Douglas Mashek, Jennifer Powers, Daniel Stanton and Xiao Dong
This spring, the University of Minnesota celebrated four College of Biological Sciences faculty members for their transformative impact on research and education. From the frontiers of genomic aging to the resilience of tropical forests, these scholars embody the spirit of innovation at the University. Douglas Mashek and Jennifer Powers were named Distinguished McKnight University Professors, which recognizes outstanding faculty who have recently achieved full professor status. Daniel Stanton was named a 2026 McKnight Presidential Fellow, which is a three-year award given to individuals who have been granted both tenure and promotion to associate professor in an academic year. Xiao Dong was named a 2026-2028 McKnight Land-Grant Professor, which aims to advance the careers of assistant professors.
Douglas Mashek - Distinguished McKnight University Professor
Douglas Mashek is a professor with a primary appointment in the Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics (BMBB) and a secondary appointment in the Department of Medicine, Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism. He also serves as the associate director of the Masonic Institute of the Biology of Aging and Metabolism. Dr. Mashek is a leader in the field of lipid metabolism whose work has redefined cellular fat storage. His “bench to bedside” research translates complex lipid mechanics into actionable insights for intermittent fasting, exercise, and the treatment of metabolic diseases. He is a highly productive scholar with 100+ publications in respected journals. He leads two NIH training grants and served as director of graduate studies for the BMBB graduate program, and has mentored and trained 17 postdoctoral scholars, 14 graduate students, and over 50 undergraduate researchers.
Jennifer Powers - Distinguished McKnight University Professor
Jennifer Powers is a professor in the Department of Plant and Microbial Biology and an internationally recognized scholar of tropical forest ecology. Her research, which has resulted in more than 150 papers published in high-impact journals, spans the globe, with field studies conducted in over a dozen countries across Central and South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia. For over 20 years, she has worked to change how we view "secondary" tropical forests (forests that are regrowing after being cleared) by proving they can quickly regain their ability to store carbon and cycle nutrients. Known for her collaborative approach, she has played a central role in organizing ambitious international multi-investigator projects. Beyond her research, Dr. Powers has supervised 23 Ph.D. students and postdocs from seven countries and has emerged as a leader in integrating art into ecological education.
Daniel Stanton - McKnight Presidential Fellow
Daniel Stanton is an associate professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior. Also previously named a McKnight Land-Grant Professor (2025-2027), his research focuses on the ecophysiology of understudied organisms such as lichens and mosses. His research provides insights into how organisms adapt to extreme environments and the challenges posed by climate change. He has a strong reputation as a creative, collaborative scholar who bridges disciplines. As an educator, he has successfully modernized large-enrollment ecology courses to make them more relevant to local students, he currently advises five Ph.D. students and also taught more than 700 students in Ecology, Minnesota Flora and Nature of Life at Itasca.
Xiao Dong - McKnight Land-Grant Professor
Xiao Dong is an assistant professor in the Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development and serves as the director of Bioinformatics at the Masonic Institute on the Biology of Aging and Metabolism. He has been recognized for his pioneering work in genomic aging. He develops advanced sequencing technologies to investigate how somatic mutations—DNA changes that occur in non-reproductive cells over a lifetime—and how they contribute to aging. Dr. Dong is known for his innovative and collaborative approach. His conceptual framework – the Network Fragility Model of Stochastic Mutagenesis – has been recognized as an original and unifying model that reshapes how scientists interpret random mutation accumulation over time. He has developed widely adopted computational tools, including SCcaller, SomaMutDB, and SCCNV, which are now foundational resources for single-cell mutation analysis worldwide. In addition, he co-directs the Molecular Genetics & Genomics course and mentors six graduate students and nearly a dozen undergraduate students in his lab.