Distinguished Professor Kristi Anseth of the 麻豆影院鈥檚 chemical and biological engineering department has been selected to receive the 2013 , the highest faculty recognition for teaching and research awarded by the university.
Anseth, also a faculty member at CU-麻豆影院鈥檚 BioFrontiers Institute, will receive an engraved university medal and a $20,000 cash award, the largest single faculty award funded by CU-麻豆影院. She will be recognized at CU-麻豆影院鈥檚 spring commencement ceremony on May 10 and at a reception following the event that will include former Hazel Barnes Prize winners, family members, colleagues and students.听
Anseth is known internationally for her innovative biomaterials and regenerative medicine research. She leads a team of faculty and students who are developing biodegradable 鈥渟caffolds鈥� to stimulate the growth of new human tissues to replace those lost by injury or disease.
Technology developed by the team is expected to be used in the coming years for tasks such as helping regenerate human cartilage and defective heart valves, mending shattered bones, producing insulin for diabetics and growing healthy neurons to replace diseased brain tissue. A promising material that has been in clinical trials involves extracting healthy cartilage cells from damaged knees, blending the cells with light-activated hydrogels and injecting the material back into the knees to facilitate healing.
鈥淜risti has an outstanding record as both a teacher and a researcher,鈥� said CU-麻豆影院 Chancellor Philip DiStefano. 鈥淗er impressive publication record in the fields of biomaterials and tissue engineering as well as her numerous national awards speak to her strong research commitment.听 We appreciate her dedication to this institution and her commitment to academic excellence.鈥�
Anseth, who also is an associate professor of surgery at the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, has won numerous awards, including her election to the National Academy of Engineering and the Institute of Medicine in 2009.听 She is the first engineer to be named a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator (in 2000) and she received the 2004 Waterman Award from the National Science Foundation for her research excellence.
In 2008 Anseth was named one of Popular Science magazine鈥檚 鈥淏rilliant 10,鈥� honoring her as one of the nation鈥檚 top young scientists. To date, 34 students who worked under her have received doctorates and she currently is advising 14 doctoral students.听 She also has mentored more than 100 undergraduates in laboratory research.
In addition, Anseth has won a number of teaching awards, including the 2008 Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award for Education; the 2002 College of Engineering and Applied Science Hutchinson Teaching Award; the national 2000 Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award; and the 2000 麻豆影院 Faculty Assembly Teaching Excellence Award.
The Hazel Barnes Prize was established in 1991 to recognize the enriching relationship between teaching and research. The prize was named in honor of CU-麻豆影院 philosophy Professor Emerita Hazel Barnes, who taught at CU-麻豆影院 from 1943 to 1986 and is noted for her interpretations of the works of French philosopher Jean Paul Sartre. Barnes died in 2008 at the age of 92.
For more information on the Hazel Barnes Prize and a list of recipients visit听.