The Office of the Vice President for Research will award two faculty members with Collegiate Research Professorships for their exceptional scholarly achievements and advanced knowledge in their field.

Inbal Nahum-Shani and Megan Patrick begin their five-year renewable terms of the professorship this fall.

Nahum-Shani is a research professor within the Institute for Social Research and the founder and director of the Data-Science for Dynamic Decision-Making Center, an interdisciplinary data center for scientists developing design methods for adaptive interventions to improve outcomes.

As a behavioral scientist, Nahum-Shani’s work focuses on advancing knowledge at the intersection of behavioral science, health and applied psychology. She recently developed a hybrid experimental design, representing a major step forward in intervention methodology by enabling researchers to optimize interventions across multiple timescales, which has gained rapid adoption.

In their nomination, Nahum-Shani’s colleagues noted her impressive methodological innovations, multidisciplinary collaborations and the overall impact of her research in personalizing interventions for clinical and community settings.

Patrick is a research professor and the associate director of faculty affairs at the Institute for Social Research. Her research focuses on the development of substance use and consequences across the lifespan. She is also the principal investigator of the Monitoring the Future Panel Study, a national study that has been following participants from ages 18 to 65 since the mid-1970s. 

Since joining the university, Patrick has secured funding for over 10 National Institutes of Health-funded projects, totaling more than $15 million. She has also collaborated as a co-investigator on numerous projects focused on high-intensity drinking, simultaneous alcohol and marijuana use and adaptive interventions to reduce the consequences of young adult substance use.

“These professors demonstrate the depth of knowledge and dedication to serve the world through research at the University of Michigan,” said Arthur Lupia, interim vice president for research and innovation. “They are both inspiring examples of the direct impact U-M research can have on people in Michigan’s communities and around the world.”

The awardees will be honored at the annual Faculty Awards Ceremony and dinner in September.