In recognition of the exemplary accomplishments in research, scholarship, and creative activity by faculty members and graduate students at Illinois Institute of Technology, the Office of the Provost, the Office of Research, and the IIT Chapter of Sigma Xi sponsor the annual Sigma Xi/IIT Awards for Excellence in University Research. Sigma Xi is a scientific research society of nearly 75,000 scientists and engineers who have been elected to the Society because of their research achievements or potential.
This year they are presenting one award in the Student category, two awards in the Junior Faculty category, and one award in the Senior Faculty category.
The awardees are:
Chris Pelliccione (Physics, student category)
Adam Hock (Chemistry, junior faculty category)
Liad Wagman (Economics, junior faculty category)
Patrick Corrigan (Psychology, senior faculty category)
Brief biographies of each of the awardees appear below:
Pelliccione is currently finishing his Ph.D. in Physics. He received his Master’s degree in Physics from Illinois Tech in 2012, and his Bachelor’s degree in Physics from the University of Hartford in 2010. After joining the graduate program at the university in August 2010, Pelliccione was immediately involved in research, investigating an electrocatalyst for direct methanol fuel cells using X-ray absorption spectroscopy—which became the topic of his first paper. Since then, Pelliccione has first-authored several papers using in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopic techniques at the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Lab to investigate lithium-ion battery electrode materials. His Ph.D. thesis investigates the structural changes associated with tin-based anode materials for lithium-ion batteries. During his time at IIT, Pelliccione has written papers, presented posters, spoken at conferences, and worked closely with graduate and undergraduate students—assisting them with anything from data analysis to creating presentations. After graduation, Pelliccione is looking forward to continuing his research in battery materials.
Wagman is assistant–recently confirmed to become associate–professor of economics at Illinois Institute of Technology’s Stuart School of Business. Wagman received his Ph.D. and M.A. in Economics from Duke University; his M.Sc. in Computer Science from Stanford University; and his B.Sc. in Computer Science and B.A. in Mathematics from the University of North Carolina. He works on topics in the areas of Information Economics, Industrial Organization, and Entrepreneurial Finance, studying issues of information utilization and trade, entrepreneurship, e-commerce, and privacy. Wagman is (now) a recipient of the Sigma Xi University Research Award, the Bauer Family Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award, the Yahoo! Labs Research and Engagement Award, and has been selected into Poets & Quants 2015 Top 40 B-School Faculty Under 40. He was a visiting assistant professor of managerial economics and decision sciences at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, a research fellow at the Duke University Computer Science Department, a research fellow at the Duke University Social Sciences Research Institute, a recipient of the Program for Advanced Study in the Social Sciences Fellowship, a recipient of the Educational and Research Initiative Fund, and a recipient of the International Conference on Artificial Intelligence Outstanding Paper Award.
Hock obtained his B.S. in Chemistry with Distinction at the University of Delaware in 2001 while performing research in Arnold Rheingold’s laboratory. He earned his Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry in 2007 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology under the tutelage of Nobel Laureate Richard Schrock (2005, Chemistry). Hock’s work in the Schrock group focused on organometallic chemistry. Upon receiving his Ph. D., Hock pursued postdoctoral studies in Roy Gordon’s laboratory at Harvard University where he was a Camille and Henry Dreyfus Environmental Chemistry Fellow. His work with Gordon was directed at materials synthesis for photovoltaic and computing applications. In 2010 Hock joined IIT in Chemistry and holds a joint appointment in Argonne National Laboratory’s Chemical Sciences and Engineering division. Hock’s current research program works on problems related to developing new electronic materials, energy conversion, and catalysis. His projects range from the development of next-generation computer components, new catalysts that selectively perform difficult chemical transformations, and interconverting chemical and electrical energy.
Corrigan is a Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the Illinois Institute of Technology. Prior to that, he was professor of psychiatry at the University of Chicago where he directed its Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation. His research examines psychiatric disability and the impact of stigma on recovery and rehabilitation. Currently, he is principal investigator of the National Consortium for Stigma and Empowerment (NCSE); funded by the National Institute of Mental Health since 2001, NCSE is a collaboration of investigators and advocates from more than a dozen institutions. He is also principal investigator of grants from the National Institutes of Health and the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute which was formed to address President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act. This research examines integrated care primary and behavioral health care among Chicago residents. Corrigan has authored or edited more than 14 books, most recently, The Stigma of Disease and Disability. He has written more than 350 peer-reviewed articles, is editor emeritus of the American Journal of Psychiatric Rehabilitation, and editor of a new journal published by the American Psychological Association, Stigma and Health. Corrigan will now join a distinguished group of faculty who are members of the Research Academy that advises the Office of Research.