Arizona State University has named 4 new Regents Professors — the college’s highest college honor — for 2026.
Their work crosses disciplinary boundaries, from cognitive and studying sciences to evolutionary anthropology, from pc science to expertise coverage, showcasing the breadth and ambition of ASU’s scholarly enterprise.
The title, accredited by the Arizona Board of Regents in November, acknowledges sustained scholarship, nationwide and worldwide distinction, and contributions which have considerably superior their fields and the college’s mission. The new Regents Professors are:
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Robert Boyd, a professor within the School of Human Evolution and Social Change and a analysis scientist with the Institute of Human Origins, a part of The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
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Stephanie Forrest, director of the Biodesign Center for Biocomputation, Security and Society and a professor of pc science within the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, a part of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering.
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Danielle S. McNamara, the chief director of the Learning Engineering Institute, director of the Science of Learning and Educational Technology (SoLET) Lab and a professor within the Department of Psychology in The College.
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Donald S. Siegel, co-executive director of the Global Center for Technology Transfer and a Foundation Professor of Public Policy and Management within the School of Public Affairs, a part of the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions.
“These four individuals represent the very best of ASU’s scholarly talent; visionary thinkers whose work shapes disciplines, inspires colleagues and students, and extends our impact around the world,” mentioned Nancy Gonzales, ASU government vp and college provost. “Their promotion to Regents Professor reflects not only decades of deep intellectual commitment, but also an enduring record of innovation and influence.”
Read on to study extra concerning the new Regents Professors, who might be inducted in a ceremony in February.
Robert Boyd: Cultural evolution and human origins
Boyd has lengthy been a pioneer within the discipline of cultural evolution. His analysis reframed the understanding of human evolution by demonstrating that cultural processes, not simply genetic adjustments, have performed a decisive position in shaping human conduct, social buildings and adaptation.
Boyd’s work, together with influential books revealed with co-author P.J. Richerson, helped set up cultural evolution as a severe scientific discipline, contributing to a broader shift in how social and pure scientists conceptualize human tradition over time.
One reviewer wrote: “Rob’s scientific contributions are immense, and his influence extends across several fields. He, along with Peter Richerson and Marc Feldman, essentially founded a new field of science, now called cultural evolution. The field has its own society, the Cultural Evolution Society. Rob’s 1985 book (co-authored with Richerson), ‘Culture and the Evolutionary Process,’ is now a citation classic and a founding text in the field. His subsequent work on the origins and nature of cooperation, ethnic groups, social classes, social norms and complex technologies has opened up entirely new lines of research.”
Stephanie Forrest: Computing, cybersecurity and biologically impressed algorithms
Forrest is acknowledged for a long time of groundbreaking analysis on the intersection of pc science, biology and safety. Her work has formed fields together with automated software program restore, computational immunology, biologically impressed algorithms and pc safety, making her scholarship a mannequin of “use-inspired research.”
From early work on genetic algorithms and adaptive methods to later breakthroughs in software program restore and intrusion detection, Forrest’s contributions have had lasting tutorial and real-world affect. Her analysis exemplifies the inventive cross-pollination ASU encourages between disciplines to deal with advanced societal issues.
One reviewer wrote: (*4*)
Danielle S. McNamara: Learning sciences and academic expertise
McNamara has earned this distinction in recognition of her groundbreaking interdisciplinary work on the intersection of cognition, studying comprehension, writing and academic expertise. As director of the Learning Engineering Institute’s SoLET Lab, she has led improvement of influential computer-based tutoring methods, together with iSTART and Writing Pal, to assist studying comprehension and writing ability improvement throughout numerous pupil populations.
Her scholarship spans cognitive psychology, pure language processing, studying analytics and adaptive academic environments. With dozens of peer-reviewed publications and exterior grants, her work has helped redefine how educators and researchers take into consideration studying at scale and technology-enabled instruction.
One reviewer wrote: “Professor McNamara’s scholarly contributions are noteworthy not only for their scope and quantity, but also for their broad influence. Her early research on reading strategies, including self-explanation and text coherence, has laid foundational principles in the cognitive science of literacy. Her co-development of Coh-Metrix, a computational tool for analyzing textual cohesion, is widely recognized as a pioneering advancement in the application of psycholinguistic and discourse theories to educational research. Coh-Metrix and related tools have been cited thousands of times and continue to be widely used in the learning sciences, psycholinguistics and educational technology communities.”
Donald S. Siegel: Technology switch, innovation and public coverage
Siegel is a world-renowned scholar whose work on the intersection of economics, enterprise, public coverage and innovation has reshaped how teachers and policymakers perceive expertise switch, company social accountability and the movement of concepts from universities into business and society.
A longtime chief in research of expertise switch and entrepreneurship, Siegel brings each scholarly rigor and real-world relevance. His work has knowledgeable institutional coverage, influenced enterprise technique and guided public-sector approaches to innovation.
One reviewer wrote: “Professor Siegel is internationally recognized for his pioneering research in innovation, technology transfer, entrepreneurship and corporate social responsibility. … (He) has advised the United Nations, the U.S. Department of Commerce, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, and multiple foreign governments on innovation and entrepreneurship policy. He has testified before the U.S. House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology on the Small Business Innovation Research program and co-chaired National Academies committees on advancing commercialization from federal laboratories.”