Honoring the ‘Best’: ‘(Your) work has made our University proud’

Individuals honored in annual ceremony May 13

Impact & Student Success | May 30, 2025
John Trent
Professor Verma holding his certificate, smiling in front of an Honor the Best step and repeat backdrop while someone takes a cell phone photo.

Subhash Verma, professor of Microbiology and Immunology, along with his research team, was the recipient of the University’s Excellence in Lab Safety Award. Photo by Brin Reynolds.

Honoring the ‘Best’: ‘(Your) work has made our University proud’

Individuals honored in annual ceremony May 13

Impact & Student Success | May 30, 2025
John Trent

Subhash Verma, professor of Microbiology and Immunology, along with his research team, was the recipient of the University’s Excellence in Lab Safety Award. Photo by Brin Reynolds.

Professor Verma holding his certificate, smiling in front of an Honor the Best step and repeat backdrop while someone takes a cell phone photo.

Subhash Verma, professor of Microbiology and Immunology, along with his research team, was the recipient of the University’s Excellence in Lab Safety Award. Photo by Brin Reynolds.

The University’s annual celebration of student, faculty and staff achievement, “Honor the Best,” was held on May 13 in the Glick Ballrooms of the Joe Crowley Student Union.

As has been the case since the first “Honor the Best” ceremony was held in 1970, celebrating careers among the University’s people that were coming to a close as well as careers that are still in full flight, were the points of emphasis.

“What makes our ‘Honor the Best’ ceremony so special is what it represents,” University President Brian Sandoval said. “Other than Commencement, which also has an element of looking ahead while also looking back at what has happened, ‘Honor the Best’ is a unique moment for the campus to celebrate the accomplishments of so many outstanding individuals whose work has made our University proud.”

Among those honored were 39 emeriti. Two faculty members, Todd Felts and Myrton Running Wolf of the Donald W. Reynolds School of Journalism, were both posthumously awarded the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Leadership Award. Felts, an RSJ faculty member for 17 years, passed away in late November 2024. Running Wolf, an RSJ faculty member since 2017, passed away in January.

Professor Fridland with President Sandoval on stage at Honor the Best.
Valerie Fridland, professor of Linguistics, pictured with University President Brian Sandoval, was this year’s winner of the University’s Outstanding Researcher Award (Social Science, Art, Culture or Society). Photo by Brin Reynolds.

Those honored at “Honor the Best” included:

Regents’ Awards

Undergraduate Academic Advisor

Malia Mitooka-Ferranto

Jason Geddes Rising Researcher

Joanna Blaszczak

Jason Geddes Rising Researcher

Pengbo Chu

Jason Geddes Rising Researcher

Li Ke

Sam Lieberman Regent's Award for Student Scholarship

Olufemi Erinoso (Graduate)

Sam Lieberman Regent's Award for Student Scholarship

Riley Gillis (Undergraduate)

Regents Distinguished Researcher

Vladimir Pravosudov

Regents Humanities and Social Sciences Researcher

Monica Miller

Foundation Awards

Foundation Professor

Kristen Clements-Nolle

Foundation Professor

Thomas Quint

Foundation Professor

David Leitner

Established Innovator

Christopher Barile

Innovative Impact

Casey Venturini

Outstanding Letter of Appointment Instructional Faculty

Emilio Parga (Fall 2024)

Outstanding Letter of Appointment Instructional Faculty

Amy Absher (Spring 2025)

Foundation Early Career Innovator

Ying Yang

Foundation Classified Employee of the Year

Kelly Larson

Administrative Faculty of the Year

Claudia Esther Cruz

Outstanding Committee Service

Paul Neill

Outstanding Leadership & Supervisor

Nora Luna

University Awards

Professor Leger walks across the stage to shake hands with President Sandoval.
Elizabeth Leger, director of the Museum of Natural History and foundation professor of Biology, was the 2025 recipient of the University’s Outstanding Researcher Award (STEM). Photo by Brin Reynolds.

Excellence in Lab Safety

Subhash Verma

Donald Tibbitts Distinguished Teacher

Megan Biagi

Donald Tibbitts Distinguished Teacher

Jennifer Hollander

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility Leadership

Lydia Huerta Moreno

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility Leadership

Todd Felts, Posthumously

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility Leadership

Myrton Running Wolf, Posthumously

Postdoctoral Award for Exceptional Mentoring

Satish Manandhar

Graduate Academic Advisor

David Feil-Siefer

R.O.T.C. Governor's Award

Terrell Calinog

R.O.T.C. President's Award

William Crosby

Thornton Peace Prize

The Latino Research Center

Outstanding Researcher (STEM)

Elizabeth Leger

Outstanding Researcher (Social Science, Art, Culture or Society)

