Colorado State University

Scholarship Impact Award
Recent Achievement

Deborah Fidler
Department of Human Development and Family Studies

Professor Deborah Fidler has built an international reputation as an innovative developmental scientist who is pushing the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in new directions.

She has worked to contribute new state-of-the-art techniques, analytical approaches, and applications to the field, thereby characterizing profiles of relative developmental strength and challenge in individuals with IDD, identifying potential targets for treatment and intervention, and developing innovative educational and intervention approaches to promote participation and well-being.

Fidler has published 72 peer-reviewed articles and 17 book chapters, has been cited nearly 5,000 times and has been continuously funded by external sources for 20 years, with current funding from NIH approaching $6 million.

Scholarship Impact Award
Recent Achievement

Michael Pante
Department of Anthropology and Geography

Associate Professor Michael Pante is an internationally recognized rising star whose substantive and methodological contributions to the field of paleoanthropology has had “game changing” impacts to the story of human evolution.

As described by a fellow paleoanthropologist: “He is the finest paleoanthropologist and zooarchaeologist of his generation, in my opinion. His microscopic research into bone surface modification (cut-marks, toothmarks, etc.) has revolutionized our ability to infer the prehistoric behavior of hominids and carnivores.”

Pante’s breakthrough innovation includes development of a new systematic and quantitative 3-D imagery method standard, which has been used to analyze samples from the renowned excavations at the Olduvai Gorge, including the preeminent collection held by the Smithsonian. Pante has 886 total citations, 22 peer reviewed publications in high impact factor journals since joining CSU.

Scholarship Impact Award
Career Achievement

Holly Stein
Department of Geosciences

Senior Research Scientist Holly Stein’s work to understand earth’s history in a fundamental new light has built an internationally recognized research facility at CSU, the Applied Isotope Research for Industry and the Environment. She is recognized worldwide for her scientific breakthroughs in the development of the Re-Os geochronometer.

Stein’s 30 years of continued honors and recognition; mentorship of younger scientists; short course development; devotion to diversity, equity, and inclusion; and service for science on advisory boards, editorial boards, invited talks and various councils, is remarkable and indicative of her lasting impact on the field, scholarly community, and broader society. Stein has 148 peer-reviewed journal articles and has also been awarded over $15 million.