Regents' Professors
The title “Regents’ Professor” is the highest faculty honor awarded at Arizona State University. It is conferred on ASU faculty who have made pioneering contributions in their areas of expertise, who have achieved a sustained level of distinction, and who enjoy national and international recognition for these accomplishments.
Regents' Professors, 2008
Elly van Gelderen
Department of English
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Elly van Gelderen, professor of English, is regarded as one of a few leading scholars in the world who approach historical linguistics from the perspective of current linguistic theory. Standing at the forefront of scholarship into the history and analysis of the sentence structures of English, Professor van Gelderen focuses on a branch of theoretical linguistics that seeks to explain language change, especially syntactic change. Work conducted by Professor van Gelderen in linguistics, in particular in grammaticalization, has been groundbreaking and combines imagination and careful data analysis.
Enthusiasm for her field, profound knowledge of both data and theories, and accessibility to her students most characterize her contributions in undergraduate and graduate teaching. Students rave about her ability to make difficult materials accessible and learning enjoyable. Her mentoring abilities are equally impressive, becoming involved in the intellectual growth of her students as well as in the practical aspects by encouraging them to apply for grants and assisting in their careers. Honors given to Professor van Gelderen for her consistently excellent work with graduate student teaching and mentoring include six Linguistics Mentor of the Year Awards, one Teacher and Mentor of the Year Award, and a Distinguished Mentor of Women Award.
Stuart M. Lindsay
Department of Physics and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Professor Stuart M. Lindsay leads the Center for Single Molecule Biophysics in the Biodesign Institute and has a split appointment in physics and chemistry. His research is internationally acclaimed in the area of experimental physics and chemistry. For nearly three decades, he and his ASU research groups have led the field of single molecule biophysics. Professor Lindsay has also made key contributions to the understanding of electron transfer in single molecules. In addition, he is an international leader in nanoscale science and has developed nanotechnology approaches to explore problems at the interface of biological, chemical and solid materials.
Because of his personal commitment to graduate student research and education, Dr. Lindsay has a long list of Ph.D. and M.S. student graduates who are highly successful in their own careers. Despite his heavy research commitment, he has willingly taught dozens of courses at all levels in physics, recently adding chemistry and biochemistry to his teaching schedule, and has developed one of the university’s first classes on nanoscience. This highly interdisciplinary course is one of the key elements of a new degree program, the Professional Science Masters in Nanoscience, exemplifying Professor Lindsay’s impact on curriculum development and reform.
James A. Ohlson
School of Accountancy
W. P. Carey School of Business
James A. Ohlson is the W. P. Carey Chair of Accountancy in the School of Accountancy. Holding a unique position among scholars in the area of accountancy, he was the principle author of a stream of research studies that fundamentally changed how academics view the role of accounting in security valuation, and how analysts, auditors, and other practitioners use accounting data. Specifically, his work on the role of residual income and book values of equity reshaped the accounting community’s thinking about valuation. The role of accounting in valuation is now typically demonstrated using the “Ohlson” model. Professor Ohlson is recognized as an elite scholar in his area of accountancy. His analytical and empirical work on valuation, earnings changes and earnings capitalization are central to the progress of modern accounting research and practice.
In recognition of Professor Ohlson’s deep commitment to quality teaching, the American Accounting Association honored him as Educator of the Year. He has thought extensively about the fundamental economics of a business school, and is a perpetual advocate of the importance of teaching in various university and professional forums. Professor Ohlson has profoundly changed his profession in the academic realm as well as the professional one.
Otto F. Sankey
Department of Physics
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Otto F. Sankey, professor of physics, is an internationally regarded physicist, whose creative and imaginative work in theoretical physics has affected many areas of science. His scholarly interests have focused on the development of theoretical tools to study complex materials; significant predictions concerning the synthesis of new materials; the development of theories and predictions concerning observable properties of technologically important materials; and simulations of biological systems and biomaterials. Techniques developed by Professor Sankey have been widely adopted by the theoretical materials physics community, and they are applied by researchers around the world to provide insight into the relation of atomic structure, electronic states and materials properties.
Not only is he considered one of a handful of internationally recognized leaders in the area of electronic structure calculations, Professor Sankey is also regarded as a truly outstanding classroom teacher. He has presented courses at every level, and his student evaluations indicate that he is a uniquely gifted teacher. In 1996, Dr. Sankey was the recipient of the ASU Society of Physics Students Golden Opus Award, an honor that has been bestowed only three times in the past decade.
Nominations for 2009
Nominations are due to the University Provost office by May 30, 2008. Any tenured or tenure-track faculty member may nominate a qualified individual by submitting a completed nomination form.
Nominations are to remain confidential. Nominees will not be notified of their candidacy.
For any questions, please contact Arthur.Blakemore@asu.edu.
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