Valerie Fridland

Paul & Judy Bible University Teaching Excellence

Sergiu Dascalu

Student Awards

Student Employee of the Year

Vincent Andrei Lumbad Esconde

Cavanaugh Community Volunteer Award

Natalie Rubio

Henry Albert Senior Public Service

Caitlin Shamiya

Henry Albert Senior Public Service

Linda Weathers

Outstanding Senior

Om Patel

Outstanding Senior

Hailey Guerrero

ASUN Service-Learning Faculty Award

Jennifer Lanterman

Outstanding Graduate Student Researcher

Zeynab Maghsoudi

Outstanding Graduate Student

Kemi Osho

Distinguished Awards

Distinguished Classified Employee

Molly Mott

Distinguished Faculty

Dennis Dworkin

Distinguished Service

David Shintani

Distinguished Outreach & Engagement

Gerald Ackerman

Emeriti Faculty

  • Kimberly Baxter
  • Jamie Benedict
  • Dan Brush
  • Sharon Brush
  • Keith R. Clark
  • Veronica Dahir
  • Raquel DePuy
  • Craig D. Dodson
  • Mary Phelps Dugan
  • James "J" Epperson
  • Marcus A. Erling
  • Isabelle Favre
  • William L. Eubank
  • Todd Felts, Posthumously
  • Allison Ferguson
  • Robert D. Gander
  • Jack Hayes
  • Michaun Hayes
  • Marci Hosier-Behmaram
  • Victor Kantsyrev
  • Charles Krasner
  • John Leland
  • Johnson Makoba
  • Shawn Marsh
  • Brian K. Martin
  • Katherine McCall
  • Roy Oman
  • Eric Rasmussen
  • Barry Perryman
  • June Saraceno
  • Javad Sattarvand
  • Brad Schultz
  • Amy Shannon
  • Mary Shultz
  • Gordon Steinmann
  • Joshua Stevenson
  • Debra Vigil
  • James Winn
  • Carrie Young
Impact & Student Success | May 30, 2025
John Trent
More In

Impact & Student Success

Impact & Student Success

If you are nervous, then you are ready: being a student journalist abroad

University of Nevada, Reno student Makayla Mirth talks about her experience with the Reynold's School of Journalism reporting trip to Paris, France

Makayla taking a picture with a camera of the street.
6/20/2025
Impact & Student Success

Faces of the Pack: Paige Adkins

'I feel so fortunate to live and learn in the middle of the woods next to the most gorgeous mountain lake, where learning opportunities are all around us'

Paige holding a large check for $3,500.
6/20/2025
Impact & Student Success

Native American students invited to experience life on campus

Registration is open for Native Learn, Empower, Achieve, Dream program, July 6 – 10, 2025

Group photo of the 2024 Native LEAD participants with President Brian Sandoval.
6/3/2025
Impact & Student Success

Path to Independence (P2I) celebrates 10th graduating class at University of Nevada, Reno

P2I program honors eight students for completing two years of academic, vocational and independent living training

P2I graduates pose in front of the graduation stage.
5/29/2025

Editor's Picks

A decorated graduation cap in blue with flowers that reads "I never dreamed of success I worked for it."

‘Greatness resides in all of you’
Marilyn Newton poses with her camera.

Award-winning journalist Marilyn Newton to receive honorary doctoral degree
A man in a blue shirt and gloves dropping liquid in a test tube using a dropper.

University of Nevada, Reno Biotechnology Program celebrates over two decades of impact

A black and white image of man in a white coat standing by an electronic machine.

Reproduction made us all. So why do so many mysteries still persist?
Latest From

Nevada Today

Business & Entrepreneurship

Nevada SBDC offers no-cost, two-day business planning workshop in Fallon

Aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners can learn how to grow and expand their businesses

Nevada SBDC staff members get together for a group photo.
6/18/2025
Campus Life & Athletics

Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents approves University of Nevada, Reno fieldhouse and turf fields project

Project will support all seventeen Nevada sports

A rendering of the proposed Nevada Field House building.
6/17/2025
Research & Innovation

Deborah Shindell awarded Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award to advance international health work in Uganda

Shindell has educated and mentored hundreds of students, many of whom now work as nurses, nurse practitioners and administrators in hospitals across Nevada and beyond

Deb in Uganda working with a woman and a group of children.
6/17/2025
Research & Innovation

Civil Engineering faculty member recognized with NSF CAREER grant

Elnaz Seylabi’s CAREER project aims to advance earthquake engineering practice

Elnaz Seylabi stands in front of a large testing structure.
6/16/2025
Research & Innovation

College of Liberal Arts Assistant Professor Sandhya K. Narayanan, Ph.D., receives prestigious National Science Foundation CAREER Award for language revitalization research

Excited to bring this achievement back to the University, Narayanan plans on multiple years of research supported by this grant

Sandhya Narayanan, Ph.D.
6/17/2025
Education & Public Service

University Librarian strengthens Dual Credit Program in Washoe, Clark County School Districts

Research and Instruction Librarian helping prepare high school students for college

Person standing at the front of a conference room teaching a lesson to a group of people.
6/17/2025
Education & Public Service

What happens to bull riders' brains?

Concussion expert Nicholas Murray explains the invisible injury they face

Bull rider falling off a bull.
6/13/2025
Health & Medicine

'Nurse Unseen' Northern Nevada premiere honors the resilience of Filipino American nurses at the Orvis School of Nursing

More than one hundred students, faculty, staff, nurses, caregivers and community advocates came together for the screening

A large group of attendees pose together, smiling, in front of an Orvis School of Nursing step and repeat background.
6/12/2025