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Excellence, impact: A look at the 2012 Regents' Professors


February 07, 2013

For their sustained level of international distinction and groundbreaking contributions, ASU's Ron Adrian, Sudhir Kumar and Rebecca Tsosie have been awarded ASU's highest faculty honor: Regents' Professor.

Their extraordinary contributions in the classroom and in their fields of expertise were celebrated at a special university ceremony Feb. 7, in ASU's Galvin Playhouse, on the Tempe campus, hosted by ASU President Michael M. Crow and Elizabeth D. Phillips, executive vice president and provost. 

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Adrian, a professor in the School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy – within the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering – is a pioneer in the field of fluid mechanics, winning essentially every major award within the field.

“Even before I started first grade I pictured myself in a white lab coat someday, doing scientific experiments," he says. "I don’t know where that came from. I was just always curious about how things worked."

Read more on Adrian and his award.

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Kumar, a professor of biology in the School of Life Sciences, within ASU's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, directs the Center for Evolutionary Medicine and Informatics at the Biodesign Institute, where he is a renowned expert in evolutionary bioinformatics, inspiring the next generation of scientists through inquiry-based coursework.

“I take a holistic approach, covering 4 billion years of evolution. This gamut of areas – from basic fundamental biology to applications of biology to improve human conditions – is what my research has been doing for the past 15 years,” Kumar says.

Read more on Kumar and his award.

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Tsosie, a professor in the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, is considered the most highly regarded scholar of Indian law in the world.

“I was listening to their stories, and it was very powerful,” said Tsosie, regarding accounts of injustice toward American Indians. “I wanted to read more. I was really caught up in it.”

Read more on Tsosie and her award.