Bryce A. Binstadt
Pediatrics
Medical School

A physician-scientist, Bryce Binstadt is a leading researcher and practitioner in the field of pediatric rheumatology. He excels in teaching across the span of his expertise, from basic immunology to the science and art of clinical medicine. He is also the founder of the department’s Pediatric Rheumatology Fellowship program. By combining his care of patients with work in his NIH-funded laboratory, Binstadt nurtures the careers of numerous graduate and medical students, postdoctoral trainees, and clinical fellows at the University of Minnesota and across the nation. See a full profile (pdf).

Ann M. Burkhart
Law School

As a nationally recognized expert in real estate law, Ann Burkhart has taught more than 5,000 students with rigor, passion, and care. She requires students to dig deeply into the course materials and to focus on the larger context. The students are inspired by her passion for the law and for their progress, and they benefit from her generous mentoring. According to a former student, she inspires learners to “look beyond technical and legal analysis and think deeply about what is practical and equitable.” See a full profile (pdf).

Mary L. Chesney
School of Nursing

Mary Chesney influences students by designing exquisite learning environments in the classroom, online, and in the community, and providing real-world “stretch” experiences. She served from 2010 to 2015 as director of the Doctor of Nursing Practice program, where her leadership and administrative skills are credited with driving the program’s growth and national prominence. The program is now the largest campus-based/online hybrid program in the country. Though a high-profile professional in her field, her availability to students is a remarkable constant. See a full profile (pdf).

Maria L. Gini
Computer Science and Engineering
College of Science and Engineering

As a teacher and adviser, Maria Gini instills students with the excitement of advancing the state of the art in computing in general and in artificial intelligence in particular. Her new students are often surprised to discover that she employs a pair of small, fully automated robots in her classroom as exemplars of state-of-the-art robotic devices. Gini’s combination of imagination and dedication to her field has earned her an international reputation in robotics and artificial intelligence, as well as a number of honors for her teaching, including the Morse-Alumni Award in 1987. See a full profile (pdf).

Kristine P. Krafts
Diagnostic and Biological Sciences
School of Dentistry

Kristine Krafts has perfected the art of teaching complex medical concepts with simplicity, grace, and humor. She teaches and directs the General Histology and Pathology courses at the Dental School, and the Hormonal Medicine and Hematology courses at the Duluth Campus of the Medical School. Her lectures are exciting, energetic, and entertaining. On the website she developed, pathologystudent.com, Krafts covers basic information, questions and answers, clinical cases, and unique tips for learning pathology that are illustrated clearly. Through it she not only motivates her students and facilitates learning, but reaches out to pathology students worldwide to help them learn pathology in a friendly, interactive environment. See a full profile (pdf).

Deniz S. Ones
Psychology
College of Liberal Arts

Deniz Ones is a gifted teacher and mentor, whose students benefit greatly from her collegial style of research leadership. As one of the most influential scholars in Industrial and Organizational Psychology, she embraces a collaborative mentorship style that has resulted in numerous impactful publications co-authored by her mentees. Her advisees have won every award that the Society of Industrial and Organizational Psychology offers to graduate students. She is considered by colleagues as one of the main reasons why, though small, the Industrial and Organizational Psychology program consistently ranks first of 54 such programs in the nation. Ones was named a Distinguished McKnight University Professor in 2011. See a full profile (pdf).

Joe Soss
Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs

Joe Soss is an internationally acclaimed scholar of politics and society with a focus on power, public policy, inequality, and inequity. Soss has worked to open the Humphrey Institute’s educational environment to diverse theoretical and political perspectives, research methodologies, and pedagogies and, thus, to diverse students. Students describe him as willing to confront hard questions that need to be asked to improve society. He is noted for his commitment to graduate education for students in the professional master’s degree programs at the Humphrey School, as well as doctoral programs across three departments (Humphrey School, Political Science and Sociology). See a full profile (pdf).

Randall H. Victora
Electrical and Computer Engineering
College of Science and Engineering

With a focus on applications of physics to improve devices, Randall Victora had an extensive career in industry before switching to academics. As a faculty member in the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, and as director of the Minnesota Micromagnetics and Information Technology Center, he has revitalized the University’s program in magnetics while mentoring graduate students who now lead magnetics research programs across the nation and abroad. As director of graduate studies, Victora enhanced the visibility and competitiveness of graduates with innovations like customized graduate training, which raised the profile of the department and helped launch the careers of many micromagnetics professionals. See a full profile (pdf).