2025 University and Distinguished Professors Announced
The Office of the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs is pleased to congratulate Zhanping You as this year's University Professor. In addition, we congratulate Barbara Dai and Claudio Mazzoleni, this year’s Distinguished Professors.
The University Professor title recognizes faculty members who have made outstanding scholarly contributions to the University and their discipline over a substantial period of time. The Distinguished Professor title recognizes outstanding faculty members who have made substantial contributions to the University as well as their discipline and are not presently recognized through an endowed position.
Please join the Office of the Provost in extending our warmest congratulations to You, Dai and Mazzoleni on these appointments. Their dedication to scholarship, teaching and service significantly enriches the intellectual environment of Michigan Technological University.
2025 University Professor: Zhanping You
You is a distinguished researcher in civil engineering materials, with a particular expertise in bituminous and advanced asphalt materials, pavement design and sustainability. He has held the title of Distinguished Professor at MTU since 2019. During his tenure at the University, You has secured approximately $16 million in research funding from prominent agencies such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT). In 2019, his innovative work incorporating recycled tire rubber in a project for the Kalamazoo County Road Commission earned the American Public Works Association’s Best Project Award. You is an elected Fellow of both the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and Engineering Mechanics Institute (EMI).
With an impressive record of nearly 23,000 citations and an h-index of 80, You is recognized as one of the top scientists at Michigan Tech. He has authored over 400 publications in leading journals, including the esteemed Journal of Transportation Research Board, Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering, and Construction and Building Materials. In 2023, his exceptional research was further acknowledged with the Best Paper Award at the World Transportation Convention.
Beyond his research achievements, You is highly valued by his graduate students for his exceptional teaching and mentorship. His unique teaching philosophy underscores his deep commitment to student learning, evidenced by his regular participation in CTL workshops to continuously refine his methods and prioritize educational quality in the classroom. You's dedication to his students has been recognized with the CEE Graduate Advisor of the Year award in 2018 and the Michigan Tech Exceptional Graduate Mentor Award in 2022.
2025 Distinguished Professor: Barbara Dai
Dai is a professor and the associate chair for research in the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering (CEGE), and has demonstrated outstanding achievements in research, teaching and service. As a key contributor to the online Master of Science in Civil Engineering structures program, Dai has mentored 14 Ph.D. students, seven research thesis master's students, and more than 30 undergraduates. Additionally, as the associate chair for CEGE, she plays a crucial role in shaping the department’s research direction.
In the field of research of infrastructure materials with a focus on low-carbon concrete utilizing alternative and supplementary cementitious materials, as well as resilient and durable infrastructures, Dai has served as a principal investigator on numerous research projects funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), state departments of transportation, and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE). Her publication record includes more than 120 refereed journal articles, with an impressive 88% co-authored by her students as first authors — highlighting her strong commitment to mentorship.
Dai’s Google Scholar publication h-index is 48. She received the 2017 Aerospace Engineering Best Paper Award and was consistently listed among Stanford University’s World’s top 2% of most cited scientists in 2020 and 2021. Dai is actively involved in several American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and American Concrete Institute (ACI) committees, chairs some of the World Transport Congress (WTC) committees and an ACI subcommittee, and serves as an associate editor for the ASCE Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering.
2025 Distinguished Professor: Claudio Mazzoleni
Mazzoleni is a professor of physics and director of the Atmospheric Sciences Ph.D. program at Michigan Tech. He has demonstrated exceptional leadership in atmospheric aerosol research, coupled with outstanding teaching and mentorship of students. He is recognized for his research on aerosol properties and their influence on air quality and climate, notably the optical properties of biomass burning aerosols, and aerosol transport and properties at remote sites like Pico Mountain in the Azores. He has pioneered the development of multiple instruments for characterizing aerosol and cloud properties in the laboratory and in the field.
Mazzoleni and his research team have published extensively in high-impact journals, resulting in over 9,000 citations of their work. He has established a strong externally funded research program in atmospheric physics, with support from federal and industrial sources including the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). He is also recognized for his dedicated mentorship of undergraduate students and for his collaborative publications with researchers from other prestigious institutions.