Skip to main content

Rosa León Zayas wins Renjen Prize for Faculty Excellence

by Marketing and Communications,

rosa leon zayas headshot

Rosa León Zayas, assistant professor of biology, has been named the 2021 recipient of the Renjen Prize for Faculty Excellence. Established through a generous gift from Punit and Heather Renjen, the Renjen Prize provides support for scholarly and creative projects and is awarded annually to a faculty member from the College of Arts and Sciences or the Atkinson Graduate School of Management. The award recognizes the accomplishments of faculty members early in their careers, especially those whose work has been widely disseminated and garnered recognition in the public sphere.

A marine microbiologist whose research focuses on life forms in deep-sea trenches, León Zayas joined the Willamette faculty in 2017. Only six years out of graduate school, she has already shown remarkable promise and achievement as a scholar, with no fewer than five active lines of research underway. Her productive and innovative lab has published six research articles in top-tier peer-reviewed journals and has several manuscripts in preparation. León Zayas is the recipient of four significant federal grants or sub-awards supporting her work — one each from the NIH, NASA and NSF, as well as the DCO-CoDL sequencing grant. A Latinx scholar herself, León Zayas is particularly dedicated to advancing opportunities for underrepresented students in the sciences and has founded a Willamette chapter of the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS). 

Born and raised in India, Punit Renjen is a 1987 graduate of the Atkinson Graduate School of Management. Renjen is Deloitte Global CEO and, through a career spanning more than 30 years, has held numerous leadership roles within Deloitte. A former member of the Willamette University Board of Trustees, Renjen is active on a number of boards and currently serves as chair of The United Way Worldwide Board of Trustees. He was named among the 100 most influential business leaders who have graduated from schools accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International. He is married to Heather, and they have a son.

About the College of Arts & Sciences

Our historic campus next to the State Capitol in Salem houses a renowned residential arts and sciences college, and our downtown Portland campus houses the flagship Pacific Northwest College of Art. Professional graduate programs in Portland and Salem include the Northwest's oldest law school, Oregon's top-ranked MBA program, MA and MFA programs in the arts, writing and critical studies, and our MS in data science program.

Related Stories

View All
Willamette University

Genna Walsh JD’24 publishes two ABA articles on psilocybin

01.16.2025 | Jessica Rotter

Genna Walsh JD’24 shares her passion for wellness and educating others on psilocybin.

Willamette University

Willamette University names Jennifer Jacobs Henderson as new provost

01.16.2025 | University Communications

Henderson will steward the university’s mission and work closely with faculty, deans, and staff to maintain the institution's high standards of academic excellence while ensuring its continued relevance in higher education.

Willamette University

Willamette University affirms President Thorsett's transformative leadership with contract extension

01.14.2025 | University Communications

Key achievements during Thorsett's presidential tenure include a more robust academic portfolio, better institutional resilience, and improved enrollment.

Willamette University

University Communications

Address
Waller Hall, Fourth Floor
Willamette University
900 State Street
Salem Oregon 97301 U.S.A.