46.2 F
Oxford

Two UM Faculty Members Appointed as Distinguished Professors

By Edwin B. Smith

University of Mississippi

Alice Clark (left), then-vice chancellor for research and sponsored programs, presents Robert Van Ness with the University of Mississippi 2014 Distinguished Research and Creative Achievement Award at the university’s Commencement ceremonies. Photo by Nathan Latil/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services

Two respected University of Mississippi professors with a combined total of 50 years of teaching, research and service have been appointed Distinguished Professors by the university.

Kenneth J. Sufka, professor of psychology and pharmacology, and Robert Van Ness, holder of the Bruce Moore Chair in Finance, were appointed the honorific title Friday (May 6) during the spring faculty meeting.

Created in 2018, the Distinguished Professor title recognizes the best faculty members with sustained excellence at the university. The award was created in response to the university’s strategic initiative to develop a post-professorial recognition.

“The Distinguished Professor award recognizes people for having sustained careers of achievement that have had significant influence on their disciplines,” Provost Noel Wilkin said. “The two awardees this year, Dr. Sufka and Dr. Van Ness, are no exception.

“They both have had productive careers that have helped to transform their areas of research and have enhanced the educational experiences of their students.”

A leading international scholar in behavioral neuroscience and psychopharmacology, Sufka joined the UM faculty in 1992. He has ongoing collaborative projects with Mahmoud ElSohly, UM professor of pharmaceutics and drug delivery and director of the university’s Marijuana Project; Kevin Freeman, associate professor of psychiatry at the UM Medical Center; Stephen White, a former Ole Miss doctoral student working at Sam Houston State University; and Johnny Roughan, at Newcastle University.

“Over the course of his career, he has produced an impressive body of work in the field of behavioral neuroscience and psychopharmacology, which has led to incredible breakthroughs in the treatment of depression, chronic pain and addiction,” ElSohly wrote in support of Sufka’s nomination. “Most notably, his research has led to the discovery the first and still only drug-efficacy screening procedure for treatment-resistant depression, for which he received a patent in 2015.”

Working with ElSohly and others, Sufka received a second patent in 2020 for a new cannabidiol analog that shows painkilling activity on par with opioids but without the side effect profile or abuse liability typical of this class of analgesics. This compound, which has the potential to address the current opioid abuse crisis, is licensed to a biotech company and is moving toward clinical trials.

Sufka’s work is transforming research to help combat chronic pain, ElSohly said.

“Dr. Sufka’s lab has developed an innovative method for quantifying analgesic drug effects in animal models of chronic pain that is now commonly used across major pain labs in the U.S. and abroad,” he said.

Sufka has frequently been ahead of his time, said Jeffrey Mogill, the E.P. Taylor Professor of Pain Studies at McGill University in Montreal, citing a 1994 study in which Sufka found that conditioned place preference could be used as an indirect measure of chronic pain for assessing potential analgesics.

“This idea was so far ahead of its time that the paper garnered only 17 citations in the first decade after its publication,” Mogill noted.

“In the last five years alone, Sufka, 1994 has been cited 40 times,” he continued. “I should point out that, at present, CPP is the most commonly used technique in the pain field for measuring spontaneous (or ongoing) chronic pain, and there is now wide agreement that this symptom of pain is the No. 1 priority of preclinical pain research.

“More and more people in the field are using a technique that Ken invented singlehandedly in 1994.”

Generally lauded as a talented, dedicated and effective teacher who is passionate about the success of students, Sufka is the first UM professor to be named a Case-Carnegie US Professor of the Year. His other awards include the 2006 Thomas F. Frist Student Service Award, 2005 Faculty Achievement Award and 1996 Elsie M. Hood Outstanding Teacher Award.

He has turned his passion for student success into a widely used book for undergraduates, “The A Game,” which is in its second edition and translated into Spanish and Arabic. With more than 250,000 copies in print, his book has been adopted by a number of colleges and universities for distribution to their freshman classes.

Van Ness came to UM in 2002 after serving on the faculty at Marshall University and Kansas State University.

