Evening of Celebrations honors distinguished IU Bloomington faculty

Friday, December 05, 2025

More than 200 Indiana University Bloomington faculty members and guests attended the Nov. 11 Evening of Celebrations in Presidents Hall. The annual event, coordinated by the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs, honors faculty whose teaching, research, creative activity, and service have earned campus-level recognition.

Faculty awardees were encouraged to invite their families, colleagues, and friends, for a campuswide gathering that highlighted the scholarly and creative excellence at IU Bloomington.

“I’m always inspired by the way the Bloomington campus comes together to celebrate our faculty colleagues, and it is a privilege to recognize those whose work makes such meaningful contributions to IU,” said Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs Carrie Docherty.

Fourteen faculty were honored with distinguished campus awards and professorships, including:

Outstanding Junior Faculty Award

Fan Chen, Intelligent Systems Engineering, Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering

Asaf Lubin, Maurer School of Law

Sergio Ospina-Romero, Musicology, Jacobs School of Music

Caryn Palatchi, Physics, College of Arts and Sciences

Julio Postigo, Geography, College of Arts and Sciences

Marta Venier, O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs

M.A. Venkataramanan “Venkat” Distinguished Service Award

Dennis Groth, Informatics, Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering (emeritus)

Mary Burgan Distinguished Service Award

Priscilla Barnes, Applied Health Science, School of Public Health–Bloomington

Tracy M. Sonneborn Award

Donald F. Kuratko, Entrepreneurship & Innovation, Kelley School of Business

Distinguished Faculty Research Award

Halina Goldberg, Musicology, Jacobs School of Music

Provost Professors

Ray Cashman, Folklore and Ethnomusicology, College of Arts and Sciences

Jaroslaw Harezlak, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health–Bloomington

Joel Wong, Applied Psychology in Education and Research Methodology, School of Education

Class of 1948 Herman B Wells Professorship

Martin A. McCrory, Business Law and Ethics, Kelley School of Business

Martin A. McCrory embraces a colleague while holding a framed Herman B Wells Professorship award.

Faculty members talking and smiling as attendees arrive for the Evening of Celebrations.

Jaroslaw Harezlak accepts a framed Provost Professorship award from Provost Rahul Shrivastav on stage.

Priscilla Barnes, the Mary Burgan Distinguished Service Awardee, celebrates on stage after being recognized at the Evening of Celebrations.

Faculty members stand in the audience as they are applauded during the recognitions.

A guest takes a photo of two attendees posing together after the event.

Fan Chen stands onstage and Vice Provsot Carrie Docherty presents a plaque to honor her as an outstanding junior faculty awardee.

Jaroslaw Harezlak, one of this year’s Provost Professors, reflected on the significance of the recognition.

“Receiving the Provost Professorship is a deeply meaningful honor. It affirms the impact of my work and reflects the support of the colleagues, collaborators, and students who have shaped it,” Harezlak said.

Honorees were celebrated by senior campus leadership as well as the deans of their schools.

“The celebration was a great reminder of the talent and dedication that make IU Bloomington a place where exceptional teaching, research, and service are carried out every day,” said Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Rahul Shrivastav. “Thank you to everyone who contributes to this community and came together to honor our colleagues.”

Fan Chen, one of the six faculty members awarded the Outstanding Junior Faculty Award, shared that she was honored by the support shown by her school and colleagues.

“I’m very grateful for the supportive environment at IU Bloomington and the Luddy School; it has been essential for [my] growth,” said Chen, “To me, this recognition isn’t about a single project, it’s about the collaborative community that has helped our work move forward.”

The ceremony also honored 150 faculty members who received the 2025 Trustees Teaching Award. Local units identified specific criteria to recognize these outstanding faculty members, who have made an exceptional impact on student learning, particularly for undergraduates. This recognition highlights their dedication and excellence in fostering an enriching academic environment.

Award nominations for the 2026–27 academic year are now open. To learn more about these recognitions or to nominate a colleague, visit the VPFAA Campus Awards & Honors page.