6 faculty honored with 2026 Regents Award for Faculty Excellence

The Iowa Board of Regents will recognize six outstanding University of Iowa faculty members for their extraordinary contributions and sustained record of distinction in teaching, scholarship, and service.

Each recipient of the Regents Award for Faculty Excellence receives a $1,500 stipend. Awardees were selected by committees appointed by shared governance in collaboration with UI administration and confirmed by the Board of Regents.

Mary Charlton

Charlton, professor of epidemiology in the College of Public Health, is a nationally respected leader in cancer surveillance, rural cancer disparities, and health services research. She has authored more than 140 peer-reviewed publications and led continuously funded research supported by the National Cancer Institute and other federal agencies.

Since 2019, Charlton has served as director of the Iowa Cancer Registry, producing the influential Cancer in Iowa reports that inform state policy, clinical practice, and public understanding. Through initiatives such as the Cancer in Iowa: 99 Counties Project and the Iowa Cancer Affiliate Network, she translates complex data into action, improving quality of care for rural and underserved patients statewide.

She co-leads a major research program at the UI Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center and serves as president of the Iowa Cancer Consortium. A committed mentor and educator, Charlton prepares the next generation of public health professionals to advance cancer prevention in Iowa and beyond.

Polly Ferguson

Ferguson, professor and executive vice chair of pediatrics in the Carver College of Medicine, is a physician-scientist whose research has transformed care for children with rare inflammatory bone diseases. An internationally recognized expert in autoinflammatory disorders, she has identified gene mutations responsible for several conditions, paving the way for targeted therapies and reshaping treatment for children with the rare bone disorder sterile osteomyelitis and related diseases.

Ferguson has published more than 100 peer-reviewed articles cited more than 10,000 times and has maintained continuous National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding since 2002. She leads two NIH-funded K-12 research training programs (one in pediatrics the other in translational sciences) which are career development awards that provide specialized, mentored training for junior faculty members.

She has served on advisory boards for the NIH, the American Board of Pediatrics, and the American College of Rheumatology, and has supported regional Arthritis Foundation chapters. A dedicated mentor, Ferguson is widely recognized for cultivating the next generation of pediatric physician-scientists.

Alberto Segre

Segre, professor and chair of the Department of Computer Science, is a nationally recognized leader in computational epidemiology whose work strengthens how infectious diseases are detected and controlled. He co-founded the UI Computational Epidemiology Research Group, bringing together experts in computing, medicine, public health, and the social sciences to model disease spread, detect outbreaks early, and guide health care decision-making.

Segre has authored more than 130 peer-reviewed publications and a research monograph, securing more than $16 million in external funding. Known for fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, he has expanded the reach and impact of faculty research across campus.

A dedicated educator, Segre regularly teaches introductory computer science courses to stay connected with first-year students. He has supervised or co-supervised 19 doctoral students and served on more than 80 dissertation committees. During his 16 years as department chair, he more than doubled the department's faculty and elevated its national profile.

Carol Severino

Severino, professor of rhetoric in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and longtime director of the UI Writing Center, has devoted more than three decades to advancing writing instruction at Iowa and beyond. An internationally recognized scholar of writing pedagogy and second-language writing, she has published extensively, delivered keynotes for many organizations and conferences, and led professional development workshops for educators across the Americas.

At Iowa, Severino expanded the Writing Center's reach, supporting thousands of students, faculty, and staff each year across disciplines, and co-founded the Honors Writing Fellows Program. Her leadership has strengthened writing support systems campuswide and helped position Iowa as a national leader in writing education.

A dedicated teacher and mentor, Severino has served on more than 50 doctoral committees and taught foundational courses in writing pedagogy. She is widely respected for guiding students and instructors with insight, rigor, and compassion.

Fred Stern

Stern, George D. Ashton Professor of Hydroscience and Engineering and professor of mechanical engineering in the College of Engineering, is an internationally recognized leader in ship hydrodynamics whose research has elevated the UI's global reputation in naval engineering. He built IIHR-Hydroscience & Engineering's ship hydrodynamics program into a leading center for advanced experiments, modeling and simulation.

Stern led development of CFDShip-Iowa, a simulation tool that supports the U.S. Navy and other researchers in physical understanding and designing safer, more efficient, and cost-effective vessels. He also oversaw IIHR's major upgrades to its tow tank and initiated the building of its wave basin facilities. Over his career, he has secured nearly $50 million in research funding and strengthened longstanding partnerships with the U.S. Navy's Office of Naval Research along with many international collaborations.

His scholarship includes more than 220 journal articles and 300 conference papers, and he has received honors from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers. Stern has mentored more than 50 graduate students and contributed significantly to naval engineering workforce development.

Nick Street

Street, the Leonard A. Hadley Chair in Leadership in the Tippie College of Business, associate dean for research and PhD programs, and professor, is a nationally recognized leader in artificial intelligence, data mining, and health care analytics. His interdisciplinary scholarship has advanced approaches to cancer care, symptom management, and clinical decision support.

Street has published more than 110 peer-reviewed articles, secured more than $4 million in external funding, and received the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences Data Mining Prize for lifetime achievement. His collaborations at Iowa span nursing, computer science, informatics, and health care, strengthening Iowa's national leadership in applied analytics.

Street was a first-generation undergraduate student at the UI, from Cambria, Iowa, a town of about 50 people. He understands the power of mentorship. A dedicated mentor, he has advised 20 doctoral students and served on more than 70 graduate committees. As an academic leader, he expanded Iowa's Business Analytics programs into nationally recognized models, preparing thousands of students for high-demand careers in data-driven fields.