Pictured, top, from left are Dan Edidin, Paul de Figueiredo and Stefan Freund. Bottom, from left, are Suchi Guha, Jung Ha-Brookshire and Wenjun Ma.

This article originally appeared in Show Me Mizzou, 9/16/2026

Sept. 16, 2026
Contact: Travis Zimpfer, zimpfert@missouri.edu

Six University of Missouri faculty members have been named Curators’ Distinguished Professors, the highest and most prestigious academic rank bestowed by the Board of Curators.

The six scholars are internationally recognized leaders whose work spans mathematics, the global supply chain, medicine, music, physics and animal health. Their accomplishments include pioneering new approaches to treating disease, advancing emerging technologies and bringing new music to stages around the world.

This year’s Mizzou recipients are:

• Dan Edidin, professor in the College of Arts and Science
• Paul de Figueiredo, professor in the School of Medicine
• Stefan Freund, professor in the College of Arts and Science
• Suchi Guha, professor in the College of Arts and Science
• Jung Ha-Brookshire, chair and professor in the College of Arts and Science
• Wenjun Ma, professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine with a joint appointment in the School of Medicine

About the recipients

Dan Edidin

Edidin is a mathematician whose foundational work has helped shape modern algebraic geometry, the study of complex shapes and their underlying mathematical structures. One of his papers is among the field’s most cited of the past 50 years. He has also applied those ideas to real-world problems, including helping scientists reconstruct clearer images when some of the information needed to create them is missing.

His research has received support from the National Science Foundation and the U.S.-Israel Binational Science Foundation. This year, he was named a Fellow of the American Mathematical Society, and in 2025, he received a Fulbright Distinguished Scholar Award. Edidin also mentors doctoral students and junior faculty and previously served as director of graduate studies in the Department of Mathematics.

Paul de Figueiredo

de Figueiredo is a scientist in the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology and an investigator at Bond Life Sciences Center working at the intersection of microbiology, immunology and biotechnology to develop new ways to fight challenging diseases. His research focuses on engineering bacteria that could potentially be used to treat cancer and autoimmune diseases — turning microbes into tools that could help the body fight illness.

He has also founded several biotechnology companies to help move scientific discoveries toward potential new therapies for patients. His research collaborations have attracted more than $109 million in external funding. de Figueiredo is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and serves in editorial roles for several scientific journals.

Stefan Freund

Freund is a composer and cellist who has helped establish Mizzou’s School of Music as a destination for contemporary music. Through programs including the Mizzou International Composers Festival, Creating Original Music Project and Missouri Composers Project, he gives students opportunities to work with composers and professional musicians and to help bring new music to audiences.

A founding cellist of the Grammy Award-winning music ensemble Alarm Will Sound, Freund has performed internationally and premiered hundreds of new works. Freund’s honors also include being named the Music Teachers National Association-Shepherd Distinguished Composer of the Year. His compositions have been recorded on eight different labels and have been performed around the world.

Suchi Guha

Guha is a leader in the field of organic electronics, bridging optical spectroscopy of advanced materials and device applications. Her research could help enable new generations of electronics and computing technologies. She has also developed innovative experimental techniques that allow scientists to observe how these materials behave under different conditions.

As director of graduate studies in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, Guha also helps prepare the next generation of physicists. Her contributions to research and education have resulted in numerous awards for both her scientific work and teaching.

Jung Ha-Brookshire

Ha-Brookshire is an expert on the global systems that determine how textile and apparel products move from raw materials to retail markets. She is the author of “Global Sourcing in the Textile and Apparel Industry,” the first textbook devoted exclusively to global sourcing in the discipline and a resource used by universities around the world. Her research also examines corporate responsibility and how the textile and apparel industry can become more sustainable.

As chair of and professor in the Department of Textile and Apparel Management, Ha-Brookshire brings that expertise directly to students, including through an annual trip to New York City to experience the industry firsthand. Her honors include Mizzou’s William T. Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence, the International Textile and Apparel Association’s (ITAA) Distinguished Scholar Award, the ITAA Fellow and a Fulbright Scholar award.

Wenjun Ma

Ma is a leading researcher in the fight against dangerous viruses that spread among animals and, in some cases, can jump to humans. His research has advanced vaccine development against avian and swine influenza while helping scientists better understand how emerging viruses spread and which species are vulnerable. His team in the Department of Pathobiology and Integrative Biomedical Sciences and the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology also made research contributions during the pandemic.

Today, Ma is addressing H5 avian influenza in U.S. poultry and cattle, with support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. His work brings together animal and human health while helping protect the nation’s food supply and agricultural economy. Ma has also served in editorial leadership roles for six international scientific journals.