The Iowa Board of Regents has selected six outstanding University of Iowa faculty members to be honored for their extraordinary contributions and sustained record of excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service. Each recipient of the Regents Award for Faculty Excellence received a $1,500 stipend and will be honored at an awards celebration during the June Board of Regents meeting in Iowa City.

The recipients were selected by committees appointed by shared governance in collaboration with the UI administration and confirmed by the Board of Regents.

Rima Afifi

Afifi, professor in the Department of Community and Behavioral Health in the College of Public Health, is internationally known for her research into the health and well-being of youth; tobacco use prevention and control; global health; and refugee health. Her reputation has led to her professional service as an advisor or consultant to many national and international organizations. She is a highly productive scholar, having authored or co-authored more than 115 articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals and six book chapters. Afifi is the current director of the college’s Prevention Research Center for Rural Health, which works to advance health equity in and across Midwestern communities. Under her leadership, the center has become an important resource for the state of Iowa. In addition, she is a dedicated teacher and mentor. Since 2017, she has served as the doctoral dissertation advisor for two PhD students, as a committee member for five PhD students, and has advised 15 master’s students.  

Elizabeth Chrischilles

Chrischilles is the Marvin A. and Rose Lee Pomerantz Chair in Public Health in the Department of Epidemiology in the College of Public Health. A trailblazer in pharmacoepidemiology whose research and policy contributions have informed national healthcare systems, Chrischilles is a leading expert on medication safety and effectiveness. Her multi- disciplinary, collaborative work resulted in creation of new FDA medical product surveillance tools and a model for pharmacist-delivered care for Medicaid patients. She has authored or co-authored more than 230 peer-reviewed papers. She is an accomplished instructor—described as enthusiastic and engaged—who uses her expertise to ensure that curriculum is covering contemporary topics in the field. As a mentor, Chrischilles regularly connects with junior faculty as they develop coursework or research proposals. She has served as head of her department since 2017.

See the full list of 2024 honorees.