Faculty Awards & Distinctions

Awarded by NSF

NSF CAREER Award Recipients
  • 2023 Songtao Chen
  • 2023 Taiyun Chi
  • 2022 Kaiyuan Yang
  • 2021 Akane Sano
  • 2021 Yingyan Lin
  • 2020 Shengxi Huang
  • 2017 Ashok Veeraraghavan
  • 2016 Genevera Allen
  • 2016 Xaq Pitkow
  • 2013 Caleb Kemere
  • 2002 Junichiro Kono
  • 1997 Edward W. Knightly
NSF Young Investigator Award
  • 1994 Richard G. Baraniuk
  • 1992 Naomi J. Halas
NSF Research Initiation Award
  • 1989-1992 Joseph R. Cavallaro

Awarded by IEEE 

The Best of IEEE Transactions on Affective Computing 
  • 2021 Akane Sano
IEEE Medal for Environmental and Safety Technologies
  • 2018 Frank K. Tittel
IEEE Communication Society Award for Advances in Communication
  • 2018 Ashutosh Sabharwal
  • 2013 Behnaam Aazhang
IEEE Jack Neubauer Memorial Award
  • 2017 Ashutosh Sabharwal
IEEE Communication Society Outstanding Technical Achievement Award
  • 2017 Behnaam Aazhang
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Society (SSCS) Predoctoral Achievement Award
  • 2017 Taiyun Chi
  • 2016 Kaiyuan Yang
IEEE Communication Society Outstanding Service Award
  • 2016 Behnaam Aazhang
IEEE James H. Mulligan, Jr. Education Medal
  • 2015 Richard G. Baraniuk
IEEE Signal Processing Society Technical Achievement Award
  •  2014 Richard G. Baraniuk
IEEE Circuits and Systems Society Distinguished Lecture
  • 2012-2013 Joseph R. Cavallaro
IEEE Information Theory Society- Padovani Lecture
  • 2011 Richard G. Baraniuk
IEEE Signal Processing Society Education Award
  • 2010 Richard G. Baraniuk
IEEE Signal Processing Society Magazine Column Award
  • 2009 Richard G. Baraniuk
IEEE Millenium Medal
  • 2000 Gene Frantz
(IEEE, Eta Kappa Nu) C. Holmes MacDonald National Outstanding Teaching Award
  • 1999 Richard G. Baraniuk
     

Awarded by ACM

ACM Sigmobile Test-of-time Award
  • 2021 Ashutosh Sabharwal
  • 2019 Ashutosh Sabharwal
  • 2019 Behnaam Aazhang
ACM SIGDA Outstanding New Faculty Award in Design Automation
  • 2021 Yingyan Lin
ACM MobiCom Community Contributions Award
  • 2019 Ashutosh Sabharwal
ACM Distinguished Engineer
  • 2013 Ray Simar

Fellows

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Fellow
  • Behnaam Aazhang
  • Naomi J. Halas
  • Richard G. Baraniuk
AAPM Fellow
  • Osama R. Mawlawi
ACM Fellow
  • Edward W. Knightly
APS Fellow
  • Frank K. Tittel
  • Junichiro Kono
  • Naomi J. Halas
ASA Fellow
  • Genevera Allen
DoD National Security Science and Engineering Faculty Fellow
  • Naomi J. Halas
  • Richard G. Baraniuk
IEEE Fellow
  • Ashok Veeraraghavan
  • Ashutosh Sabharwal
  • Athanasios Antoulas
  • Behnaam Aazhang
  • Don H. Johnson
  • Edward W. Knightly
  • Frank K. Tittel
  • Gene Frantz
  • Joseph R. Cavallaro
  • Kevin F. Kelly
  • Michael Orchard
  • Naomi J. Halas
  • Ray Simar
  • Richard G. Baraniuk
International Society for Optical Engineering (SPIE) Fellow
  • Frank K. Tittel
  • Junichiro Kono
  • Naomi J. Halas
Materials Research Society (MRS) Fellow 
  • Naomi J. Halas
Optical Society of America (OSA) Fellow
  • Frank K. Tittel
  • Junichiro Kono
  • Naomi J. Halas
Royal Society of Chemistry Fellow 
  • Naomi J. Halas
Sloan Fellow
  • Edward W. Knightly
TI Fellow 
  • Gene Frantz
  • Ray Simar

Academy 

National Academy of Engineers
  • Gene Frantz
  • Naomi J. Halas
  • Richard G. Baraniuk
National Academy of Inventors
  • Ashutosh Sabharwal
  • Naomi J. Halas
  • Richard G. Baraniuk
National Academy of Sciences
  • Naomi J. Halas
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
  • Naomi J. Halas
  • Richard G. Baraniuk

