Tag Archives: NPA Gallagher Mentor Award

Gonzales, Holmes & Muhoza Win 2025 Top Postdoctoral Awards

The NPA names in Boston the winners of its NPA Gallagher Mentor Award, NPA Distinguished Service Award, and NPA SCRI Postdoc of the Year Award

BOSTON, Mass., March 21, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — During its annual conference, the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) announced that Albert L. Gonzales, Ph.D., Christine Holmes, MBA, and Sixbert P. Muhoza, Ph.D., are the 2025 winners of the organization’s three most prestigious awards.

Image caption: National Postdoctoral Association (NPA).

“The NPA is committed to improving the postdoctoral experience and these three awards acknowledge the critical role postdocs and those who support them play in advancing knowledge and improving the human condition,” said Christopher T. Smith, Ph.D., chair of the NPA board. “Congratulations to this year’s well-deserved winners.”

The NPA Gallagher Mentor Award recognizes the very best of mentors across the nation who advocate for postdoctoral scholars, celebrate diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) values, and empower their postdoc scholars to succeed. The NPA is dedicated to both recognizing champions and serving as a model for greater DEIB across the postdoctoral community.

This year’s award was presented to Albert. L. Gonzales, assistant professor, department of physiology and cellular biology, at the University of Nevada, Reno. In the words of those supporting Gonzales for the Gallagher Mentor Award, “his philosophy is rooted in the belief that diversity of thought enhances scientific inquiry and innovation.” Another noted: “His mentorship has enriched the postdoctoral experience at our institution by setting a standard of excellence that inspires all who work with him.”

The NPA Distinguished Service Award recognizes the highest appreciation for an individual who has demonstrated a profound, sustained, or leadership contribution to improving the postdoctoral experience. Today, that honor was bestowed on Christine Holmes, MBA, director for postdoctoral studies at Cornell University.

Holmes received the award today to a field of applauding peers who celebrated her decades of support for the postdoctoral community. Holmes founded the Office of Postdoctoral Studies at Cornell when she became its first director in 1995. “She created important new structures to uplift and support postdoctoral scholars on a shoestring budget,” according to her peers who nominated her. “She has had a uniquely profound and sustained impact … on the lives of thousands of early-career scholars.”

This year, the NPA and Seattle Children’s Research Institute (SCRI) presented its second annual Postdoc of the Year Award, bestowing that honor on Sixbert P. Muhoza, Ph.D., a Walter Massey Fellow at the Argonne National Laboratory. The NPA SCRI award recognizes a postdoc who has advanced the postdoctoral community in an exceptional manner beyond their work duties and in alignment with the NPA mission and core values.

In nominating Muhoza for this prestigious award, faculty members applauded his innovation and dedication, noting that he “has made substantial contributions to the scientific community and beyond during his fellowship, setting a new standard for postdoctoral excellence.”

“It’s an honor simply to work alongside these three individuals in the postdoctoral community,” said Tom Kimbis, executive director and chief executive officer of the NPA. “Holmes, Gonzales, and Muhoza are among the best of the best. Their excellence demonstrates the irreplaceable role of postdocs in the greater research environment. Postdocs are essential for maintaining American leadership in the sciences and beyond.”

Individuals and organizations can follow the work of Holmes, Gonzales, and Muhoza online by collaborating with the NPA, which is committed to advancing the skills and careers of our nation’s hard-working postdoctoral scholars, whose work in all disciplines benefits Americans across all fifty states.

About the National Postdoctoral Association:

The National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) charitable and educational association headquartered in Bethesda, MD. Founded in 2003, the NPA envisions an inclusive community where all postdocs are empowered, valued, recognized, and supported in their current and future endeavors. The NPA serves the entire postdoctoral community, including its 24,000 individual and 250 organizational members.

Learn more: https://www.nationalpostdoc.org/

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Hokanson, Peterson & Williams Clayton Win 2024 Top Postdoctoral Awards

SEATTLE, Wash. /ScoopCloud/ -- During its annual conference, the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) announced that Sarah Hokanson, Ph.D., Karen Peterson, Ph.D., and Sade Williams Clayton, Ph.D., are the 2024 winners of the organization's three most prestigious awards.

