Indiana University Bloomington recognizes two faculty members with Distinguished Service Awards for their exceptional contributions to the university, their departments and the broader community.

Priscilla Barnes, a faculty member in the Department of Applied Health Science in the School of Public Health-Bloomington, will receive the 2025 Mary Burgan Distinguished Service Award.

Dennis Groth, a professor in the Department of Informatics in the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering, is the third honoree to receive the M.A. Venkataramanan “Venkat” Distinguished Service Award.

“These awards honor faculty who go above and beyond in service to their campus, disciplines and communities,” said Carrie Docherty, vice provost for faculty and academic affairs.

“Professors Barnes and Groth exemplify the kind of dedication that strengthens our campus and supports the public good, whether through pioneering community-engaged research addressing rural health disparities with millions of dollars in funding and impactful initiatives like Healthy Rural Indiana 2025, or through extraordinary academic leadership that guided the Luddy School and broader university through accreditation, student success programs and the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Established in 1986 in honor of longtime IU English professor and administrator Mary Burgan, the Mary Burgan Distinguished Service Award recognizes sustained and distinguished service to the university, a discipline or the public.

The Venkat Distinguished Service Award, named in honor of longtime faculty leader M.A. Venkataramanan, recognizes a faculty member or librarian whose service has made a significant and lasting impact on the Bloomington campus.

“The excellence of IU Bloomington is sustained not only by groundbreaking research and teaching, but also by the extraordinary service of our faculty and librarians,” said Rahul Shrivastav, IU Bloomington provost and executive vice chancellor. “Their leadership and dedication reflect the collaborative spirit of our campus, and we are grateful for the positive impact they continue to make through their work.”

All award recipients were recommended by a faculty committee sponsored by the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs and selected by the provost. Honorees will be celebrated at a reception in the fall 2025 semester.