The Distinguished Professor Award was established in 1986 to recognize and reward faculty members who have achieved national and international distinction. Awardees receive a plaque and an increase in their base salary. This award is administered through the Office of Faculty Affairs.
2024 Recipient
Brian Hedlund
Professor, School of Life Sciences
College of Sciences
Dr. Hedlund has been at UNLV for 20 years and is an extremely productive researcher, dedicated teacher, with a strong commitment to professional service. According to one of his nominators, Dr. Hedlund “...is an excellent scientist who has already made lasting and significant contributions to our understanding of microbial biodiversity, deep evolution, and life in terrestrial hot springs, for which he is recognized by his peers as a world-class expert.” Dr. Hedlund teaches courses in microbiology and earns high satisfaction ratings from students within and outside the department.
Past Recipients
| Year | Recipient | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Francis Cucinotta | Department of Health Physics and Diagnostic Sciences |
| 2022 | Nancy Rapoport | Boyd School of Law |
| 2021 | Bradley Donohue | Department of Psychology |
| 2020 | Bing Zhang | Department of Physics & Astronomy |
| 2019 | Daniel Allen | Department of Psychology |
| 2018 | Kwang Kim | Department of Mechanical Engineering |
| 2018 | Debra Martin | Department of Anthropology |
| 2018 | Gabriele Wulf | Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition Sciences |
| 2013 | Dennis Lindle | Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry |
| 2011 | Christopher Kearney | Department of Psychology |
| 2010 | Alan Simmons | Department of Anthropology |
| 2008 | Thomas Wright | Department of History |
| 2006 | Hal Rothman | Department of History |
| 2004 | Robert Boehm | Department of Mechanical Engineering |
| 2003 | Joseph(“Andy”) Fry | Department of History |
| 2002 | Martha Knack | Department of Anthropology |
| 2002 | Mark Weinstein | Department of English |
| 2000 | Virko Baley | Department of Music |
| 1998 | Catherine Bellver | Department of World Languages and Cultures |
| 1998 | Joseph McCullough | Department of English |
| 1996 | Darlene Unrue | Department of English |
| 1995 | Lawrence Golding | Department of Kinesiology |
| 1991 | Maurice Finocchiaro | Department of Philosophy |
| 1990 | Mohamed Yousef | Department of Biological Sciences |
| 1989 | Marie France Hilgar | Department of Foreign Languages |
| 1988 | James Deacon | Department of Environmental and Public Affairs |
| 1987 | Sheilagh Brooks | Department of Anthropology |
2023 Selection Committee Members
- Chris Kearney (chair)
- Kwang Kim
- Debra Martin
- Bing Zhang