"These three awards represent the top honors that the NPA can bestow on individuals," said Caleb M. McKinney, Ph.D., M.P.S., chair of the NPA board. "We should all pause to reflect on this trio of excellence in mentorship, distinguished service to the postdoctoral community, and impeccable leadership while in one's postdoc position."

The NPA Gallagher Mentor Award recognizes the very best of mentors across the nation who advocate for postdoctoral scholars, celebrate diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) values, and empower their postdoc scholars to succeed. The NPA is dedicated to both recognizing champions and serving as a model for greater DEIB across the postdoctoral community.

Dr. Sarah Hokanson was selected as the 2024 Gallagher Mentor of the Year today to a field of applauding peers. "Mentoring is my most important, fulfilling, and joyful responsibility," she explained. "I am so grateful to be in collaborative learning relationships with such outstanding postdoctoral scholars and to have the opportunity to support them to make an impact through our work." Hokanson is assistant vice president and assistant provost of research development for Ph.D. and postdoctoral affairs at Boston University.

The NPA Distinguished Service Award recognizes the highest appreciation for an individual who has demonstrated a profound, sustained, or leadership contribution to improving the postdoctoral experience. Today, that honor was bestowed on Dr. Karen Peterson, an early advocate and former board member of the NPA.

"I'm very honored to receive this award from the NPA," commented Peterson, "which is leading the way to improve the lives of postdoctoral fellows and has been instrumental to my own career development over the past two decades." Peterson is the scientific ombudsman and director of the Office of Scientific Career Development at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

This year, the NPA presented its first Postdoc of the Year Award, bestowing that honor on Sade Williams Clayton, Ph.D., a postdoctoral research fellow at Washington University in St. Louis. The award recognizes a postdoc who has advanced the postdoctoral community in an exceptional manner beyond their work duties and in alignment with the NPA mission and core values.

"I am so humbled by this recognition," said Williams Clayton. "I applaud the National Postdoctoral Association for providing this award as a platform to uplift the hard work that postdocs provide at and away from the bench to better the academic community."

"I'm thrilled that we are able to celebrate the incredible achievements of Dr. Williams Clayton beyond those of her day job," said Tom Kimbis, executive director and chief executive officer of the NPA. "The launch of the NPA Postdoc of the Year Award sends another strong signal that the NPA recognizes the irreplaceable role of postdocs in the greater research environment."

Individuals and organizations can follow the work of Drs. Hokanson, Peterson, and Williams Clayton online while also collaborating with the NPA, which is committed to advancing the skills and careers of our nation's hard-working postdoctoral scholars.

About the National Postdoctoral Association:

The National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) charitable and educational association headquartered in Bethesda, MD. Founded in 2003, the NPA envisions an inclusive community where all postdocs are empowered, valued, recognized, and supported in their current and future endeavors. The NPA serves the entire postdoctoral community, including its 20,000 individual and 250 organizational members.

Learn more: https://www.nationalpostdoc.org/

NPA Annual Conference 2024:

Learn more: https://www.nationalpostdoc.org/events/eventdetails.aspx?id=1779542

During its annual conference, the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) announced that Sarah Hokanson, Ph.D., Karen Peterson, Ph.D., and Sade Williams Clayton, Ph.D., are the 2024 winners of the organization's three most prestigious awards.

Related link: https://www.nationalpostdoc.org/

NPA Names Kozlowski, Meissner as 2023 Winners of Annual Awards

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. /ScoopCloud/ -- As it celebrates its twentieth anniversary, the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) today announced that Lisa Kozlowski, Ph.D., and Christian Meissner, Ph.D., are the 2023 winners of two of the most prestigious awards in the national postdoctoral scholar community.

The NPA Distinguished Service Award recognizes the highest appreciation for an individual that has demonstrated a profound, sustained, or leadership contribution to improving the postdoctoral experience. Today, that honor was bestowed on Dr. Lisa Kozlowski, who has worked and advocated on behalf of postdocs and the postdoctoral community through the NPA and in her own career continuously for the past two decades.

