Fiona Goggin and Becca Muenich Named 2024 Provost's Fellows

Fiona Goggin, professor of entomology and plant pathology, and Becca Muenich, associate professor of biological and agricultural engineering, were named the U of A Provost's Fellows for the 2024-25 academic year.

"I'm thrilled Dr. Goggin and Dr. Muenich will serve as Provost's Fellows," said Anna Zajicek, vice provost for faculty affairs. "They were chosen because of their commitment to research and teaching excellence and their dedication to our university. They have been involved in leading our key initiatives in the areas of faculty mentorship, such as the Bridge Program, and faculty recognition through honorary awards. Their work will have a positive impact on these key programs as we continue to support faculty career advancement as well as make significant contributions in how we recognize and retain our talented faculty."

Goggin will serve as the Provost's Fellow for Mentoring. During her fellowship, Goggin will focus on assisting the Provost's Office in supporting the university's reputation as an employer of choice and by leveraging the current infrastructure of the Bridge Mentoring Program and the UA ENGAGE Leadership Exploration Program to expand and deepen faculty connections to faculty life on campus and with each other around research, teaching and leadership development.

Muenich will serve as the Provost's Fellow for Honorary Awards. During her fellowship, Muenich will focus on assisting the Provost's Office and the Division of Research and Innovation with increasing the number of faculty nominations for honorary awards in the areas of scholarship, creative endeavors and teaching, with the goal of elevating the national reputation of U of A faculty and enabling the university's reputation as an employer of choice.

About Goggin

Goggin joined the U of A in 2001 as an assistant professor. She was promoted to full professor in 2011. In addition to her role as professor, she is the director of the Arkansas Bioimaging Facility for Agricultural Research and a past chair of the Bumpers College Faculty Council.

Her research focuses on plant defenses against herbivory with an emphasis on mechanisms of resistance against vascular feeders such as aphids and root-knot nematodes. She has published 53 peer-reviewed articles and has helped secure more than $10 million in competitive grant funding. In addition, she has been invited to speak at more than 100 research presentations.

Goggin has received several awards for her research and mentorship. She received the U of A's Golden Tusk Award in 2020 for graduate advising; the Southeastern Branch Entomological Society of America Recognition Award in Insect Physiology, Biochemistry and Toxicology in 2014; the Outstanding Mentor Award from the Office of Nationally Competitive Awards in 2005, 2007, 2011, 2014 and 2017 for undergraduate research advising; and the Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award from the Office of the Provost in 2024. She was also instrumental in her department receiving the Provost's Award for Departmental Excellence in Mentoring in April 2024. During the 2023-24 academic year, she served as a UA ENGAGE co-director, and she is a recent alumna of iLEAD, the U of A Division of Agriculture's leadership development program.

Goggin holds a Ph.D. in entomology from the University of California, Davis and a bachelor's degree in plant science from Cornell University.

About Muenich

Muenich joined the U of A in 2023 as associate professor. She is an expert in watershed modeling for surface hydrology and water quality, especially in agricultural ecosystems.

Her research focuses on evaluating the impact of land management decisions within the food-energy-water nexus. She has contributed to 49 publications and has participated in more than 100 presentations. She has also helped secure more than $20 million in active and completed research awards.

Muenich has received many honors for her work, including the Early Career Alumni Award from the U of A in 2022, the Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award from the ASU Faculty Women's Association, the New Face of ASABE from the American Society of Agricultural & Biological Engineers in 2020 and the Robert E. Stewart Engineering & Humanities Award from the American Society of Agricultural & Biological Engineers in 2011, among others. She was also inducted into the Arkansas Academy of Biological and Agricultural Engineering in 2020. During the 2023-24 academic year, she served as a UA ENGAGE co-director.

Prior to joining the U of A, she was an assistant professor at Arizona State University and a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Michigan. Muenich holds a Ph.D. and a master's degree from Purdue University and a bachelor's degree from the U of A.

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