Promoted to the rank of professor in 2009, he has held the Moore Chair since 2013. He co-edited, with Bonnie Van Ness, The Financial Review from 2009 through 2015. Widely recognized as one of the preeminent scholars in his field, his primary area of research examines financial markets and the trading of securities, commonly referred to as market microstructure research.

“His work has historically been excellent, and I have no doubt that his future work will continue to meet the very high standard he has set for himself,” wrote Michael Pagano, professor of finance at Villanova School of Business. “As his CV attests, Dr. Van Ness is an excellent teacher as well as scholar, having received numerous awards for both pedagogy and research. 

“He has also given back to the profession as a successful editor of The Financial Review as well as serving as an associate editor at the Journal of Banking and Finance and other respected finance journals.

“Indeed, Dr. Van Ness’s reputation has been key in putting University of Mississippi on the map in the field of finance and the sub-field of market microstructure: when we in the profession think of University of Mississippi, we think of Dr. Van Ness.”

Van Ness’ expertise also was cited by other colleagues in support of his nomination.

“Within financial markets, market microstructure is how different trading mechanisms impact price formation and price discovery and how transaction costs affect investor behavior,” wrote Daniel Bradley, the Lykes Professor of Finance and Sustainability at the University of South Florida. 

“Recently, the GameStop trading event in January 2021 highlighted the importance of this research area as payment for order flow was heavily debated across all mainstream media and ultimately led to Congressional hearings (the debate is still ongoing).

“When I think of market microstructure, the first person I think of is Dr. Van Ness. He has been and continues to be at the forefront of this area.”

One of the most prolific researchers and scholars in his field, Van Ness has published more than 100 peer-reviewed articles, has nearly 4,000 Google Scholar citations and received 10 best-paper awards at professional academic conferences, further indicating his standing as a researcher.

Primarily teaching MBA and doctoral-level courses, he has been highly regarded by students and has won teaching awards five times in the MBA program. The director of doctoral programs, Van Ness has provided mentoring to many doctoral students, chaired or co-chaired 18 dissertations and published with more than a dozen Ph.D. students since he came to Ole Miss.

No more than two eligible faculty can be appointed as Distinguished Professors in a given year.

Each school and college has its guidelines for nominations, but the university requires that nominated faculty have at least six years of service at the highest rank of professor, along with exemplary accomplishments in research and creative achievement, teaching and service. Also, it is expected that awardees will have achieved a significant degree of national or international recognition.

The inaugural Distinguished Professors in 2018 were John Daigle, Donald Dyer and Ikhlas Khan. Other faculty members who have earned the title are Alan Gross, Charles Hussey, Karen Raber, Arunachalam Rajendran, Michael Repka, Ron Rychlak and Jay Watson.


