectures that are now targets for novel antibiotic and cancer therapy development.

Manos Mavrikakis, chemical and biological engineering. Mavrikakis is a world leader in the use of first-principles electronic structure calculations for developing a fundamental understanding of the surface reaction mechanisms and for designing catalytic materials at the atomic scale. He received the 2009 Emmett Award in Fundamental Catalysis and serves on the editorial board of three scientific journals.

Donald Moynihan, La Follette School of Public Affairs. Moynihan studies the application of organization theory to public management issues, such as performance, homeland security, election administration and employee behavior. His book “The Dynamics of Performance Management” was published by Georgetown University Press in 2008.

Jonathan Patz, population health sciences and the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies. Patz co-chaired the health expert panel of the U.S. National Assessment on Climate Change, and for the past 15 years he has been a lead author for the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with Al Gore. Patz is president of the International Association for Ecology and Health. His research and teaching focuses on sustainable public health solutions, primarily on the health effects of climate change, energy and deforestation in the tropics.

Nita Sahai, geology and geophysics. Sahai investigates the thermodynamics and kinetics of biomolecule and cell-surface interactions at mineral surfaces in the emerging interdisciplinary field of medical mineralogy and geochemistry. She has highlighted the critical role of mineral crystal structure and surface chemistry in biomineralization, biomimetic materials synthesis, bioceramics design for tissue engineering and environmental geochemistry.

Ananth Seshadri, economics. Seshadri is a macroeconomist who has contributed to research on the interaction between technological progress and demographic change; human capital and cross-country income differences; and on the adequacy of retirement savings. He has received numerous awards, including the Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship in 2006.