USU Recognizes 2026 Faculty Award Winners

The Office of Research and the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost hosted the 2026 Faculty Awards Ceremony on Wednesday. This event recognized the research, service and teaching efforts of Utah State University faculty.

For those interested, photos of the ceremony will be posted to the public gallery.

The nine recognized awards and recipients are as follows:

The Cazier Professor Lifetime Achievement Award is awarded to a faculty member who has demonstrated excellence in their academic career at USU for 20 or more years. This year’s recipient is Ronald B. Gillam, a professor in the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, and the Raymond and Eloise Lillywhite Endowed Chair of Speech-Language Pathology.

Gillam’s research primarily focuses on information processing, the neurobiology of language, language assessment and the effectiveness of language interventions for school-age children with developmental language disorders. Over the course of nearly four decades, Gillam has sustained a coherent and influential research program focused on developmental language disorders that spans basic science, assessment, intervention and implementation, leaving a lasting legacy on theory and practice worldwide.

The E.G. Peterson Extension Award is the highest recognition available to USU Extension faculty members. It is awarded to those who provide outstanding service to the state of Utah. The 2026 recipient is Brent Black, an Extension professor in the Department of Plants, Soils and Climate.

Since 2005, Black has conducted an integrated research and extension program working on tart cherry crop management, peach and apple rootstocks, and protected cultivation systems for raspberry and blackberry. His current interests include using drone, satellite and ground-based sensors for precision integration and fertilizer management, and alternative crops for diversification opportunities.

The 2026 recipient of the Eldon J. Gardner Teacher of the Year Award, which recognizes extraordinary devotion to and performance in teaching,is Andreas Malmendier, an associate professor in the Department of Mathematics & Statistics.

Malmendier’s research lies at the intersection of algebraic geometry and mathematical physics. He is a dedicated and award-winning teacher whose instructional and mentoring contributions span the full undergraduate and graduate curriculum. He makes advanced mathematics accessible through real-world context and leads major course redesigns that strengthen foundational instruction.

The Faculty Researcher of the Year Award recognizes some of USU's most excellent researchers. The 2026 recipient is Belize Lane, an associate professor and Water Program Head in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and a researcher at the Utah Water Research Laboratory.

Lane’s research spans physical hydrology, fluvial geomorphology and water management. Her research group, the Water, Environment, Terrain (WET) Lab, performs applied interdisciplinary research using a combination of field studies, machine learning, numerical modeling and geospatial and time series analysis. Lane involves students, from undergraduates to post-graduates, in every aspect of her research. She received the Early Career Award for Applied Research from the Universities Council on Water Resources in 2022.

The Faculty University Service Award recognizes excellence in service for the governing operations of the university. This year's recipient is Melanie M. Domenech Rodríguez, a professor in the Department of Psychology.

Domenech Rodríguez’s work addresses health disparities through scholarship, teaching and training, and mentorship. Her graduate and undergraduate courses prepare psychologists entering the workforce to manage and address diversity and equity in their professional roles. Domenech Rodríguez has a steady history of service to the profession and the university, having served as faculty adviser of Psi Chi, the psychology honor society local chapter, chair of the Institutional Review Board, and faculty senator.

The Outstanding Graduate Mentor of the Year Award recognizes USU mentors who have done a notable job helping their graduate students prepare for a professional career. The 2026 recipient of this award is Elizabeth Vargis, an associate professor in the Department of Biological Engineering.

Vargis studies mechanisms of disease by developing realistic in vitro models of human tissue. During the past 12 years, three Ph.D. students and eight master’s students have graduated from the Vargis Lab. There are currently two Ph.D. students and one master’s student in her research group. Vargis serves as USU’s Goldwater Scholar research mentor and the faculty adviser for WE Engineer (formerly the Society of Women Engineers). She was named Utah State University’s Undergraduate Research Mentor of the Year in 2022.

The Undergraduate Faculty Mentor of the Year Award recognizes USU mentors who have done an outstanding job helping their undergraduate students prepare for a career. The 2026 recipient is Todd Griffith, an associate professor in the Department of Economics & Finance.

Griffith’s primary focus is mentoring undergraduates through personalized advising, experiential learning and career exploration. Drawing on professional experience in banking, insurance and investment banking, Griffith works closely with students to help them translate classroom learning into informed life and career decisions. He leads career exploration experiences and student travel, coaches students in national and international competitions, and directs programs that connect undergraduates with industry professionals and alumni networks. He also actively mentors students through undergraduate research, guiding them in data analysis, empirical methods, and academic writing.

The Undergraduate Research Faculty Mentor of the Year Award recognizes faculty members who have focused on research mentorship and acted as role models in the field of research. The 2025 recipient is Carrie Durward, an associate professor in the Department of Nutrition, Dietetics & Food Sciences.

Durward aims to empower undergraduate students to see themselves as capable researchers and professionals. In her 11 years at USU, she has mentored 36 undergraduates, intentionally creating supportive research experiences that promote student ownership, critical thinking and growth. Durward prioritizes paid undergraduate roles to make mentorship and meaningful scholarship accessible to students balancing work, family, and school. She helps match opportunities to students’ interests and goals, and advocates for their entry into professional circles through presentations, publications and community education.

The USU Presidential Award for Civic and Community Engagement recognizes a faculty member who incorporates a community-based style into their teaching or has conducted community-engaged research. This year's awardee is Jayne Gold, an assistant professor in the Department of Theatre Education.

Gold’s research, practice and teaching span academia and community engagement. With recent publications in the International Journal of Heritage Studies and in the book “Witnessing Change: Applied Theatre and Youth Agency,” her work builds on a decade of teaching Drama in London schools. Her academic roles include prestigious institutions like the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. A passionate advocate for theatre as a tool for change, Jayne’s applied theater practice and research reaches from theater for babies to older adults in memory care.

Those interested in a complete list of the nominees for each award can visit the Faculty Awards Ceremony website.