"I'm so very honored to have been nominated and selected for the NPA's Distinguished Service Award," said Kozlowski. "I look forward to continuing my work with and for postdoctoral fellows, who make such great contributions to the research enterprise." Kozlowski serves as Associate Dean for Student and Postdoctoral Affairs at Thomas Jefferson University. She started as a Postdoctoral Fellow at Johns Hopkins University in 1997, where she helped lead one of the first postdoctoral associations in the nation.

The NPA Gallagher Mentor Award recognizes the very best of mentors across the nation who advocate for postdoctoral scholars, celebrate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) values, and empower their postdoc scholars to succeed. The NPA is dedicated to both recognizing champions and serving as a model for greater DEI in the postdoctoral community.

Dr. Christian Meissner was named the winner of the 2023 NPA Gallagher Mentor Award of the Year today in recognition of his fifteen years of outstanding mentoring of postdoctoral scholars. Meissner, a professor in the department of psychology at Iowa State University, completed his Ph.D. in cognitive & behavioral sciences at Florida State University. He is recognized for his approach to mentoring, characterized by his peers as empathetic and empowering.

"I'm incredibly humbled by this recognition," said Meissner. "Mentorship has been the most enjoyable aspect of my career and I am grateful to have collaborated with such outstanding early career scholars."

"Drs. Kozlowski and Meissner demonstrate the highest levels of leadership in promoting both individual postdocs and the entire postdoctoral community and are most deserving of our highest awards," stated NPA board chair Caleb McKinney, Ph.D., MPS in recognizing the winners. "All of us can learn from their dedication to promote a culture of belonging and understanding."

In addition, in honor of the NPA's twentieth anniversary, Dr. McKinney presented a special NPA Chair's Recognition to the seven postdoctoral scholars whose inspiration and persistence were instrumental in founding the association in 2003: Drs. Orfeu Buxton, Karen Christopherson, Raymond Clark, Carol Manahan, Avi Spier, Claudina Stevenson, and Arti Varanasi.

About the National Postdoctoral Association:

The National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) charitable and educational association headquartered in Rockville, MD. Founded in 2003, the NPA envisions an inclusive community where all postdocs are empowered, valued, recognized, and supported in their current and future endeavors. The NPA serves the entire postdoctoral community, including its 22,000 individual and 230 organizational members.

Learn more at: https://www.nationalpostdoc.org/

As it celebrates its twentieth anniversary, the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) today announced that Lisa Kozlowski, Ph.D., and Christian Meissner, Ph.D., are the 2023 winners of two of the most prestigious awards in the national postdoctoral scholar community.

Related link: https://www.nationalpostdoc.org/

2023 NPA Gallagher Mentor Award Finalists Announced

ROCKVILLE, Md. /ScoopCloud/ -- The National Postdoctoral Association (NPA), in partnership with Gallagher, today announced the finalists for the 2023 NPA Gallagher Mentor Award. The award recognizes a faculty member or advisor who engages in exceptional mentoring of postdoctoral scholars.

The prestigious NPA Gallagher Mentor Award recognizes those who advocate for postdoctoral scholars; exhibit outstanding communication skills; embed diversity, equity and inclusion values in mentoring; demonstrate respect for the work and career paths of postdoctoral scholars; create productive working environments to enhance the postdoctoral experience; and show resilience and creativity as mentors in navigating change.

"Recognition as a mentor in the academic community is an exceptional achievement, as it demonstrates great dedication to those whose professional careers are just beginning," said Caleb McKinney, Ph.D., MPS, chair of the NPA board of directors and interim assistant vice president at Georgetown University Medical Center.

The 2023 finalists for the NPA Gallagher Mentor Award are:

* Ya-Ting T. Liao, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Case Western Reserve University

* Christian A. Meissner, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Psychology, Iowa State University

* Lakesh Sharma, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Soil Fertility and Sustainable Agriculture, Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences Department, University of Florida

"The NPA recognizes the selfless actions of each of these impressive individuals in mentoring postdoctoral scholars," stated NPA executive director and chief executive officer, Thomas P. Kimbis. "It is hard to understate their contributions to those scientists and researchers fortunate enough to interact with them every day."

