Four SBS Faculty Receive 2026 University Awards of Distinction

Congratulations to our four SBS professors who have received prestigious 2026 Awards of Distinction from the University of Arizona in recognition of excellence in teaching, research, leadership, and mentoring: Anna Ochoa O’Leary (University Distinguished Professor Award); Brian Mayer (University Distinguished Outreach Faculty Award); Elizabeth ‘Liz’ Oglesby (Henry and Phyllis Koffler Prize for Excellence in Public Service/Outreach); and Andrea K. Gerlak (Distinguished Mentor Award). 

University Distinguished Professor Award

The University of Arizona Distinguished Scholar Award honors faculty who have made sustained contributions of consistent educational excellence and have demonstrated outstanding commitment to undergraduate education.

Anna Ochoa O'Leary
Department Head and Professor, Mexican American Studies, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences 

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Anna Ochoa O'Leary, professor and department head of Mexican American Studies, received her doctorate in Anthropology from the University of Arizona. Her dissertation, "Investment in Female Education as an Economic Strategy among U.S.-Mexican Households in Nogales, Arizona," was supported by NSF funding. Since 2002, she has taught a range of classes for the Department. Currently, she teaches two graduate classes, Mexican Migration, and the Feminization of Migration, and an undergraduate class, Latin American Migration and the Remaking of the U.S.

She has a textbook to her credit, a Chicano Studies textbook based on her teaching Overview of Mexican American Studies (MAS 265), which was published in 2007 by Kendall Hunt Publishing. More recently, she co-edited Unchartered Terrain: New Directions in Border Research Method and Ethics. (University of Arizona Press, 2013) and is editor of Undocumented Immigrants in the United States Today: An Encyclopedia of their Experiences (ABC-CLIO/Greenwood Press, 2014).

O'Leary is twice a Fulbright Scholar for research on repatriated migrant women (2007-2008), and for research on returned immigrant youth and educational goal setting (2021-2022). She was also Public Voices "Thought Leader" Fellow for 2014-2015, and Academic Leadership Fellow in 2015-2016. Her current research and teaching interests continue to focus on the undocumented immigration to the US, education, culture and urban politics of Mexican/U.S.-Mexican populations, the political economy of the U.S.-Mexico border, and gender issues. Her community activities include participation in several non-profit community-based groups, such as the Coalición de Derechos Humanos and Fundación México.

Her current research and teaching interests continue to focus on the undocumented immigration to the US, education, culture and urban politics of Mexican/U.S.-Mexican populations, the political economy of the U.S.-Mexico border, and gender issues. Her community activities include participation in several non-profit community-based groups, such as the Coalición de Derechos Humanos and Fundación México.

University Distinguished Outreach Faculty Award

The University of Arizona Distinguished Outreach Faculty Award recognizes faculty who have made outstanding contributions to outreach at the University of Arizona, in the State of Arizona, the nation, and the world. 

Brian Mayer
Professor, Sociology, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

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Brian Mayer is a renowned sociologist whose research focuses on the social production of environmental health risks and the complex intersections of science, policy, and medicine. His work examines how communities identify, contest, and address environmental problems, emphasizing the role of activism and local participation in managing potential health risks. A leader in environmental sociology, Mayer has conducted influential studies that highlight the power of community-based science. His research consistently seeks to bridge the gap between academic inquiry and real-world impact, empowering communities to play an active role in addressing environmental health challenges.

Mayer's recent projects reflect his commitment to collaborative, participatory research. He led a National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences-funded study on the long-term psychosocial and community health impacts of the BP Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico, revealing how disasters affect the social fabric of affected regions. Another of his projects, funded by the National Science Foundation, explored the interactions between labor and environmental social movement organizations, shedding light on the dynamics of collective action in addressing shared challenges. 

Additionally, his work investigating the use of community-based science in social movement organizations underscores his dedication to equipping communities with the tools to advocate for change. Central to Mayer's research methodology is community-based participatory research (CBPR), a collaborative approach that actively engages local stakeholders throughout the research process. This method not only enriches his findings but also ensures that the voices of those most affected by environmental health risks are heard and respected.

By fostering partnerships between researchers and communities, Mayer has demonstrated the transformative potential of inclusive, participatory research. His work has had far-reaching impacts, advancing both the field of environmental sociology and the communities he studies. By combining rigorous qualitative research methods with a deep commitment to social justice, he has illuminated pathways to addressing some of today’s most pressing environmental health challenges. Through his research, teaching, and mentorship, Brian Mayer continues to inspire a new generation of scholars and activists dedicated to building healthier, more equitable communities.

Henry and Phyllis Koffler Prize | Research/Scholarship/Creative Activity

Established through the generosity of Henry and Phyllis Koffler in 2000, the prizes recognize outstanding accomplishment in the areas of teaching; research/scholarship/creative activity; or public service/outreach. 

Elizabeth Oglesby
Associate Professor, School of Global Studies, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

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Elizabeth Oglesby is a critical human geographer with a joint appointment as Associate Professor in the School of Global Studies and the School of Geography, Development & Environment, in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBS). Her areas of expertise include human rights, forced displacement and migration, international development, and transitional justice, particularly in Central America.

She has built an outstanding public service and outreach record since coming to the University of Arizona in 2002, with high-impact practices at every level, from the U of A campus and campus-community partnerships to national and international human rights collaborations. In 2015, she received the American Association of Geographers’ most prestigious Public Service Honors in recognition of her contributions to human rights research and practice.

Oglesby is well known for her contributions to international human rights research and outreach. She is a world-renowned expert on the genocide in Guatemala, and she is recognized for her key role as an expert witness in the Guatemalan genocide trials and other international human rights cases.

In Spring 2025, in recognition of her exemplary outreach work, Oglesby received the Distinguished Faculty Outreach Award from the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. She has been recognized for her enriching integration of outreach and teaching. She received the Excellence in Advising and Mentoring Award from the University of Arizona Honors College in 2013, as well as two SBS Excellence in Upper Division Teaching awards (2015, 2022). In 2022, she received the inaugural Teaching Award from the international Conference of Latin Americanist Geographers.

Through her faculty position in the Center for Latin American Studies (within the School of Global Studies), Oglesby has organized more than 100 outreach activities, including large, high-profile events with leading international human rights leaders reaching thousands of people in southern Arizona every year. She is a prolific public writer and speaker, and in 2018, the international Latin American Studies Association asked her to be its media spokesperson on U.S. border issues. She collaborates deeply with organizations in southern Arizona through impactful student internships, community-based lectures and seminars, K-12 curriculum, and innovative dissemination of her knowledge and research. 

Distinguished Mentor Award

The Mentoring Awards recognize faculty mentors who are extraordinary in their mentoring of students, future scholars, and peers. 

Andrea Gerlak
Director, Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy

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Andrea Gerlak has more two decades of experience leading interdisciplinary environmental studies programs and university-community environmental partnerships. She has been a faculty member at Guilford College and Columbia University. For nearly a decade, she served as the director of academic development with the International Studies Association where she facilitated academic development across ISA’s academic sections, including developing programs to foster junior scholar engagement and cross-disciplinarity in international studies. She has consulted on water governance and climate resilience efforts for UNESCO and the WMO. 

Presently, Gerlak serves on the City of Tucson’s Water Advisory Committee. She most recently served on the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority of Arizona’s Water Conservation Grant Committee. Gerlak recently served as a co-editor for the  Journal of Environmental Policy and Planning, an international journal published by Taylor and Francis providing a forum for the critical analysis of environmental policy and planning.

Content adapted from the University of Arizona, Office of Faculty Affairs