Three faculty members were recently awarded the title of distinguished professor at Iowa State.

The title was first awarded in 1956 and is the highest academic honor bestowed by Iowa State. It recognizes a faculty member for exemplary performance in at least two of the following areas: Teaching and advising, research, scholarship or artistic creativity and extension, university service or professional practice. A $3,000 addition to base salary is granted to distinguished professors, and the recipients retain the title for the rest of their university careers.

The newly recognized distinguished professors are:

Diane Birt, Mary B. Welch Distinguished Professor in Family and Consumer Sciences

Birt, professor and chairwoman of food science and human nutrition, said she was thrilled to be named a distinguished professor.

Birt came to Iowa State in 1975 after completing her doctorate.

“It was my first appointment in my career,” she said.

After one year at Iowa State, Birt moved to Omaha, where her husband had found a new job. She was there for 21 years and then came back to Iowa State as chairwoman of the food science and human nutrition department.

Birt said she will try to live up to her new title.

“My research has taken a little blow since I became chair of the department, but this title shows me that the university has confidence in me,” Birt said. “The department has to take first priority.”

Birt said the support from her staff is the reason she is a distinguished professor today.

“It’s important to say I had outstanding collaborators,” she said. “The students and staff have been outstanding. I surrounded myself with the right people, and that led to my success.”

Susan Lamont, Charles F. Curtiss Distinguished Professor in Agriculture

Lamont, professor of animal science, has been at Iowa State in the animal science department since 1983 and has moved up in the ranks. She said she has also held administrative posts as the department chairwoman from 2001-2003 and as the assistant director of the Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station.

Lamont is currently teaching a graduate class in livestock immunogenetics, and her research program is studying the molecular genetics that determine resistance of poultry to bacteria that can cause foodbourne diseases.

“We hope to gain an understanding of how genetics impacts biology,” she said.

Lamont said she owes her success to her students and other faculty members.

“I have received outstanding support from my colleagues, as well as the outstanding students and support staff in my research program,” she said.

Vijay Vittal, Anson Marston Distinguished Professor in Engineering

Vittal, professor of electrical and computer engineering, has been a faculty member at Iowa State since he received his doctorate from Iowa State in 1982.

“My entire academic career has been here at Iowa State,” he said. “It’s a great place to work.”

Vittal said most of his research focuses on power system dynamics and ways to prevent blackouts in major cities. He currently teaches several elective graduate level courses.

“It was quite a welcome surprise to receive this honor,” he said.