Alexander Deiters, professor of chemistry in the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, was honored for his innovation and interdisciplinary research at the interface of chemistry and biology, which aims to discover new therapeutic approaches and improve human health, for example, by discovering inhibitors of the microRNA pathway and of enzymes involved in phase II metabolism. Deiters’ peers described him as “one of the most productive research contributors in the field” whose research program “shows both breadth and depth.”

Anne B. Newman, UPMC Chair in Geroscience and Distinguished Professor of Epidemiology in the School of Public Health, was awarded for her impactful work in the epidemiology of aging and interventions to promote healthy aging through strategies like cardiovascular disease prevention. Peers said the Center for Aging and Population Health director’s research is an “exemplar of the best of scientific accomplishments, leading the development and answering of questions for the public good” and “truly a giant in clinical population research among older adults.” Newman also is clinical director for the University of Pittsburgh/UPMC Aging Institute and a professor of medicine and clinical and translational science.

Jennifer Whiting, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy in the Dietrich School, was recognized for her depth and range of research in philosophy, which brings ancient philosophical thought into dialogue with modern debates on the nature of friendship and personal identity. Peers described Whiting as “one of the more influential and important voices in the field” and the most “sophisticated ancient philosopher of [her] generation,” adding that she is “an extraordinary figure in the world of ancient Greek philosophy,” especially regarding close readings of Plato and Aristotle.