USF honors 11 faculty members with research and innovation awards

by Anna Litinskaya, USF Research

The University of South Florida celebrated the accomplishments of eleven faculty members on Tuesday, April 14th with eight Outstanding Research Achievement Awards and three Excellence in Innovation Awards. Recipients represented a broad range of disciplines and expertise across seven colleges and ten departments, with research spanning air transportation, behavioral therapies, diagnostic technologies and multidisciplinary artistic work, reflecting the breadth of scholarship across both scientific and creative fields.

Since their inception, these awards have recognized faculty for their dedication, passion and groundbreaking contributions not only in advancing knowledge but also increasing the impact of research and innovation at the university. The Outstanding Research Achievement Award celebrates faculty members who demonstrate exceptional achievement in research and creative activities, and the Excellence in Innovation Award honors remarkable advancement in translational research and its commercialization. Faculty receivd their awards at the USF Faculty Honors & Awards Ceremony.

Excellence in Innovation Award Recipients

Shannon Bailey, PhD
Senior Human Factors Scientist for the Center for Advanced Medical Learning & Simulation, USF Health
Dr. Bailey's groundbreaking research in immersive medical simulation has advanced medical training through industry partnerships, developed simulation training evaluation criteria, and translated research into scalable training applications for healthcare and defense organizations.

Arash Takshi, PhD
Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
College of Engineering
Dr. Takshi has advanced transformative innovations in materials-based electronics, spanning energy storage, wearable systems, and next-generation diagnostic technologies.

Zafer Unal, PhD
Professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning, College of Education
Dr. Unal is recognized for transformative educational AI innovations, including a globally adopted AI platform for educators, a patented Canvas-integrated student success system, and advanced AI tools that expand research capacity and elevate instructional practice.

Outstanding Research Achievement Award Recipients

Brian Barnes, PhD
Assistant Research Professor of Physical Oceanography
College of Marine Science
Dr. Barnes impactful research in the fields of satellite remote sensing of shallow waters and harmful algal blooms has greatly advanced innovative research applications in the detection and forecasting of Sargassum blooms.

Jean-François Biasse, PhD
Professor in the Department of Mathematics & Statistics
College of Arts and Sciences
Dr. Biasse is celebrated for his substantial contributions to the development of cryptographic schemes capable of resisting attacks from quantum computers.

Kwang-Cheng Chen, PhD
Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering
College of Engineering
Dr. Chen is recognized for exceptional contributions to quantum information engineering and wireless networked multi-robot systems to advance quantum and AI technologies.

Noelle Mason, MFA
Associate Professor in the School of Art & Art History, College of Design, Art & Performance
Ms. Mason's innovative artistic research has reshaped understandings of machine vision and power, achieving significant international exhibitions, museum acquisitions, and lasting contributions to contemporary photography and visual culture.

Arman Sargolzaei, PhD
Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, College of Engineering
Dr. Sargolzaei's pioneering advancements in secure autonomous system testing, verification, and development, have produced high-impact research, transformative innovations, and nationally recognized leadership that shape the future of secure networked and autonomous systems.

Shelly Wagers, PhD
Associate Professor in the Department of Criminology, College of Behavioral and Community Sciences
Dr. Wagers's advancement of BRIGHT, an interdisciplinary research and technology system integrating human-centered design and real-time analytics, has transformed anti-trafficking services, generated novel longitudinal data, and elevated USF's role in applied research innovation.

Yong Xu, MD, PhD
Professor in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neurosciences, USF Health Morsani College of Medicine
Dr. Xu's renowned work in psychiatry has progressed the understanding of the fundamental mechanisms regulating mammalian metabolism and behavior, as well as the diagnostic and therapeutic development for obesity, postpartum depression, anxiety, and dementia.

Yu Zhang, PhD
Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering
Dr. Zhang has distinguished achievements in integrating Advanced Air Mobility into multimodal transportation and shared airspace, advancing innovative solutions for accelerating the scalable, efficient deployment of this emerging transportation mode.