Trio of science innovators recognized as Distinguished Faculty Scholars
KALAMAZOO, Mich.—From propelling rockets further into space to analyzing innovative impacts of psychedelic drugs and pioneering nuclear physics theory, Western Michigan University's latest class of Distinguished Faculty Scholars pushes the bounds of scientific innovation.
Drs. Lisa Baker, Kristina Lemmer and Elena Litvinova are being recognized for their world-renowned contributions to their fields of study through significant achievements and academic work. The Distinguished Faculty Scholar Award is the highest honor Western bestows on faculty members.
"These three distinguished faculty members exemplify the highest standards of scholarly excellence and have made outstanding contributions to their respective fields,” says Dr. Julian Vasquez Heilig, provost and vice president for academic affairs. “Together, Dr. Baker, Dr. Lemmer and Dr. Litvinova represent the excellence in scholarship, mentorship and innovation that our University is proud to honor. Their groundbreaking research and passionate commitment to their fields and students make them truly deserving."
Baker, Lemmer and Litvinova will be honored at the Fall Awards Celebration on Friday, Oct. 11, alongside recipients of other prestigious campuswide awards, including the Distinguished Service, Distinguished Teaching, Emerging Scholar, Excellence in Diversity and annual Make a Difference awards. The event begins at 11 a.m. in Kirsch Auditorium of the Fetzer Center.
Dr. Lisa Baker
Baker, professor of psychology, has been a member of Western's faculty for 33 years. Her academic portfolio includes an impressive more than 50 peer-reviewed articles published in top journals such as Neuropharmacology; Psychopharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior; Behavioural Pharmacology; and Drug & Alcohol Dependence.
Her research, which has been supported by more than two decades of funding from the National Institutes of Health, involves evaluating the behavioral pharmacology of drugs of abuse, particularly psychomotor stimulants and hallucinogens.
"I have been consistently impressed by her scientific knowledge of pharmacology of addictive substances, her command of the behavioral experimental literature, and her creative problem solving," says Dr. Matthew Baggott, CEO of Tactogen Inc, an early stage pharmaceutical company.
Baker's expertise has garnered global attention, and she is routinely sought out to participate in scientific societies and professional conferences.
"Both nationally and internationally, Dr. Baker stands as a major figure advancing scientific and practical understanding of legal and illegal psychopharmacological substances," says Dr. Jonathan Baker, chair of the Department of Psychology. "Dr. Baker’s efforts have elevated recognition of Western Michigan University as a research leader addressing one of society’s most pressing public health challenges."
Jonathan Baker also notes Lisa Baker's profound impact on the nearly 200 students she has mentored throughout her career—several of whom she has included as co-authors on manuscripts related to their original research, which he says demonstrates "her commitment to fostering the next generation of scientists."
She also serves as faculty adviser to WMU's Psi Chi chapter. Baker's commitment to nurturing budding scientists earned her the 2023 College of Arts and Sciences Excellence in Promoting Student Success Award.
In spring 2024, Baker received an inaugural Experience-Driven Learning Venture Grant, which allowed her to create a paid summer research practicum for undergraduate students to gain direct experience with research methods in behavioral neuroscience.
Dr. Kristina Lemmer
Lemmer, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, joined Western's faculty in 2012, and her scholarship has taken off at a steep trajectory. She has secured numerous federal grants from prestigious sponsors such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Air Force Office of Scientific Research, National Science Foundation, Department of Defense, Air Force Research Laboratory and Space Dynamics Laboratory.
In his nomination, Dr. Steven Butt, dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, hailed Lemmer as a "luminary figure in aerospace engineering" who "propelled the University to the forefront of in-space propulsion research." Her work focuses on electric propulsion fundamentals, plasma diagnostic development and small satellite propulsion.
"The work being performed under Professor Lemmer’s leadership is closely followed in the community and has the potential to provide both significantly-improved propulsion systems for small spacecraft and the means by which these systems can be monitored in space," says Dr. Kurt Polzin, chief engineer of space and nuclear propulsion for NASA.
Polzin notes the research program Lemmer has built at Western through the Aerospace Laboratory for Plasma Experiments is regarded both nationally and internationally for its ability to perform high-quality work that notably advances the field. Her published research related to measurement diagnostics for larger electric propulsion systems, for example, earned her a spot as a leading collaborator on the NASA Space Technology Research Institute Joint Advanced Propulsion Institute (JANUS).
"As NASA, through its work on solar electric propulsion and space nuclear propulsion, presses for electric propulsion capabilities to support higher-power missions such as future crewed missions to Mars, the ability to perform credible ground testing on high power electric propulsion systems will become more and more critical. The JANUS effort is ongoing, and the team of which Professor Lemmer is helping to lead represents the absolute best, most high-profile university research centers in the nation," says Polzin.
In addition to leading groundbreaking research efforts, Lemmer also serves as advisor for the Western Aerospace Launch Initiative, a student-led organization working to launch a small satellite into space.
"Through her mentorship, numerous students have transitioned into industry roles, with many becoming top-performing professionals," Butt says.
Dr. Elena Litvinova
Litvinova, professor of physics, arrived at Western in fall 2013 as a world renowned nuclear theorist with experience at elite institutions in Russia and Germany as well as the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams at Michigan State University. She quickly rose through the ranks at Western, achieving promotion to full professor in 2023.
Litvinova's work includes developing relativistic nuclear field theory and applying it to the study of microscopic properties of atomic nuclei. She has attracted more than $1 million in external funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF), including a prestigious NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award.
"Elena's research is centered on understanding the many-bodied interactions of atomic nuclei in our quest to understand the origin of the elements in the universe," explains Dr. Kirk Korista, professor of astrophysics.
Her academic contributions to the field of nuclear physics have been prolific. She has authored or co-authored 106 peer-reviewed journal articles, which have collectively been cited nearly 5,000 times. Litvinova has also delivered more than 100 presentations at national and international venues, from Italy and France to Poland, Russia and Switzerland, among many others.
"We are fortunate to have a scholar of Dr. Litvinova's reputation on the faculty of WMU," says Dr. Carla Koretsky, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
"Her outstanding research achievements have contributed to our understanding of astrophysical processes, such as nucleosynthesis, and are important for evaluating experimental results that are expected from newly constructed radioactive beam facilities around the world," says Dr. Yoram Alhassid, Frederick Phineas Rose Professor of Physics at Yale University. "She leads a high quality research program at the frontiers of low-energy physics. Her scholarly work is recognized by the national and international nuclear physics communities and has had a significant impact in the field."
In addition to her research discoveries, Litvinova has a track record of recruiting first-class student talent to her lab, several of whom have gone on to receive international recognition for their Ph.D. and post-graduate work. Her mentees have gone on to research and faculty positions at such international institutions as the National Quantum Computing Center and University of York in the United Kingdom, Sun Yat-Sen University in China, the University in China, University of Bielefeld in Germany and the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Russia.
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