The Office of the Vice President for Research is proud to offer a variety of internal funding programs for faculty and student researchers across the USC system, at every level. Our faculty partners serve on review committees and mentor student researchers, helping to ensure the ongoing success and efficacy of these programs. We are fortunate to have many faculty members who generously share their expertise year after year.
To celebrate these outstanding faculty members, we are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2025 Distinguished Research Service Awards and Distinguished Undergraduate Research Mentor Awards.
Distinguished Research Service Award recipients have demonstrated exceptional commitment to USC’s research community through consistent service as reviewers and committee members for our internal funding and awards programs.
Distinguished Undergraduate Research Mentor Awardees have dedicated extensive time and energy to guiding undergraduate students through the research process, from developing projects to teaching research methods and skills to providing the support needed for a student to see their project through.
Please join the Office of Research in congratulating our 2025 Distinguished Research Service Award and Distinguished Undergraduate Research Mentor Award recipients.
2025 Distinguished Research Service Awards
Deepak Bhere, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, School of Medicine-Columbia
Katherine Chappell, Ph.D., Department Chair, Professional Nursing Practice, College of Nursing
Annette Golonka, Ph.D., Professor, Biology, USC Lancaster
Titan Paul, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Computer Science, Engineering, and Mathematics, USC Aiken
Xuewen Wang, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Exercise science, Arnold School of Public Health
2025 Distinguished Undergraduate Research Mentor Awards
Olja Simoska, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry, College of Arts and Sciences
Jie Li, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry, College of Arts and Science
Sanela Porča, Ph.D., Professor, Economics, School of Business Administration, USC Aiken
Kristy Welshhans, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences
20 March 2025