HistoSonics, Inc., a U-M startup, recently earned the Startup Innovator Award at the 2025 National Venture Capital Association Awards Dinner. This award celebrates startups that make significant societal contributions, and HistoSonics has achieved this through its pioneering, non-invasive tumor treatment technology known as histotripsy. Key figures behind this recognition include CEO Mike Blue, early investor Jim Adox of Venture Investors, and U-M faculty members Zhen Xu, Timothy Hall, Jonathan Sukovich, J. Brian Fowlkes, and William Woodruff Roberts. This award is among the most prestigious national accolades a startup can attain.
Professors Erin Krupka and Yan Chen from the School of Information received esteemed accolades from the Economic Science Association. Announced at the ESA World Meetings, Krupka won the ESA Prize for Exceptional Achievement, awarded annually to a researcher overcoming significant obstacles. “I am honored and deeply touched to be recognized with this award,” remarked Krupka, UMSI’s associate dean for faculty. Chen received the ESA Distinguished Service Award, recognizing her outstanding role in ESA administration. Last year, she became an inaugural ESA Fellow and delivered the keynote address at the ESA World Meeting. “I am honored to receive the ESA Distinguished Service Award together with one of my mentors, Catherine Eckel,” said Chen, the Daniel Kahneman Collegiate Professor of Information.
Zetian Mi, the Pallab K. Bhattacharya Collegiate Professor of Engineering, was honored with the 2025 American Vacuum Society Nanoscale Science and Technology Division Nanotechnology Recognition Award for his exceptional contributions to wide bandgap semiconductor materials growth. Mi will present a plenary lecture and accept the award at the 71st AVS International Symposium and Exhibition in Charlotte, North Carolina, from Sept. 21-26. “I am truly honored to receive this award and sincerely thank the committee for their selection,” Mi stated. Recognized for his significant contributions in research, innovation, education, and leadership, Mi also holds professorships in electrical engineering and computer science, and materials science and engineering at U-M.
Libo Shan, professor of molecular, cellular, and developmental biology at LSA, was named an associate member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO), which promotes excellence in life sciences. This year, EMBO announced 60 new European members and nine associate members working abroad. Among the nine, Shan is the only honoree outside of Massachusetts in the U.S. “I am truly honored and humbled to be elected as an EMBO associate member,” Shan stated. Her work focuses on understanding plant immune mechanisms to enhance crop disease resistance.
David A. Wallace, clinical associate professor at the School of Information, will be inducted as a Fellow of the Society of American Archivists on Aug. 25 in Anaheim, California. The title of Fellow is the highest accolade from SAA, awarded for significant contributions to the archives profession. With a career spanning four decades, Wallace has profoundly influenced students in information sciences, emphasizing archival theory, practice, and ethics. He has also contributed to heritage and social justice projects in South Africa through UMSI’s Global Information Engagement Program.
Kon-Well Wang, the A. Galip Ulsoy Distinguished University Professor of Engineering, has received Honorary Membership from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, a recognition granted to a select few for lifetime achievements in engineering. “I am extremely honored to be recognized by the mechanical engineering community for this prestigious award,” Wang expressed. Known for his groundbreaking research in structural dynamics, vibration, and controls, Wang’s work has paved the way for new multifunctional adaptive structural and material systems.
Alford A. Young Jr. has been elected the 118th president of the American Sociological Association. Beginning in September 2025, Young will serve as president-elect before assuming the presidency in August 2026. A prominent scholar in race, culture, and social inequality, Young’s research spans various topics, including the experiences of urban-based African Americans and diversity in higher education. In 2022, Young was also appointed president of the Association of Black Sociologists.
— Submit requests for faculty or staff Accolades to recordeditors@umich.edu. Please attach a digital photo if you wish for one to be included.
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