Ellen Demerath, a Distinguished McKnight University professor at the School of Public Health, has received the University of Minnesota’s 2026 President’s Award for Outstanding Service.
The award honors faculty and staff who have gone above and beyond their regular duties to provide exceptional service to the University community. Demerath was one of 12 members of the University community selected to receive the award this year.
Demerath was recognized for her sustained leadership in community-engaged research, student mentorship, and public service — including her role as co-founder and co-director of the University of Minnesota’s State Fair Research Building at the Minnesota State Fair, one of the nation’s largest and most visible community-engaged research initiatives.
Formerly known as the Driven to Discover Research Facility, the University of Minnesota’s State Fair Research Building, is a public-facing space that connects researchers directly with the community through in-person engagement. By hosting faculty and student research projects in a familiar, welcoming setting, the program advances the University’s land-grant mission by expanding public access to research participation, fostering trust, and strengthening reciprocal relationships with communities across the state. Since its launch in 2014, the State Fair Research Building has engaged more than 500,000 fairgoers and enrolled over 200,000 participants in 500 research projects, spanning 100 system-wide units and a variety of local and national collaborators. This work has resulted in more than 200 peer-reviewed publications, $22 million in funded grants, and numerous student dissertations and theses.
In recognition of this impact, the program was recently honored with the 2025 National Science Foundation’s Impact Innovation Award, presented by Advancing Research in Society for groundbreaking creativity in research engagement. This prestigious national recognition underscores the program’s vital role as a premier hub for transformative, community-engaged research at the University.
In a letter nominating Demarath for the award, Mayo Professor and Division Head Lisa Harnack noted that “Demerath’s contributions to the University through service are exceptional in scope, depth, and impact. Through her visionary leadership, she has strengthened the University of Minnesota in ways few individuals achieve. Her work exemplifies the highest ideals of service: collaboration, inclusivity, and transformation.”
Established in 1997, the President’s Award for Outstanding Service recognizes current and retired faculty and staff whose service has had a lasting impact on the University of Minnesota community.
