Cambridge resident Meg Bond, a professor of psychology at the University of Massachusetts at  Lowell, has been named the 2018 Distinguished University Professor for her research on workplace sexual harassment and her efforts to transform organizations into more welcoming and equitable environments.

The annual award is the highest accolade bestowed on a Lowell faculty member, according to the university. It honors educators recognized by their peers for outstanding contributions to teaching, research and service.

Bond directs the school’s Center for Women and Work, which brings together faculty across colleges and departments to research and seek remedies for gender-based inequality in the workforce. The appointment as distinguished university professor coincides with the center’s 20th anniversary.

“Meg has been so dedicated to the university in so many ways,” said Chancellor Jacquie Moloney. “Meg can build consensus; she gets everyone fired up about a cause. Her leadership has been a big element of elevating the university. She’s someone who really understands how to build community.”

Bond teaches courses in community social psychology, workplace diversity and interpersonal dynamics and conducts research on diversity and empowerment within organizations. Most recently, Bond has offered expertise to many audiences about the relationship between workplace dynamics and sexual harassment in response to the #MeToo movement. Moloney, Bond and vice chancellor for research and innovation Julie Chen lead the Making Women Academics Valued and Engaged in STEM project, which is funded by a $3.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation to tackle issues across higher education, including biases and microaggressions, that drive female science and engineering faculty out of academia.

Bond is the 11th professor to get the award since it was established in 2008.