Adam Brown
Adam Brown
Sports Editor

Most Popular

Recent Comments

scamasdscamith on News Watch Ole Miss
Frances Phillips on A Bigger, Better Student Union
Grace Hudditon on A Bigger, Better Student Union
Millie Johnston on A Bigger, Better Student Union
Binary options + Bitcoin = $ 1643 per week: https://8000-usd-per-day.blogspot.com.tr?b=46 on Beta Upsilon Chi: A Christian Brotherhood
Jay Mitchell on Reflections: The Square
Terry Wilcox SFCV USA RET on Oxford's Five Guys Announces Opening Date
Stephanie on Throwback Summer
organized religion is mans downfall on VP of Palmer Home Devotes Life to Finding Homes for Children
Paige Williams on Boyer: Best 10 Books of 2018
Keith mansel on Cleveland On Medgar Evans
Debbie Nader McManus on Cofield on Oxford — Lest We Forget
Bettye H. Galloway on Galloway: The Last of His Kind
Richard Burns on A William Faulkner Sighting
Bettye H. Galloway on Galloway: Faulkner's Small World
Bettye H Galloway on Galloway: Faulkner's Small World
Bettye H Galloway on Galloway: Faulkner's Small World
Bettye H. Galloway on Galloway: Faulkner's Small World
Ruby Begonia on Family Catching Rebel Fever
Greg Millar on The Hoka
Greg Millar on The Hoka
Greg Millar on The Hoka
Greg Millar on The Hoka
jeff the busy eater on Cooking With Kimme: Baked Brie
Travis Yarborough on Reflections: The Square
BAD TASTE IN MY MOUTH on Oxford is About to Receive a Sweet Treat
baby travel systems australia on Heaton: 8 Southern Ways to Heckle in SEC Baseball
Rajka Radenkovich on Eating Oxford: Restaurant Watch
Richard Burns on Reflections: The Square
Guillermo Perez Arguello on Mississippi Quote Of The Day
A Friend with a Heavy Heart on Remembering Dr. Stacy Davidson
Harold M. "Hal" Frost, Ph.D. on UM Physical Acoustics Research Center Turns 30
Educated Citizen on Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving
Debbie Crenshaw on Trump’s Tough Road Ahead
Treadway Strickland on Wicker Looks Ahead to New Congress
Tony Ryals on parking
Heather Lee Hitchcock on ‘Pray for Oxford’ by Shane Brown
Heather Lee Hitchcock on ‘Pray for Oxford’ by Shane Brown
Dr Donald and Priscilla Powell on Deadly Plane Crash Leaves Eleven Children Behind
Dr Donald and Priscilla Powell on Deadly Plane Crash Leaves Eleven Children Behind
C. Scott Fischer on I Stand With Coach Hugh Freeze
Sylvia Williams on I Stand With Coach Hugh Freeze
Will Patterson on I Stand With Coach Hugh Freeze
Rick Henderson on I Stand With Coach Hugh Freeze
George L Price on I Stand With Coach Hugh Freeze
on
Morgan Shands on Cleveland: On Ed Reed
Richard McGraw on Cleveland: On Cissye Gallagher
Branan Southerland on Gameday RV Parking at HottyToddy.com
Tom and Randa Baddley on Vassallo: Ole Miss Alum Finds His Niche
26 years and continuously learning on Ole Miss Puts History In Context With Plaque
a Paterson on Beyond Barton v. Barnett
Phil Higginbotham on ‘Unpublished’ by Shane Brown
Bettina Willie@www.yahoo.com.102Martinez St.Batesville,Ms.38606 on Bomb Threat: South Panola High School Evacuated This Morning
Anita M Fellenz, (Emilly Hoffman's CA grandmother on Ole Miss Spirit Groups Rank High in National Finals
Marilyn Moore Hughes on Vassallo: Ole Miss Alum Finds His Niche
Jaqundacotten@gmail williams on HottyToddy Hometown: Hollandale, Mississippi
Finney moore on Can Ole Miss Grow Too Big?
diane faulkner cawlley on Oxford’s Olden Days: Miss Annie’s Yard
Phil Higginbotham on ‘November 24’ by Shane Brown
Maralyn Bullion on Neely-Dorsey: Hog Killing Time
Beth Carr on A Letter To Mom
Becky on A Letter To Mom
Marilyn Tinnnin on A Letter To Mom
Roger ulmer on UM Takes Down State Flag
Chris Pool on UM Takes Down State Flag
TampaRebel on UM Takes Down State Flag
david smith on UM Takes Down State Flag
Boyd Harris on UM Takes Down State Flag
Jim (Herc @ UM) on Cleveland: Fall Vacations
