Columbia Engineering Welcomes Back Faculty
Each year, the Faculty Excellence event signifies our official “welcome” to Columbia Engineering and marks the start of a new academic year.
Helen Lu, who is also Percy K. and Vida L.W. Hudson Professor of Biomedical Engineering and professor of dental and craniofacial engineering (in Dental Medicine), stopped for a picture with two new biomedical design lecturers in her department: Megan Heenan (center), who joined this fall, and Lauren Heckelman, who joined in 2022.
On Wednesday, Sept. 20, Columbia Engineering celebrated its faculty with the annual Faculty Excellence and Welcome Back Event, a night to meet new faculty members and recognize the faculty awards, achievements, promotions, and milestones of the past year.
See the award winners from the annual Faculty Excellence event, hosted by the Office of the Dean.
Julia Hirshberg (left), Percy K. and Vida L. W. Hudson Professor of Computer Science, chats with Ioannis (John) Kymissis, Kenneth Brayer Professor of Electrical Engineering, who was recognized for being named President-Elect for the Society for Information Display (May 2024).
Dean Shih-Fu Chang introduced CEAA President Alex Potulicki ‘96 (center), who recognized the CEAA’s Distinguished Faculty Teaching Awards, given out to two professors at Class Day in the spring. Lydia Chilton (right), assistant professor of computer science, was one of the CEAA Distinguished Faculty Teaching Award winners honored again at the event.
CEAA Distinguished Faculty Teaching Award winner Xunyu Zhou, Liu Family Professor of Financial Engineering in the Department of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research was recognized for his win.
Dean Chang (left) and Garud Iyengar (far right), senior vice dean of research and academic programs, congratulated Hardeep Johar (center), senior lecturer in the discipline of industrial engineering and operations research, for winning the Edward and Carol Kim Award for Faculty Involvement.
Assistant Professor of Computer Science Brian Smith (far left) was recognized for winning the Janette and Armen Avanessians Diversity Award, given at Class Day 2023. He is pictured with Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering Christine Hendon (center), who was also acknowledged for being named Vice Dean of Diversity and Strategic Partnerships at Columbia.
New junior faculty members Santiago Correa (center left) in biomedical engineering and Kostis Kaffes (center right) in computer science mingle with chemical engineering professors and award winners Mijo Simunovic (far left) and Allie Obermeyer.
Assistant Professor Shaina Kelly of earth and environmental engineering.
(From left to right) Kyoko Thompson, associate director of Strategic Research Initiatives, speaks with Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics Associate Professors Ioannis Kougioumtzoglou and Shiho Kawashima, and Christine Hendon of electrical engineering.
A gathering of scholars from industrial engineering and operations research. Associate Professor Yuri Faenza (far right) was the recipient of a Meta Research Award. He is pictured with (from left to right) Professor of Practice Ali Hirsa, Associate in Discipline Yi Zhang, and new faculty member Assistant Professor Anish Agarwal. Yi Zhang won the Presidential Award for Outstanding Teaching, the highest teaching recognition at Columbia University.