The winner of this year's award will be announced at the 2023 NPA Annual Conference, taking place in Philadelphia on April 21-22, 2023 and through a virtual event May 11-12, 2023. This year marks the twentieth anniversary of the founding of the NPA, which will be celebrated during these events.

Registration remains open for this event and is accessible to anyone around the world. Learn more: https://www.nationalpostdoc.org/page/2023AC

About the National Postdoctoral Association:

The National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) educational association headquartered in Rockville, MD and celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2023. Founded in 2003, the NPA envisions an inclusive community where all postdocs are empowered, valued, recognized, and supported in their current and future endeavors. The NPA serves the entire postdoctoral community, including its nearly 25,000 individual and 250 organizational members.

Learn more: https://www.nationalpostdoc.org/

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https://www.ajg.com/

The National Postdoctoral Association (NPA), in partnership with Gallagher, today announced the finalists for the 2023 NPA Gallagher Mentor Award. The award recognizes a faculty member or advisor who engages in exceptional mentoring of postdoctoral scholars. The prestigious NPA Gallagher Mentor Award recognizes those who advocate for postdoctoral scholars.

Related link: https://www.nationalpostdoc.org/

2022 Mentor of the Year Finalists Announced: Four academic leaders nominated for strong commitment to mentorship

ROCKVILLE, Md. /ScoopCloud/ -- The National Postdoctoral Association (NPA), in partnership with Gallagher, today announced during National Mentoring Month the finalists for the 2022 NPA Gallagher Mentor Award. The award recognizes a faculty member or advisor who engages in exceptional mentoring of postdoctoral scholars.

The prestigious award recognizes those who advocate for postdoctoral scholars; exhibit outstanding communication skills; embed diversity, equity and inclusion values in mentoring; demonstrate respect for the work and career paths of postdoctoral scholars; create productive working environments to enhance the postdoctoral experience; and show resilience and creativity as mentors during the pandemic.

"Recognition as a mentor is without a doubt the highest achievement one can receive, because it represents one's positive impact on those that will help shape the future," said Ed Krug, Ph.D., former recipient of the NPA Gallagher Mentor Award and professor emeritus at the Medical University of South Carolina.

The 2022 finalists for the NPA Gallagher Mentor Award are:

* Kellie Ann Jurado, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine

* Kalmia E. Kniel, Ph.D., University of Delaware

* Eben Kenah, Ph.D. & Grzegorz A. Rempala, Ph.D., The Ohio State University

"The NPA recognizes the accomplishments of all four of these impressive individuals and their unfailing commitment to mentorship for postdocs," stated NPA executive director and chief executive officer, Thomas P. Kimbis. "Each of these finalists is already a winner for how they give back to others every day and is a model for others to follow."

The winner of this year's award will be announced at the 2022 NPA Annual Conference, taking place live for the first time in three years in Chicago at the Palmer House Hilton on April 1-2, 2022 and through a virtual event April 28-29, 2022. Registration remains open for this event and is accessible to anyone around the world. Early bird registration ends on January 28, 2022.

About National Postdoctoral Association:

The National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) educational association headquartered in Rockville, MD. Founded in 2003, the NPA envisions an inclusive community where all postdocs are empowered, valued, recognized, and supported in their current and future endeavors. The NPA serves the entire postdoctoral community, including its more than 21,000 individual and 230 organizational members.

LEARN MORE: https://www.nationalpostdoc.org/

RELATED LINKS:

https://www.ajg.com/

https://www.nationalpostdoc.org/page/2022AC

The National Postdoctoral Association (NPA), in partnership with Gallagher, today announced during National Mentoring Month the finalists for the 2022 NPA Gallagher Mentor Award. The award recognizes a faculty member or advisor who engages in exceptional mentoring of postdoctoral scholars.

Related link: https://www.nationalpostdoc.org/