University Distinguished Professors

The title of University Distinguished Professor (UDP) is the highest academic honor bestowed upon a faculty member at North Dakota State University. This prestigious designation recognizes individuals who exemplify the very best of NDSU’s mission as the state’s land-grant, R1 university, embodying a legacy of excellence that extends beyond their own disciplines and into the broader academic community.

University Distinguished Professors have an exceptional record of achievement, demonstrating sustained, high-quality contributions across research and creative activity, teaching, and service, in alignment with their faculty role. More than a recognition of past accomplishments, this distinction signifies an expectation of continued intellectual leadership, mentorship, and transformative impact. Beyond scholarly excellence, a UDP upholds the highest standards of integrity, character, and institutional leadership, influencing not only their field but also shaping the future of the university and the broader society it serves.

University Distingued Professors

Process:

  • When the President of the University informs the Provost that funds are available to confer the title of University Distinguished Professor (UDP), the Provost initiates the nomination process.
  • The nomination period typically opens in February, with initial reviews conducted at the college level. Exact dates are set by the Provost and communicated to the university community.
  • Faculty members must be nominated by a colleague, department chair, or head within their college. Each college follows an internal review process, either through an established faculty awards committee or an ad hoc committee responsible for evaluating candidates and making recommendations to the Dean. The committee will write a letter justifying their recommendation(s) to the Dean.
  • Nomination materials for the college review must include:
    • A nomination letter (maximum of two pages) from a colleague, department chair, or head, summarizing the candidate’s qualifications and alignment with the UDP criteria.
    • The candidate’s current curriculum vitae.
  • Deans may nominate up to two (2) candidates from their College review/recommendation process by submitting a letter of support/justification along with the college nomination materials and committee letter to the Provost. Nominations remain active only for the year in which they are submitted. If not selected, candidates may be renominated in subsequent years.
  • While Deans seek input from the committee, all nominations must remain strictly confidential between the recommending individual, the college committee, the nominating Dean, the Provost, and the President. The Provost ensures all nominations meet UDP criteria before advancing them to the President for consideration; nominations that do not fully meet the criteria will be returned to the Dean.
  • The Provost convenes and chairs a selection committee to evaluate nominees. This committee includes one (1) current University Distinguished Professor selected by the Provost in consultation with the President, one (1) tenured full professor, one (1) tenured associate professor, and one (1) non-voting representative from the NDSU Foundation selected by the Provost based on recommendations of the Deans.
  • In early April, the Provost presents the committee’s recommendations to the President, who makes the final selection.
  • If new University Distinguished Professors are selected, they will be formally announced during the fall State of the University address.

Evaluation Criteria:

Each nomination will be evaluated based on the nominee’s academic record, which must reflect outstanding and sustained contributions in research/creative activity, instruction, and service. Candidates must demonstrate a significant impact beyond their individual program, exemplifying excellence in all three areas.

Eligibility Requirements

  • Nominees must be full professors with tenure who have at least 10 years of service at North Dakota State University (NDSU).
  • Candidates with an exceptional record of achievement across research/creative activity, teaching, and service, with a demonstrated impact beyond their immediate discipline, will be considered for further review.

Evaluation Areas

  1. Research/Creative Activity
    • Candidates must demonstrate national and/or international impact that exceeds the expectations for promotion to full professor.
    • Their work should influence and extend beyond their individual research area or creative discipline, contributing meaningfully to the advancement of knowledge, innovation, or artistic achievement.
  2. Teaching
    • Candidates must have a demonstrated impact on undergraduate and graduate education, evidenced by:
      • Teaching awards
      • Pedagogical publications or presentations
      • Sustained excellence in instruction, advising, and curriculum development
      • Mentorship of students that exceeds standard expectations for promotion
      • Leadership in curriculum innovation and program success
    • In alignment with NDSU’s Promotion and Tenure criteria, excellence in instruction may also encompass formal extension education efforts. This includes:
      • Demonstrated impact on behavior change in learners
      • Implementation of science-based curricula by youth or adult audiences
      • Other high-impact programming and engagement beyond traditional classroom settings
  3. Service
    • Candidates must exhibit significant contributions at the department, college, university, national, and—when relevant—international levels, through:
      • Sustained mentorship of faculty and students
      • Meaningful participation in campus-wide initiatives
      • Leadership roles in national and international professional organizations
      • Successful collaborative endeavors that have advanced their field and institution
  4. Leadership and Integrity
    • Candidates must have a proven track record of mentoring rising faculty members, contributing to the development of future academic leaders.
    • They must exemplify the highest standards of character, academic integrity, and university leadership, serving as a model for faculty excellence

