The 2013 Academic Staff Excellence Awards honor staff members representing a broad spectrum of fields and duties at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Ten individuals have been selected to receive recognition for their achievements in leadership, public service, research, teaching, and overall excellence.
The Academic Staff Assembly honored the recipients on April 8; a reception with Interim Chancellor David Ward is scheduled for April 23.
“Whether contributing to research, teaching, outreach or administration, each member of our academic staff plays a critical role in the university’s success,” says Ward. “I offer my sincere thanks and congratulations to the recipients of these awards. Their dedication and insight facilitates the collaborative innovation for which UW-Madison is known.”
Recipients include:
Ilia Guzei, director, Molecular Structure Laboratory, Department of Chemistry
Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Research: Critical Research Support
“Ilia trains and advises X-ray crystallography facility users on projects, manuscript preparation, structural analysis, and material crystallization,” says James Weisshaar, professor and chair of chemistry. “His enthusiasm has been a tremendous asset to the department, the university, and the crystallographic community at large.”
Each year, Guzei’s lab analyzes more than 300 samples from research groups within the department and from outside collaborators. He has also spearheaded proposals that have significantly expanded the facility’s experimental capabilities and contributed valuable data interpretation for publications and grant proposals.
Guzei is also one of the world’s top crystallography experts; he moderates an international crystallography forum and teaches courses in South Africa and Mexico.
“The chemistry department is an exceptionally collegial place,” says Guzei. “Collaborative projects are particularly rewarding, thanks to the diversity and breadth of ongoing research. Association with motivated scientists makes everyone perform at the highest level.”