2025-26 Vilas Associates Competition awardees announced

The Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research has announced 20 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 2025-26 winners and their departments are:

AJ Boydston, Chemistry

Victor E. Cabrera, Animal and Dairy Sciences

Christopher Cascio, Journalism and Mass Communication

Yudong Chen, Computer Sciences

Jina Chun, Rehabilitation Psychology and Special Education

Kathryn Ciancia, History

Katie Drerup, Integrative Biology

Ken Ferrier, Geoscience

Ryan Henke, Language Sciences

Katie Hudnall, Art

Mihaela Ifrim, Mathematics

Katherine Jensen, Sociology and International Studies

Ying Li, Mechanical Engineering

Jenna Loyd, Geography

Mark Mandel, Medical Microbiology and Immunology

Kathryn McGarr, Journalism and Mass Communication

Vatsan Raman, Biochemistry

Gretchen Schwarze, Surgery/Medical History and Bioethics

Hao Shen, Mathematics

Yang Wang, LaFollette School of Public Affairs

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