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University of Minnesota Distinguished McKnight University Professors for 2008 The Office of the Provost and the Graduate School are pleased to announce the new recipients of the Distinguished McKnight University Professorship. The purpose of the Professorship is to recognize and reward our most outstanding mid-career faculty. Recipients are honored with the title Distinguished McKnight University Professor, which they hold for as long as they remain at the University of Minnesota. The grant associated with the Professorship consists of $100,000 to be expended over five years. The recipients were chosen based on the following criteria: the level of distinction and prestige that their scholarly work brings to the University; the merit of their achievements and the potential for greater attainment in the field; the dimension of their national or international reputation, including leadership efforts in interdisciplinary or collaborative initiatives; the extent to which their career has flourished at Minnesota and their work and reputation are identified with Minnesota; the quality of their teaching and advising; and their contributions to the wider community. Profiles of the new recipients follow, along with a list of prior winners.
Judith BERMAN Genetics, Cell Biology & Development Model and Pathogenic Yeasts
Jeffrey J. DERBY Chemical Engineering & Materials Science Development and Application of Computational Models to Understand and Improve Crystal Growth Processes
Sachin S. SAPATNEKAR Electrical and Computer Engineering Computer Aided Design: Shaping the Semiconductor Industry with Fundamental Research
Andreas STEIN Chemistry Design and Synthesis of Functional Porous Materials and Nanostructures
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Professor Berman is a leader in the study of yeasts, both the baker's yeast that produces bread and beer, and its more insidious cousin, Candida albicans, one of the most prevalent human pathogens. Her interdisciplinary contributions span genetics, cell biology, genomics, microbiology, and systems biology. Her earlier work with baker's yeast focused on telomeres, the chromosome ends, which have important roles in maintaining genetic integrity and preventing cancer. Berman’s more recent collaborations in systems biology comparing the two yeasts revealed major changes in their regulatory “wiring diagrams.” She has also identified a major mechanism of resistance to antifungal drugs and is using that breakthrough to develop new tools for the prevention of this important clinical problem. Berman is a fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Professor Derby is a world leader in the growth of crystals, materials upon which the entire electronics industry is based. He is known for pioneering research using computational models to understand how crystals grow and to improve their production processes. Derby has written over 120 peer-reviewed and invited publications and has received numerous awards, including the National Science Foundation Presidential Young Investigator Award, the American Association for Crystal Growth Young Author Award, the University of Minnesota McKnight Land-Grant Professorship, and the Humboldt Research Award given by the German government’s Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. 
Professor Sapatnekar is an international leader in research and education in the important, challenging, and high impact area of computer-aided design (CAD) of integrated circuits. Integrated circuits form the heart of the electronics we use in our daily lives. His fundamental research contributions have been adopted by industry, helping shape the future of the semiconductor business. His contributions include the optimization of on-chip circuitry for improved power and speed, the development of statistically driven methods for circuit analysis, and the development of technologies for 3D circuit design. Sapatnekar has coauthored 7 books and over 200 publications, and has received numerous international awards, including the Semiconductor Research Corporation's Technical Excellence Award, and best-paper awards at leading CAD conferences. His book, Timing, is one of the most complete references on the topic. 
Professor Stein is an internationally recognized expert in syntheses of porous solids with designed architectures. His pioneering research involving colloidal crystal templating and nanoporous materials with hybrid frameworks has rendered synthetic strategies that are now widely applied to address applications in catalysis, photonics, batteries, sensors, biomaterials, and polymer nanocomposites. His interdisciplinary approach to research has equipped students to tackle materials problems that cross multiple scientific and engineering disciplines. Stein and coworkers have authored more than 100 peer-reviewed research articles and authoritative reviews. He currently holds the Merck Chair in Chemistry; his previous awards include a Packard Fellowship, a DuPont Young Professor Grant, a 3M Faculty Award, a National Science Foundation CAREER Award, and the University of Minnesota McKnight Land-Grant Professorship.