Robert Hollingsworth on Rebels on the Road: Memphis Eateries
David McCullough on Shepard Leaves Ole Miss Football
Gayle G. Henry on Meet Your 2015 Miss Ole Miss
Guillermo F. Perez-Argüello on Neely-Dorsey: Elvis Presley’s Big Homecoming
Jennifer Mooneyham on ESPN: Ole Miss No. 1 in Nation
Wes McIngvale on Ole Miss Defeats Alabama
BARRY MCCAMMON on Ole Miss Defeats Alabama
Laughing out Loud on ESPN: Ole Miss No. 1 in Nation
Dr.Bill Priester on Cleveland: On Bob Priester
A woman who has no WHITE PRIVILEGE on Oxford Removes Mississippi Flag from City Property
A woman who has no WHITE PRIVILEGE on Oxford Removes Mississippi Flag from City Property
paulette holmes langbecker on Cofield on Oxford – Rising Ole Miss Rookie
Ruth Shipp Yarbrough on Cofield on Oxford — Lest We Forget
Karllen Smith on ‘Rilee’ by Shane Brown
Jean Baker Pinion on ‘The Cool Pad’ by Shane Brown
Janet Hollingsworth (Cavanaugh) on John Cofield on Oxford: A Beacon
Proud Mississippi Voter on Gunn Calls for Change in Mississippi Flag
Deloris Brown-Thompson on Bebe’s Letters: A WWII Love Story
Sue Ellen Parker Stubbs on Bebe’s Letters: A WWII Love Story
Tim Heaton on Heaton: Who is Southern?
Tim Heaton on Heaton: Who is Southern?
Karen fowler on Heaton: Who is Southern?
Don't Go to Law School on Four Legal Rebels Rising in the Real World
bernadette on Feeding the Blues
bernadette on Feeding the Blues
Joanne and Mark Wilkinson on Ron Vernon: a Fellowship of Music
Mary Ellen (Dring) Gamble on Ron Vernon: a Fellowship of Music
Cyndy Carroll on Filming it Up in Mississippi
Dottie Dewberry on Top 10 Secret Southern Sayings
Brother Everett Childers on ‘The Shack’ by Shane Brown
Mark McElreath on ‘The Shack’ by Shane Brown
Bill Wilkes, UM '57, '58, '63 on A Letter from Chancellor Dan Jones
Sandra Caffey Neal on Mississippi Has Proud Irish Heritage
Teresa Enyeart, and Terry Enyeat on Death of Ole Miss Grad, U.S. Vet Stuns Rebel Nation
P. D. Fyke on Wells: Steelhead Run
Johnny Neumann on Freeze Staying with Rebels
Maralyn Bullion on On Cooking Southern: Chess Pie
Kaye Bryant on Henry: E. for Congress
charles Eichorn on Hotty Tamales, Gosh Almighty
Jack of All Trades on Roll Over Bear Bryant
w nadler on Roll Over Bear Bryant
Stacey Berryhill on Oxford Man Dies in Crash
John Appleton on Grovin' Gameday Memories
Charlotte Lamb on Grovin' Gameday Memories
Guillermo F. Perez-Argüello on Two True Mississippi Icons
Morgan Williamson on A College Education is a MUST
Morgan Williamson on A College Education is a MUST
Jeanette Berryhill Wells on HottyToddy Hometown: Senatobia, Mississippi
Tire of the same ole news on 3 "Must Eat" Breakfast Spots in Oxford
gonna be a rebelution on Walking Rebel Fans Back Off the Ledge
Nora Jaccaud on Rickshaws in Oxford
Martha Marshall on Educating the Delta — Or Not
Nita McVeigh on 'I'm So Oxford' Goes Viral
Guillermo F. Perez-Argüello on How a Visit to the Magnolia State Can Inspire You
Charlie Fowler Jr. on Prawns? In the Mississippi Delta?
Martha Marshall on A Salute to 37 Years of Sparky
Sylvia Hartness Williams on Oxford Approves Diversity Resolution
Jerry Greenfield on Wine Tip: Problem Corks
Cheryl Obrentz on I Won the Lottery! Now What?
Bnogas on Food for the Soul
Barbeque Memphis on History of Tennessee Barbecue
Josephine Bass on The Delta and the Civil War
Nicolas Morrison on The Walking Man
Pete Williams on Blog: MPACT’s Future
Laurie Triplette on On Cooking Southern: Fall Veggies
Harvey Faust on The Kream Kup of the Krop
StarReb on The Hoka
Scott Whodatty Keetereaux Keet on Hip Hop — Yo or No, What’s Your Call
Johnathan Doeman on Oxford Man Dies in Crash
Andy McWilliams on The Warden & The Chief
Kathryn McElroy on Think Like A Writer
Claire Duff Sullivan on Alert Dogs Give Diabetics Peace of Mind
Jesse Yancy on The Hoka
Jennifer Thompson Walker on Ole Miss, Gameday From The Eyes of a Freshman
HottyToddy.com