The addition of these hardworking academics enhances the intellectual landscape at the University of Illinois, underscoring the institution's commitment to fostering a vibrant and innovative research environment.
CHAMPAIGN - The Center for Advanced Study (CAS) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign announced the appointment of seven distinguished scholars to its permanent faculty. Lisa Ainsworth in plant biology, Scott Denmark in chemistry, Jodi Flaws in comparative biosciences, Peter Fritzsche in history, Bill Gropp in computing and data science, Helen Neville in educational psychology, and Brent Roberts in psychology, each of these scholars brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise were chosen to join 17 other CAS professors, all of whom have received permanent appointments. As part of their roles, CAS professors are tasked with delivering the annual lecture, participating in the selection committee for CAS associates and fellows, and providing valuable insights on various matters pertaining to the center. The addition of these scholars not only enhances the intellectual landscape and reputation for academic excellence at the University of Illinois but also underscores the institution's commitment to fostering a vibrant and innovative research environment. Lisa Ainsworth holds the Charles Adlai Ewing Chair of Crop Physiology and oversees the Soybean Free Air Concentration Enrichment facility. This facility is the longest-running open-air experiment designed to study how crops respond to changes in the global atmosphere. Her research focuses on climate change and explores potential agricultural solutions for mitigating its effects. Scott Denmark, who holds the position of Reynold C. Fuson Professor of Chemistry, researches the development of new synthetic reactions and the exploration of the mechanisms and origins of stereocontrol in innovative asymmetric reactions. He is known for pioneering the concept of chiral Lewis base activation of Lewis acids for catalysis in main group synthetic organic chemistry. Jodi Flaws is a professor of comparative biosciences and has published more than 300 peer-reviewed papers. Her research program focuses on determining the mechanisms by which environmental chemicals such as phthalates, neonicotinoid pesticides and water disinfection produces affect the development and function of the female reproductive system. She and served as an associate editor for a number of scientific journals and publications. Peter Fritzsche holds the position of the W.D. and Sara E. Trowbridge Professor of History and is affiliated with several programs, including the Program in Jewish Culture and Society, Germanic Languages and Literature, the European Union Center, the Center for Global Studies, and the Russian, East European, and Eurasian Center. His research primarily focuses on Germany in the 20th century, and he has authored several notable books in this field, such as “Life and Death in the Third Reich” and “Hitler’s First Hundred Days.” Additionally, Fritzche has explored themes in cultural and intellectual history, with works like "Stranded in the Present: Modern Times and the Melancholy of History." His contributions to the field have garnered international recognition, including a Guggenheim Fellowship and a Cundill Prize. As director of the National Center for Supercomputing Applications and a professor of computer science in the Siebel School of Computing and Data Science, Bill Gropp's research interests include parallel computing, software for scientific computing and numerical methods for partial differential equations. He also holds a Grainger Distinguished Chair in Engineering. Helen Neville, who previously earned the Association of Black Psychologists’ Distinguished Psychologist of the Year award, is a professor of educational psychology and African American studies at the University of Illinois. Taking her research in a new direction, she is gravitating towards healing, particularly healing from racial and other intersecting forms of trauma. She is also president-elect of the Society for the Psychological Study of Culture, Ethnicity and Race, a division of the American Psychological Association. She has co-edited eight books and co-authored close to 90 journal articles and book chapters about race, racism and racial identity, and diversity issues related to well-being. Formerly the director of the Center for Social and Behavioral Science and associate editor for the Journal of Research in Personality and Psychological Science, Brent Roberts a professor in health innovation at the Carle Illinois College of Medicine and a distinguished guest professor at the Hector Research Institute of Education Sciences and Psychology at the University of Tübingen, Germany. He also holds the Gutsgell Endowed Professorship in Psychology at Illinois.