 

A UDP is expected:

  • to attend fall and/or spring commencement and be recognized (when possible).
  • to continue with leadership in service to the university above and beyond the expectations of tenured professors
  • to continue with excellence in teaching and research above and beyond the expectations of tenured professors
  • Provide NDSU visibility such as (but not limited to) using their expertise in the community, teaching 1st year courses, public events/lectures, and outreach.

Recognition:

  • A salary supplement of $20,000 will be provided annually for as long as the faculty has the University Distinguished Professor title and remains a benefited tenured faculty member. In addition, each UDP will receive an annual operating budget of $5,000 to be used according to the established guidelines and policies of the university for operating budgets and with no carryover to another year. The UDP salary supplement and operating budget will begin at the start of the fiscal year.
  • A “University Distinguished Professor” has a title with a requirement to be reviewed for continuation every five years. The review will be conducted by the committee convened to review nominations (see above). The criteria for review will be consistent with those used for the selection of new UDPs.
  • Upon retirement, the salary supplement and the operating budget ends, and the title will become University Distinguished Professor Emerita/Emeritus.

Recipients

2012 Recipient

Elias M. Elias
Distinguished Professor of Plant Sciences
 
Elias leads the NDSU durum wheat breeding and genetics program as the J.F. Carter Durum Wheat Breeding/Genetics Endowed Professor. The program develops varieties to maximize economic return for producers, while providing quality durum wheat for the pasta industry and export market. Internationally respected for his research, Elias was named 1999 Durum Man of the Year by the U.S. Durum Growers Association. He also received NDSU’s Larson/Yaggie Excellence in Research Award, Early Career in 2000 and the Waldron Award for Excellence in Research. Elias, who joined NDSU in 1990, earned his bachelor’s degree in agriculture from Aleppo University in Syria and his master’s degree in plant pathology from Montana State University. He earned his doctorate in agronomy from NDSU.

2008 Recipients

Jo Ann Miller
Distinguished Professor of Music

Miller joined NDSU’s faculty in 1989 as director of choral activities. She conducts the Concert Choir and University Chorus, and teaches undergraduate and graduate conducting and literature courses. She also is the graduate coordinator for NDSU’s Master of Music and Doctor of Music Arts programs. Prior to coming to NDSU, Miller was on the music faculty at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse where she founded the La Crosse Chamber Chorale. She earned her bachelor’s degree from NDSU, master’s degree from the University of North Dakota and doctorate from the University of Cincinnati, College Conservatory of Music.

Larry Reynolds
Distinguished Professor of Animal Sciences

Reynolds joined NDSU in 1985. His research has focused on improving fertility (the ability to conceive and to maintain pregnancy) and pregnancy outcomes (i.e., preterm birth, low birth weights and postnatal health) in livestock. He has lectured throughout the world, including 16 Visiting Lectureships/Keynote Speakerships, and taught in more than 25 different undergraduate and graduate courses. Reynolds has received 43 federal grants, served on more than 70 federal grant review panels, and published more than 280 books, book chapters and journal articles including 42 invited reviews. He is ranked in the upper 2.0% of top-cited researchers in the world. His professional awards include the American Society of Animal Science (ASAS) Animal Physiology and Endocrinology Award, the ASAS Growth and Development Award, and at NDSU the Fred Waldron Excellence in Research Award (2021), the 51st NDSU Faculty Lectureship (2009) and the Eugene R. Dahl Excellence in Research Award (2006). He earned bachelor's and master's degrees from Arizona State University and a doctorate from Iowa State University.

