2026-27 Vilas Associates Competition awardees announced

The Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research has announced 24 faculty winners of the Vilas Associates Competition. The competition recognizes “new and ongoing research of the highest quality and significance.” Tenure-track assistant professors and tenured faculty within 20 years of their tenure date are eligible. The award is funded by the William F. Vilas Estate Trust. The 2026-27 winners and their departments are:

Claus Anderson, German, Nordic, Slavic+

Barak Blum, Cell and Regenerative Medicine

Paul Castañeda Dower, Agricultural and Applied Economics

Falina Enriquez, Anthropology

Mohit Gupta, Computer Sciences

Katherine Henzler-Wildman, Biochemistry

Laura Horton, Language Sciences

Xuhui Huang, Chemistry

Randy Jackson, Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences

Sonja Klocke, German, Nordic, and Slavic+

James Li, Psychology

Nan Li, Life Sciences Communication

Qin Li Stechmann, Mathematics

Meg Mitchell, Art

Dantiel Moniz, English

Amadi Ozier, English

Jessica Pac, Social Work

Hector Pifarre Arolas, La Follette School of Public Affairs

Daniel Rhodes, Materials Science and Engineering

Chad Rienstra, Biochemistry

John Sauer, Medical and Microbiology and Immunology

Marcel Schreier, Chemical and Biological Engineering

Marwa Shalaby, Political Science

Erin Silva, Plant Pathology

Recipients are chosen competitively by the divisional research committees based on a detailed proposal. Winners receive up to two-ninths of research salary support (including the associated fringe costs) for the summers of 2025 and 2026, as well as a $12,500 flexible research fund in each of the two fiscal years. Faculty paid on an annual basis are not eligible for the summer salary support but are eligible for the flexible fund portion of this award.

By Natasha Kassulke, natasha.kassulke@wisc.edu