Researcher of the Year

Ahu Yolaç

“I recommended Dr. Ahu Yolaç because her scholarship is both rigorous and visible: she’s securing competitive funding, publishing and presenting consistently in peer-reviewed venues, and advancing a major book project that positions her as a leading voice in the field. She also expands LTU’s reach through cross-disciplinary collaboration and community-facing research themes, making her an especially strong candidate for Researcher of the Year,” Lilian Crum, interim dean of the College of Architecture and Design, said.

Yolaç is a multidisciplinary designer and game studies researcher whose scholarship connects systems thinking, critical play, and design pedagogy. Her work often treats games (tabletop RPGs and video games) as learning systems — spaces where people practice strategy, collaboration, reflection, and values — while also exploring environmental justice and inclusive learning outcomes.

Key Research and Scholarly Highlights From the Past Year:

• Major external funding (PI): Secured a $20,000 grant from the Michigan Humanities Council as Principal Investigator for “Land of the Three Fires.” The project connects game design with Indigenous history and environmental justice themes.
• Book contract: Co-authored book contract with Bloomsbury Publishing (with Lilian Crum) for Systems Thinking in Design: Frameworks and Methodologies for the Emerging Designer. The book is scheduled for release in 2026/27.
• Peer-reviewed publications (2024 into 2025): Published/accepted multiple scholarly works across game studies, culture, and design education; this includes peer-reviewed journal and edited-volume chapters (with several listed as in press/accepted).
• Conference activity & visibility: Accepted presentations at major venues (including DesignXLearn/DRS Learn X Design, NAEA, and others), with a deliberate strategy to build networks aligned to her research identity.

Tao Liu

“Tao Liu‘s interdisciplinary expertise has strengthened connections between the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Engineering,” Patrick Nelson, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, said. Liu has played a central role in growing Lawrence Technological University’s cybersecurity program — one that thoughtfully integrates software, hardware, and their intersection — making it increasingly popular among students. He is recognized as an expert in artificial intelligence, which is prominently reflected through his scholarly record of 12 conference proceedings, three peer-reviewed journal publications, and five grant proposals submitted or in progress as PI or Co-PI. He has accumulated more than 1,090 citations and is approaching a position among LTU’s top 20 most-cited faculty — an exceptional achievement in such a short time.

Sydul Karim

Sydul Karim’s research at LTU sits at the intersection of corporate finance, accounting, and institutional environments. His work examines how factors such as regulatory oversight, political risk, and financial disclosures shape corporate decision-making, audit outcomes, and market behavior. By combining rigorous empirical methods with real-world data, his research addresses questions that are both academically significant and highly relevant to practitioners and policymakers.

Before entering academia, Karim held executive and leadership roles in banking and investment, where he experienced financial decisions being influenced by uncertainty, governance, and information gaps. That experience continues to shape his research agenda, motivating him to explore issues that matter in real-world financial markets. The impact of his work extends beyond academia. His research provides insights to improve financial transparency, inform regulatory discussions, and better decision-making by firms and investors. His publications in leading journals reflect a commitment to advancing knowledge while maintaining practical relevance.

At LTU, Karim teaches courses such as corporate finance, financial management, and managerial accounting. He is known for his hands-on, data-driven teaching approach, where students engage with real financial data, financial-based modeling, and emerging AI tools. His goal is to bridge theory and practice, preparing students to become thoughtful, analytical, and forward-looking professionals.

Jinjun Xia

Jinjun Xia has built an influential research portfolio in photoacoustics and biomechanical tissue evaluation, securing over $500,000 in external funding from the National Science Foundation and the American Heart Association. Photoacoustics is a technique using light and sound to see inside the body. Tissue absorbs light that is shined into it and produces sound waves; these sound waves are then measured to create images, allowing doctors to observe blood flow and other internal processes without needing to cut into the body. Biomechanical tissue evaluation is the study of how body tissues behave physically, such as firmness or flexibility. This helps researchers and doctors understand how tissues respond to force and identify changes that may indicate disease. Xia’s research interests are in optical instrumentation, optical science, laser ultrasonics, and ultrasound-guided photoacoustic imaging for molecular detection in turbid media. His research is applicable in the biomedical and non-destructive evaluation industries.

Key Developments:

• Non-contact elastography system for tissue-engineered blood vessels stiffness evaluation. This method innovated the current mechanical characterization in engineered tissue.
• Non-contact multi-band photoacoustic imaging system for cell-tissue functional imaging and sensing. This development significantly reduced the cost compared to traditional ultrasound-coupled systems, making it possible for multiple-resolution imaging acquisition and increased flexibility in operations.

Jacqueline “Jackie” Moody

Research by Jacqueline “Jackie” Moody, PhD, RN, ACNS-BC, exemplifies scholarship that is rigorous, relevant, and deeply human. From examining how health literacy, confidence, and spirituality shape diabetes self-care among African Americans to strengthening clinical competency and nursing education, her work connects evidence to everyday life and advances more culturally grounded care. A former Army nurse whose perspective is rooted in frontline experience, Moody brings both scientific precision and lived insight to her field. LTU’s College of Health Sciences proudly congratulates Moody, an assistant professor of nursing, on being named Researcher of the Year, a well-deserved recognition of the impact and integrity of her work.