2007 Recipients

Allan Ashworth
Distinguished Professor of Geosciences

Ashworth, who joined NDSU in 1972, teaches and conducts research in paleontology and stratigraphy. He has made four research trips to Antarctica, and was recently notified by the New Zealand Geographic Board that a glacier on the icy continent has been named in his honor. Ashworth chairs the U.S. National Committee for the International Union for Quaternary Research. He earned his bachelor’s degree and doctorate from the University of Birmingham, England. His many honors include being named a James A. Meier Senior Professor, Mortar Board Preferred Professor, NDSU Faculty Lectureship and Chamber of Commerce Distinguished Professor. 

Neil Gudmestad
Distinguished Professor of Plant Pathology

Gudmestad joined NDSU as a tenure-track assistant professor in 1985. He has served the pathology section of the Potato Association of America as chair, vice-chair and director. He also was on the editorial board of American Potato Journal and associate editor of Phytopathology. His many honors include the Research Scientist of the Year-Early Career from the N.D. Agricultural Experiment Station, the Red River Valley Potato Growers Association Meritorious Service Award, the National Potato Council Researcher of the Year, the Eugene R. Dahl Excellence in Research Award, and the Fred Waldron Excellence in Research Award. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Valley City State University and his master’s degree and doctorate from NDSU.

Tom Isern
Distinguished Professor of History and Religion

A specialist in the history of the Great Plains, Isern is the author or co-author of six books in the field, including “Dakota Circle: Excursions on the True Plains.” He is well known across North Dakota for his weekly feature on Prairie Public Radio, “Plains Folk,” devoted to the folklife of our region. He is the founding director of NDSU’s Center for Heritage Renewal. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Bethany College and his master’s degree and doctorate from Oklahoma State University. Isern joined NDSU in 1992, and his previous honors include the Outstanding Educator Award of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences; the Peltier Award for Innovative Teaching; and the Fargo Chamber of Commerce Distinguished Professorship.

Kalpana Katti
Distinguished Professor of Civil Engineering

Katti, who joined NDSU in 1997, has developed state-of-the-art advanced materials and tissue engineering laboratories to support research in nanotechnology and tissue engineering at NDSU. She also has spearheaded the effort to develop an interdisciplinary materials and nanotechnology doctoral program at NDSU. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of New Delhi, India, her master’s degree from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, India, and her doctorate from the University of Washington, Seattle. Her other honors include the Peltier Award for Innovations in Teaching, College of Engineering Researcher of the Year, National Science Foundation CAREER Award and Federation of Societies of Coatings Technology Roon Award.

William Perrizo
Distinguished Professor of Computer Science

Perrizo joined NDSU in 1973. His vita lists 45 journal papers, 146 refereed conference and symposium proceedings papers and four books and book chapters. He holds two patents. Perizzo was the team leader of the 2002 Association of Computing Machinery (ACM) Knowledge Discovery and Data (KDD) Mining Cup winning team for task two and the team leader of the 2006 ACM KDD Cup winning team for task three. He also received the 2007 Best Paper Award at the International Society of Computers and Their Applications Conference on Computers and Their Applications. Perrizo earned his bachelor’s degree from St. John’s University, Minn., his master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin and his doctorate from the University of Minnesota. 

Mukund Sibi
Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Sibi, a recognized leader in the area of synthetic organic chemistry, came to NDSU in 1987. Sibi's vita lists 153 publications, eight patents and four book reviews. He was the invited speaker or gave the plenary lecture at 57 special symposiums, and he has given 157 invited seminar presentations. His many honors include the Arthur C. Cope Scholar Award for 2008, the James M. Meier Professorship, Dale Hogoboom Endowed Professor, Jordon A. Engberg Professorship and Waldron Award for Excellence in Research. He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from Bangalore University, India, and his doctorate from the City University of New York. 

William Wilson,
Distinguished Professor of Agribusiness and Applied Economics

Wilson, who was recognized as one of the top 10 agricultural economists by AgWeek, earned his bachelor’s degree from NDSU and his doctorate from the University of Manitoba. He joined NDSU in 1980, and has served as a board member for WCCO Belting, the Institute of Barley and Malt Sciences and the Minneapolis Grain Exchange. His vita lists 71 grants, 80 journal articles, one book, 13 book chapters and 198 miscellaneous publications. He has given numerous presentations, including 109 international, 82 national and 35 regional professional associations. Wilson’s other honors include the 2006 and 1998 Eugene R. Dahl Excellence in Research Award and Henry Schapper Fellowship.

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