Congratulations to Drs. Metin Eren, Department of Anthropology, Angela Neal-Barnett, Department of Psychological Sciences, and Mietek Jaroniec, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, who are 2022 recipients of the President’s Faculty Excellence Award.
The annual award is granted to faculty who have demonstrated extraordinary achievement in research, service, or teaching which has led to national or international recognition. It is a distinct honor to receive this award.
Among this year’s winners:
Angela Neal-Barnett, PhD, Department of Psychological Sciences Professor
Angela Neal-Barnett is considered a pioneer in the field of anxiety disorders among African Americans, and African American women specifically. Her research is primarily focused on developing innovative interventions for anxiety disorders among Black Americans. She is the first African American woman to be tenured, and then promoted to full professor in the KSU Department of Psychological Sciences, and she currently directs the Program for Research on Anxiety Disorders among African Americans (PRADAA). Professor Neal-Barnett is well-published and well-funded; having secured over $1.5 million in support of her work. Professor Neal-Barnett has been featured on multiple media networks, including CNN, NBC, NPR, Fox News, and myriad others. She has also been featured in The Oprah Magazine, Working Mother, Essence Magazine, and the venerated New York Times. Most recently, she received a $100,000 grant from The Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield Foundation in support of The Spirit of Motherhood program, which is focused on preterm births and infant mortality within the Black community of Northeast Ohio. The program aims to study the effects of stress and racism on expecting mothers, and development treatments leading to a decrease in infant mortality. She is an elected Fellow of the American Psychological Association, and winner of the prestigious Jerilyn Ross Clinician Advocate Award from the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.
Metin Eren, PhD, Department of Anthropology
Metin Eren, Director of Archeology and Associate Professor of Anthropology, is recognized by Stanford University Scholars as among the top 2% of the most cited scientists globally in his discipline. Since joining Kent State University in 2016, he has published nearly 100 scholarly papers and articles, and is considered a national leader in experimental archeology. According to Eren it’s not enough to observe daily life of early humans through their artifacts, he wants to understand the how and why of everyday tools to gain a better understanding of the evolution of tools, and of humanity. He is dedicated to his students and is an ardent mentor, frequently including students in his research initiatives. Professor Eren has been featured on The History Channel, The Discovery Channel, PBS NewsHour, NPR, and Discover Magazine.
Mietek Jaroniec, PhD, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
For Professor Jaroniec, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, this is the second time he has received the President’s Faculty Excellence Award, having received it in 2016. Over his career he has been author or co-author of over 1,200 peer reviewed publications and has exceeded 111,000 citations. Since 2016, Professor Jaroniec has published nearly 150 peer-reviewed papers: averaging a whopping 21 papers per year! He was listed among the most highly cited researchers (top 1%) in both chemistry and materials science from 2017-2021, and he is recognized as in the top 2% cited scientists in the world based on a study published by Stanford University scholars. More than half of his lifetime citations have occurred since 2016. All of his citations are reflected in his stunning H-index of 143. That is, he has at least 143 papers that have at least 143 citations—an extraordinary feat. A native of Poland, in 2018 he received an honorary doctorate (Doctor Honoris Causa) from Poznan University of Technology (Poland) and in 2019 he received the Darsh Wasan-Journal of Colloid and Interface Science Award for outstanding contributions within surface and colloid chemistry.