Awarded by Rice University  

Award for Excellence in Teaching, George R. Brown School of Engineering, Rice University
  • 2022 Don H. Johnson
Rice University Young Faculty Research Award
  • 2022 Akane Sano
Rice University Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Advisor Award
  • 2022 Behnaam Aazhang
Charles W. Duncan Junior Achievement Award for Outstanding Faculty, Rice University
  • 2022 Jacob T. Robinson
  • 2021 Genevera Allen
  • 2020 Ashok Veeraraghavan
  • 2000 Richard G. Baraniuk
Award for Research and Teaching Excellence (Tenure-track), George R. Brown School of Engineering, Rice University
  • 2021 Santiago Segarra
Award for Research and Teaching Excellence (Tenured), George R. Brown School of Engineering, Rice University
  • 2021 Edward W. Knightly
  • 2018 Richard G. Baraniuk
  • 2017 Genevera Allen
  • 2015 Richard G. Baraniuk
Curriculum Innovation Award, George R. Brown School of Engineering, Rice University
  • 2020 Genevera Allen
  • 2018 Ray Simar
Hamill Innovation Awards, Institute of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Rice University
  • 2019 Akane Sano
Hershel M. Rich Innovation Award
  • 2019 Naomi J. Halas
  • 2017 Ashutosh Sabharwal
  • 2017 Ashok Veeraraghavan
  • 2017 Richard G. Baraniuk
  • 2016 Richard G. Baraniuk
  • 2009 Ashutosh Sabharwal
  • 2007 Kevin F. Kelly
  • 2007 Richard G. Baraniuk
  • 2003 Naomi J. Halas
  • 2001 Naomi J. Halas
  • 1998 Naomi J. Halas
  • 1993 Naomi J. Halas
Rice University Teaching/Mentoring Award, Graduate Student Association
  • 2018 Ashutosh Sabharwal
Rice University Presidential Mentoring Award
  • 2018 Naomi J. Halas
  • 2014 Richard G. Baraniuk
Award for Superior Teaching, George R. Brown School of Engineering, Rice University
  • 2016 Gary Woods
  • 2006 Richard G. Baraniuk
  • 2003 Richard G. Baraniuk
  • 2001 Richard G. Baraniuk

Young Investigator Award

AFOSR Young Investigator Award
  • 2022 Shengxi Huang
DTRA Young Investigator Award
  • 2016 Yuji Zhao
NASA Early Career Faculty Award
  • 2015 Yuji Zhao
DARPA Young Faculty Award
  • 2014 Jacob T. Robinson
HFSP Young Investigator Award
  • 2014 Caleb Kemere
ONR Young Investigator Award
  • 1995 Richard G. Baraniuk
Amoco Outstanding Young Faculty Award 
  • 1991 Naomi J. Halas

Distinguished Awards

AMS Josiah Willard Gibbs Lecture
  • 2023 Richard G. Baraniuk
Automated Scoring Challenge for The Nation's Report Card (IES-NCES)
  • 2022 Richard G. Baraniuk
Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education
  • 2022 Richard G. Baraniuk
Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) Ralph Powe Jr. Award
  • 2022 César A. Uribe
TMS Frontiers of the Materials Award
  • 2022 Yuji Zhao
U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences Early Career Award 
  • 2022 Santiago Segarra
Facebook Research Award 
  • 2021 Yingyan Lin
INFORMS Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion – Ambassadors Program Award
  • 2020 César A. Uribe
Johnson & Johnson STEM2D Scholar’s Award
  • 2019 Shengxi Huang
SPARC Innovator Award for OpenStax
  • 2020 Richard G. Baraniuk
ACS Award in Colloid Chemistry
  • 2019 Naomi J. Halas
ACS Nano Lectureship Award
  • 2019 Naomi J. Halas
Clarivate Analytics (formerly Thomson Reuters) Highly Cited Researcher
  • 2021-2014  Naomi J. Halas
  • 2019-2014  Richard G. Baraniuk
  • 2003 Behnaam Aazhang
DoD ARO DURIP Award 
  • 2019 Yuji Zhao
Royal Society of Chemistry Spiers Memorial Award
  • 2019 Naomi J. Halas
U.S. Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE)
  • 2019 Yuji Zhao
Yahoo! Research – Faculty and Research Engagement Program (FREP) Award
  • 2019 César A. Uribe
 American Physical Society Julius Edgar Lilienfeld Prize
  • 2018 Naomi J. Halas
Dynamic Spectrum Alliance Award
  • 2018 Edward W. Knightly
Lilienfeld Prize, American Physical Society
  • 2018 Naomi J. Halas
Mentored Quantitative Research Development Award National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
  • 2017 Lan Luan
Weizmann Women and Science Award
  • 2017 Naomi J. Halas
Willis E. Lamb Award
  • 2017 Naomi J. Halas
Robert T. Chien Memorial Award for Excellence in Research
  • 2016 Yingyan Lin
Optical Society of America (OSA) R.W. Woods Prize
  • 2015 Naomi J. Halas
APS Frank Isakson Prize for Optical Effects in Solids
  • 2014 Naomi J. Halas
AWIS Gulf Coast-Houston Chapter Outstanding Woman in Science
  • 2014 Naomi J. Halas
Dunn Award Recipient
  • 2014 Jacob T. Robinson
Forbes 30 under 30: Science & Healthcare
  • 2014 Genevera Allen
American Physical Society Frank Isakson Prize for Optical Effects in Solids
  • 2014 Naomi J. Halas
SPIE Biophotonics Technology Innovator Award
  • 2014 Naomi J. Halas
BioHouston Women in Science Honoree
  • 2013 Naomi J. Halas
SPIE Compressive Sampling Pioneer Award
  • 2012 Richard G. Baraniuk
WISE Education Award for Connexions 
  • 2011 Richard G. Baraniuk
State Bar of Texas Inventor of the Year
  • 2010 Naomi J. Halas
MERL Presidents Award
  • 2009 Ashok Veeraraghavan
World Technology Award for Education
  • 2009 Richard G. Baraniuk
SPIE Wavelet Pioneer Award
  • 2008  Richard G. Baraniuk
Esquire’s Best and Brightest
  • 2006 Naomi J. Halas
Nanotech Brief’s Nano 50 Innovator Award
  • 2006 Naomi J. Halas
YWCA Houston Woman of Achievement
  • 2005 Naomi J. Halas
DoD U. S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, Congressionally Funded Medical Research Programs Breast Cancer Research Program Innovator Award
  • 2003 Naomi J. Halas
Meritorious Service Award, Signal Processing Society
  • 2000 Don H. Johnson
Schlumberger Foundation Award
  • 1996 Peter J. Varman
     
 

If we are missing an award, please contact Xaymara Garza