Dr Tausif Malik
Two South Asian Academics Among Big 12’s 2026–27 Faculty of the Year Honorees: Two prominent South Asian-origin academics — Dr. Venkat Selvamanickam of the University of Houston and Dr. Mubarak Shah of the University of Central Florida (UCF) — have been named among the Big 12 Conference’s 2026–27 Faculty of the Year Award honorees, highlighting the contributions of faculty members across research, innovation, education and public impact.
The Big 12 announced one faculty honoree from each of its 16 member institutions. The annual recognition showcases research breakthroughs and educational opportunities across Big 12 universities while highlighting faculty achievements to prospective students and the wider community.
“The Big 12 continues to shine on and off the field and that’s evidenced in the diversity of academic offerings and achievements of our faculty across the Conference,” said Jenn Hunter, JD, Big 12 Conference Chief Impact Officer. “Their work has a profound impact on both their campuses and society as a whole. We’re proud that these outstanding educators call the Big 12 home.”
Dr. Venkat Selvamanickam: Advancing Superconductor Science and Manufacturing
Representing the University of Houston, Dr. Venkat Selvamanickam is the M.D. Anderson Chair Professor of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering.
Since joining the University of Houston in 2008, Selvamanickam has established an internationally recognized research program focused on advances in superconductor science and manufacturing.
His work has contributed to the development and advancement of technologies involving high-temperature superconductors, an area with potential applications across energy, transportation, medicine and other high-technology sectors.
Selvamanickam also founded and directs the Advanced Manufacturing Institute and the Applied Research Hub of the Texas Center for Superconductivity, strengthening the university’s research and innovation infrastructure.
His selection as Houston’s Faculty of the Year honoree places a spotlight on the role of advanced materials and manufacturing research within the university’s broader academic and technological mission.
Dr. Mubarak Shah: Global Leadership in Computer Vision and Artificial Intelligence
At the University of Central Florida, the Faculty of the Year honor went to Dr. Mubarak Shah, Trustee Chair Professor of Computer Science and founding director of UCF’s Center for Research in Computer Vision.
Shah has built a globally recognized research program in computer vision and artificial intelligence, helping establish UCF as a major academic center in the field.
His research record includes more than 117,000 citations and an h-index of 150, according to the Big 12’s announcement.
His work has extended beyond theoretical research into practical applications, including crowd analysis, security and health care.
Through the Center for Research in Computer Vision, Shah has also helped develop research and educational opportunities for students working at the intersection of artificial intelligence, computer vision and real-world applications.
A Conference-Wide Celebration of Research
The two South Asian academics are part of a broader group of 16 honorees whose work spans law, history, music, business, medicine, agriculture, genetics, ecology, supply-chain management, sport psychology and technology.
The honorees include:
- Arizona: Rebecca Tsosie, Regents Professor and Morris K. Udall Professor of Law
- Arizona State: Dr. Victoria Jackson, Associate Clinical Professor of History and Co-Director of ASU’s Great Game Lab
- Baylor: Dr. Randall Bradley, Ben H. Williams Professor of Music and Director of the Church Music Program and Dunn Center for Christian Music Studies
- BYU: Dr. Mike Drake, Associate Dean in the Marriott School of Business
- UCF: Dr. Mubarak Shah, Trustee Chair Professor of Computer Science and Founding Director of the Center for Research in Computer Vision
- Cincinnati: Dr. Christy Holland, cardiovascular disease researcher and director of the Image-Guided Ultrasound Therapeutics Laboratories
- Colorado: Dr. Lee Niswander, Professor of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology and Director of the Niswander Lab
- Houston: Dr. Venkat Selvamanickam, M.D. Anderson Chair Professor of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
- Iowa State: Dr. Lisa Schulte Moore, Interim Associate Vice President for Research and Charles F. Curtiss Distinguished Professor
- Kansas: Dr. John Kelly, Professor of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
- Kansas State: Dr. Carl Ade, Associate Professor and Director of the Clinical Integrative Physiology Lab and Clinical Research Coordination Center
- Oklahoma State: Dr. Sam Fuhlendorf, Regents Professor of Natural Resource Ecology & Management
- TCU: Dr. Morgan Swink, Eunice and James L. West Chair in Supply Chain Management and Executive Director of the Center for Supply Chain Innovation
- Texas Tech: Dr. Christopher Smith, Professor of Musicology and founding director of the Vernacular Music Center
- Utah: Dr. William Holland, Associate Professor in the Department of Nutrition and Integrative Physiology
- West Virginia: Dr. Dana Voelker, Professor of Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology and Director of the School of Sport Sciences
South Asian Achievement in U.S. Higher Education
The recognition of Selvamanickam and Shah also underscores the increasingly visible contributions of South Asian-origin scholars to American higher education and research.
Their fields — superconductor technology, advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence and computer vision — represent two areas at the center of technological and scientific development in the United States.
While their research focuses are very different, both academics have built programs that combine advanced research with practical applications and opportunities for students.
The Big 12 Faculty of the Year Awards therefore provide a platform not only to recognize individual academic careers but also to highlight the breadth of research taking place across the conference’s universities.
For the South Asian diaspora, the recognition of Dr. Venkat Selvamanickam and Dr. Mubarak Shah adds another chapter to the growing record of scientists, engineers, educators and researchers making contributions to American universities and global innovation.
