The Office of the Vice President for Research will award four research faculty members from across the University of Michigan for their leadership and significant contributions in fields ranging from economics and rehabilitation medicine to human genetics and educational interventions.

Joanne W. Hsu and Jane Huggins will receive the Research Faculty Achievement Award for their outstanding contributions to their respective fields of analyzing consumer expectations and biomedical engineering. Arushi Varshney will receive the Research Faculty Recognition Award for her noteworthy impact in computational genomics.

This year’s awardees also include Robin T. Jacob, who has received the Research Faculty Mentor Award, for her consistent commitment to providing guidance and fostering academic and career growth for other faculty members and students. 

“These faculty are incredible examples of the commitment to excellence and innovation that exists across our university,” said Arthur Lupia, vice president for research and innovation. “Their work is a reflection of the expertise and dedication throughout U-M. I am consistently impressed with the remarkable breadth and depth of excellence on our campuses.”

The awardees will be recognized at the president’s Faculty Awards event this fall.

Research Faculty Achievement Award

The Research Faculty Achievement Award recognizes research associate professors, research scientists and associate research scientists whose work has significantly impacted concepts, methods, technologies or ways of thinking, with potential future effects on research, policy, creative practice or societal outcomes.

Joanne W. Hsu is a research associate professor and director of the U‑M Surveys of Consumers within the Institute for Social Research. Hsu’s work measures consumer sentiment and inflation expectations, helping inform monetary policy discussions that affect inflation, employment and borrowing costs.

Jane Huggins is a research associate professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the Medical School, and of biomedical engineering at the College of Engineering, and leads the Direct Brain Interface laboratory. Her research focuses on the intersection of rehabilitation medicine and biomedical engineering to make brain-computer interfaces practical for users.

Research Faculty Recognition Award

The Research Faculty Recognition Award is presented to research assistant professors or assistant research scientists for exceptional scholarly achievements, as evidenced by publications or other scholarly activities in an academic field of study.

Arushi Varshney is an assistant research scientist in computational medicine and bioinformatics in the Medical School. Her efforts in computational genomics and machine learning methods focus on interpreting large-scale biomedical data to link molecular variation to disease mechanisms and clinically relevant outcomes.

Research Faculty Mentor Award

The Research Faculty Mentor Award celebrates the crucial role that mentorship plays in the professional and personal development of emerging researchers and recognizes those who have made significant contributions to fostering a supportive and enriching academic environment.

Robin T. Jacob is a research professor in the Institute for Social Research’s Survey Research Center and the Marsal Family School of Education. Her work centers on improving educational outcomes through rigorous evaluation of programs and policies, especially for students historically underserved by schools. 

In partnership with the Ford School of Public Policy, Jacob developed and co-directs the Applied Social Policy Internship and Research Experience, or ASPIRE, an eight-week summer program for rising college juniors and seniors from Spelman College and Morehouse College that combines rigorous quantitative research training with real-world policy experience.

At the Youth Policy Lab, Jacob mentors more than 20 research staff and has also developed a formal orientation program for new faculty at the Survey Research Center.