Five CLAS faculty, staff given OVPR, ICRU awards for excellence in research and mentoring

Neiman, Stewart, Howard, Adams, Bounds receive honors from the Office of the Vice President for Research and the Iowa Center for Research by Undergraduates
Monday, April 26, 2021

The University of Iowa Office of the Vice President for Research has named the following College of Liberal Arts and Sciences faculty and staff members as recipients of university-wide awards recognizing excellence in research, scholarship, artistry, and mentoring.

Maurine Neiman, University of Iowa

Maurine Neiman, Ph.D., associate professor in the Departments of Biology and Gender, Women's, and Sexuality Studies, received the Iowa Center for Research by Undergraduates (ICRU) Distinguished Mentor Awards. The award honors the work that mentors put in to make their students’ experiences successful.


Garrett Stewart

Garrett Stewart, Ph.D., the James O. Freedman Professor of Letters in the Department of English, was given the Distinguished Achievement in Arts and Humanities Research Award. This award honors distinguished achievement in humanities scholarship and work in the creative, visual and performing arts. 


Ashley Howard, University of Iowa

Ashley Howard, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Departments of History and African American Studies, was given the Faculty Communicating Ideas Award. This award recognizes excellence in communication about research and scholarship in the sciences and humanities and the study of creative, visual and performing arts to a general audience directly or via print and electronic media. 


Lori Adams, University of Iowa

Lori Adams, Ph.D., director of the Iowa Biosciences Advantage Program and associate professor of instruction in the Department of Biology, received the inaugural Advancing Understanding in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Award. The purpose of this award is to recognize research, scholarship, or creative expression conducted within the past three-year period that advances our understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion.


Scott Bounds, University of Iowa

Scott Bounds, Ph.D., associate research scientist in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, was named a Distinguished Research Professional. The award recognizes staff members who performed exceptional service in support of research at the University of Iowa by conducting experiments, collecting and analyzing results, and performing operational duties associated with a laboratory or research program.


The University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts and Sciences offers about 70 majors across the humanities; fine, performing and literary arts; natural and mathematical sciences; social and behavioral sciences; and communication disciplines. About 15,000 undergraduate and nearly 2,000 graduate students study each year in the college’s 37 departments, led by faculty at the forefront of teaching and research in their disciplines. The college teaches all Iowa undergraduates through the college's general education program, CLAS CORE. About 80 percent of all Iowa undergraduates begin their academic journey in CLAS. The college confers about 60 percent of the university's bachelor's degrees each academic year.