By Xoel Cardenas, Sr. Communications Specialist, Office of The Vice President for Research 

The 2025 Distinguished Research Awards honor four University of Utah faculty whose work exemplifies lasting impact, discovery, and public good. 

At the University of Utah, research doesn’t just stay in the lab—it moves into the world. The 2025 Distinguished Research Award honors four faculty members whose work exemplifies this mission: advancing knowledge while improving lives. Their research has led to new technologies, therapies, tools, and understanding—both locally and globally. 

Presented by the Office of the Vice President for Research, the Distinguished Research Award recognizes sustained contributions to discovery, creativity, and public impact. Winners receive a $10,000 grant and will be honored at General Commencement in May.  

This year’s recipients are leaders in neuroscience, biochemistry, energy systems, and mental health innovation. They represent what’s possible when research is rigorous, purpose-driven, and relentlessly curious. 

Award recipients   

Zachary Imel, Professor, Educational Psychology (College of Education)

Zac Imel, Ph.D. is Professor in the Counseling and Counseling Psychology Program in the Department of Educational Psychology and Adjunct Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Utah. He is a licensed psychologist and trained in counseling psychology. His work has focused on the development and evaluation of machine learning technologies to improve the quality of mental health treatment.

John McLennan, Professor, Chemical Engineering (College of Engineering) 

Since 2009, Professor John McLennan has been a faculty member in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Utah. Before joining the U, McLennan had nearly thirty years of experience with petroleum service and technology companies. He has worked on subsurface energy recovery in a variety of reservoir environments throughout the world, particularly geothermal energy, for the last decade. 

Jared Rutter, Distinguished Professor, Biochemistry (School of Medicine)  

Jared Rutter, Ph.D. is a Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry and holds the Dee Glen and Ida Smith Endowed Chair for Cancer Research at the University of Utah where he has been on the faculty in the Department of Biochemistry since 2003. The Rutter Laboratory has identified the functions of several previously uncharacterized mitochondrial proteins. This knowledge has now enabled for the first time the demonstration that this critical metabolic step is impaired in a variety of human diseases, including cancer and cardiovascular disease. 

Karen Wilcox, Professor, Pharmacology & Toxicology (College of Pharmacy) 

Karen S. Wilcox, Ph.D. is a Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Utah. She is the fourth director of the Anticonvulsant Drug Development (ADD) Program, which has served as the contract site of the internationally recognized NINDS-funded Epilepsy Therapy Screening Program for the past 50 years. Her research has contributed to our understanding of the mechanisms of action of antiseizure medications (ASM), the preclinical evaluation of novel ASMs, and the development and validation of animal models in which to study pediatric and pharmacoresistant epilepsy.

“The Distinguished Research Award is one of the most prestigious awards at the university. It honors faculty who have dedicated their lives to research and serving the public,” said Jakob Jensen, Associate Vice President for Research. “The awardees are all high impact researchers with a long track record of working to benefit the people of Utah.” 

History of the Distinguished Research Award 

The first recipient of the Distinguished Research Award was Professor Leroy J. Robertson in 1965. Professor Robertson was a pivotal scholar in the Department of Music who pioneered music training and culture in the Intermountain West. Over the next six decades, we have honored faculty across the university, though the award remains quite selective. Fewer than 170 faculty have received the Distinguished Research Award since it began. 

Click here for a list of all previous Distinguished Research Award winners.