The Office of Academic Affairs at Colorado School of Mines is proud to announce the winners of the 2024-2025 Faculty Awards for excellence in teaching, research and mentorship.
The annual awards celebration was held April 23 in the Ben Parker Student Center.
Faculty Excellence Award
The Faculty Excellence Award, which recognizes a tenured or tenure-track faculty member for significant and meritorious achievement in teaching and scholarship, went to Cecilia Diniz Behn, associate professor of applied mathematics and statistics.
“Now in her twelfth year at Mines, Cecilia has had an enormous impact on our research culture,” said Provost Rick Holz. “She is an established star in mathematical biology, brings great recognition to Mines, shares her most recent research advances in the classes she teaches, and provides essential ingredients in shaping the community of faculty, students and staff within the Applied Mathematics and Statistics Department through her mentoring activities within the Mathematical Biology group and Society of Women in Mathematics.”
Mines Teaching Awards
The Mines Teaching Awards recognize superior teaching at the undergraduate level over the period of several years.
Teaching Faculty Awards
The first Teaching Faculty Award went to Mike Mikucki, teaching professor of applied mathematics and statistics.
“Mike has proven himself to be an invaluable member of the teaching faculty,” Holz said. “One of Mike’s best teaching strengths is his commitment to each student’s overall learning experience in every math course taught by the AMS Department. His dedication to the student experience means long hours, yet he never wavers or loses enthusiasm.”
The second Teaching Faculty Award went to Rob Thompson, teaching assistant professor of computer science.
“In his first two years at Mines, Rob took over as the lead instructor and course coordinator for CSCI 101: Introduction to Computer Science and now holds the same role for CSCI 128: Computer Science for STEM,” Holz said. “Rob incorporates best practices into his teaching, and it shows in his evaluation scores as well as accolades from his peers and students.”
Tenure/Tenure-Track Teaching Award
The Tenure/Tenure-Track Teaching Award went to Dylan Domaille, associate professor of chemistry.
“Dylan has been instrumental in delivering organic chemistry content to chemistry, chemical engineering, and quantitative biology and engineering majors,” Holz said. “His dedication to student success and creative and innovative teaching strategies at the intersection of fundamental knowledge and research has prepared them for their future efforts in graduate studies, industry, or governmental labs.”
Alfred E. Jenni Faculty Fellowship
Michael Barankin, teaching associate professor of chemical and biological engineering, is the winner of the Alfred E. Jenni Faculty Fellowship, which is awarded to a faculty member for institution-wide contributions in teaching effectiveness and educational scholarship during the one-year award period.
Barankin plans to use his fellowship to drive institution-wide enhancements in teaching effectiveness by increasing both faculty and student access to resources for the creation of educational videos for various courses.
Faculty Service Award
A new award this year, the Faculty Service Award went to Chelsea Salinas, teaching professor of engineering, design and society, in recognition of exceptional leadership and engagement in advancing the mission of Mines beyond teaching and research.
Salinas was honored for her efforts in preparing the ABET Self-Study Report, laying a strong foundation for a successful initial accreditation visit and establishing a framework for future accreditation.
Excellence in Research Awards
The Excellence in Research Awards recognize Mines faculty members who are active in research for their outstanding accomplishments while at Mines.
The Senior Faculty Award, which honors faculty members with 10 or more years of self-directed research, was given to John Spear, professor of civil and environmental engineering.
Since joining the Mines faculty in 2005, Spear has successfully supervised or co-supervised more than 27 PhD students, raised several million dollars in research funding and co-authored more than169 papers and 45 book chapters/proceedings. An international environmental microbiology and engineering expert, he has co-taught the International Geobiology Course 13 times, where about 25 percent of the 270 students run their own environmental microbiology labs.
The Junior Faculty Award, for faculty members with less than 10 years of self-directed research, went to Kyle Leach, associate professor of physics.
A member of the Mines faculty since 2015, Leach has raised over $4.5 million in research funding as a lead principal investigator at Mines, including the U.S. Department of Energy Early Career Award, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation Experimental Physics Investigator Award, and Francis M. Pipkin Award from the American Physical Society. He is the head of the Electroweak Interactions Group at Mines and spokesperson for the Beryllium Electron capture in Superconducting Tunnel junctions (BeEST) Experiment.
W.M. Keck Mentorship Awards
The W.M. Keck Chair for Professional Development Education, Faculty Senate and Office of Academic Affairs seek to support and encourage the development and adoption of novel and effective mentorship strategies across campus. Three Mentorship Awards have been established to recognize extraordinary mentorship.
Undergraduate Students
Terry Lowe, research professor of metallurgical and materials engineering, was recognized for engaging diverse teams of students from multiple departments in research, utilizing evidence-based mentoring strategies and preparing students from a range of backgrounds to succeed in interdisciplinary environments, both in industry and academia.
Graduate Students
Annalise Maughan, assistant professor of chemistry, was honored for her mentorship and advocacy for graduate students in her research group and across Mines, using an individualized and holistic approach that builds upon the unique strengths of her mentees, encompassing technical rigor, excellence in scientific communication and broader impact to the community.
Faculty and Staff
Kristoph Kinzli, teaching professor of civil and environmental engineering, was recognized for his one-on-one faculty mentorship to hone teaching skills, developing and leading teaching workshops in his department, providing classroom observations and feedback, and invaluable support of the promotion process.
Senior Class Outstanding Faculty Awards
Applied Math & Statistics: Scott Strong
Chemical and Biological Engineering: Justin Shaeffer
Chemistry: Matthew Posewitz
Civil & Environmental Engineering: Chelsea Panos
Computer Science: Tolga Can
Economics & Business: Andrew Pederson
Electrical Engineering: Chris Coulston
Engineering Design & Society: Mark Orrs
Geophysics: Brandon Dugan
Geophysics: Roel Snieder
Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences: Seth Tucker
Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences: Eliza Buhrer
Mechanical Engineering: Polina Brodsky
Metallurgical and Materials Engineering: Gerald Bourne
Mining Engineering: Kadri Dagdelen
Petroleum Engineering: Luis Zerpa
Physics: Kristine Callan
Quantitative Biosciences & Engineering: Suzannah Beeler
University Honors & Scholars Programs: Melanie Brandt
About Mines
Colorado School of Mines is a public R1 research university focused on applied science and engineering, producing the talent, knowledge and innovations to serve industry and benefit society – all to create a more prosperous future.
