The Department of Statistics is pleased to announce that Shulei Wang and Dave Zhao have been selected for prestigious faculty honors from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign College of Liberal Arts & Sciences (LAS) for the 2026–27 academic year.
Wang has been named a 2026–27 Helen Corley Petit Scholar, recognizing his outstanding accomplishments in scholarship and teaching as an early-career faculty member. Zhao has been named an LAS Dean’s Distinguished Professorial Scholar, a distinction recognizing faculty members with particularly outstanding records who are under consideration for promotion from associate to full professor.
The Helen Corley Petit Scholar program recognizes early-career faculty members for excellence in both scholarship and teaching. Recipients hold the designation for one academic year and receive support for their research and teaching.
Wang was selected for the 2026–27 designation based on his extraordinary record demonstrated during this year’s promotion review. His recognition highlights his contributions as a developing scholar and educator in the Department of Statistics.
The Petit Scholar program was established to support the continued development of early-career faculty, providing recipients with resources to advance their research and teaching.
Zhao has been selected as a 2026–27 LAS Dean’s Distinguished Professorial Scholar, an honor presented to excellent LAS faculty members who are being considered for promotion from associate to full professor.
Recipients are identified by the LAS Executive Committee as faculty members with particularly outstanding records of achievement. Like the Petit Scholar designation, the Dean’s Distinguished Professorial Scholar title is held for one academic year and provides support for the recipient’s research and teaching.
Zhao’s selection recognizes his exceptional record as a scholar and educator and comes as he is considered for promotion to the rank of professor.
The Department of Statistics congratulates Wang and Zhao on these well-deserved honors and looks forward to their continued contributions to research, teaching, and the broader university community.