The Office of the Vice President for Research begins each year with the very pleasant task of announcing our new group of Breakthrough award recipients. The Breakthrough awards are the office’s signature recognition program, consisting of three distinct honors designed to celebrate excellent researchers at every career level: the Breakthrough Leadership in Research award for senior faculty, the Breakthrough Star award for early-career faculty and the Breakthrough Graduate Scholar award for graduate student researchers.
I know from my own experiences working in UofSC’s labs and other research settings how high a bar our research community sets for itself. To rise to the top of such a distinguished group of professionals is a very remarkable feat.
— Julius Fridriksson
Each year, competition is close as a committee of faculty reviewers considers many very strong faculty and graduate student nominees representing the entire UofSC system. The 2022 Breakthrough nominees held with this pattern of excellence. We are very pleased to present five Breakthrough Leadership in Research awards, 13 Breakthrough Star awards and 15 Breakthrough Graduate Scholar awards to our 2022 class of Breakthrough awardees.
Interim Vice President for Research Julius Fridriksson lauded this distinguished group, saying, “As a faculty member, I have had the happy opportunity to congratulate my colleagues on their Breakthrough awards over the years, and even to receive one myself. So it is a major privilege to offer my sincerest congratulations to every 2022 Breakthrough award recipient. I know from my own experiences working in UofSC’s labs and other research settings how high a bar our research community sets for itself. To rise to the top of such a distinguished group of professionals is a very remarkable feat.”
2022 Breakthrough Leadership in Research Award Recipients
Michael Beets, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Exercise Science, Arnold School of Public Health
Ed Madden, Ph.D., Professor, Department of English Language and Literature, College of Arts and Sciences
Chris Rorden, Ph.D., Professor and SmartState Endowed Chair for Brain Imaging, Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences
Sara Wilcox, Ph.D., Professor and Director of the Prevention Research Center, Department of Exercise Science, Arnold School of Public Health
Jiajia Zhang, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Arnold School of Public Health
2022 Breakthrough Stars
Jorge Crichigno, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Integrated Information Technology, College of Engineering and Computing
Pooyan Jamshidi, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, College of Engineering and Computing
Rebecca Janzen, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Spanish and Comparative Literature, Department of Language, Literature and Cultures, College of Arts and Sciences
Jason Kubinak, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine Columbia
Justin Mogilski, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, USC Salkehatchie
Christine Pellegrini, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Exercise Science, Arnold School of Public Health
Ana Pocivavsek, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine Columbia
Yu Qian, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering and Computing
Kristen Seay, Ph.D., Associate Professor, College of Social Work
Katelyn Stauffer, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, College of Arts and Sciences
Emily Suski, J.D., Associate Professor, School of Law
Wenbin Tan, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, School of Medicine Columbia
Taylor Wen, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, School of Journalism and Mass Communications, College of Information and Communications
2022 Breakthrough Graduate Scholars
Dipro Bose, Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Arnold School of Public Health
Kyndall Braumuller, Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Arnold School of Public Health
Deanna Cann, Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, College of Arts and Sciences
Nare Karapetyan, Ph.D. candidate in Computer Science and Engineering, College of Engineering and Computing
Hyunsu Kim, Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management, College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management
Gabrielle Leith, Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, College of Arts and Sciences
Allison Lewis, Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Exercise Science, Arnold School of Public Health
Tianyue Mi, Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Health Promotion, Education and Behavior, Arnold School of Public Health
Christina Myers, Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Journalism and Mass Communications, College of Information and Communications
Stephen Smith, Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Mathematics, College of Arts and Sciences
William Stoker, Ph.D. candidate in the Department of English Language and Literature, College of Arts and Sciences
Muthanna Sultan, D.V.M., Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine Columbia
Betty Wilson, Ph.D. candidate in the College of Social Work
Pamela Wright, Ph.D. candidate in the College of Nursing
Youwen Zhang, Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy
10 January 2022