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The Awards for Excellence in Basic Science Mentoring went to Joyce Besheer, PhD, Sharon Campbell, PhD, Charles Perou, PhD, and Will Valdar, PhD. The Nova Awards for Mentoring went to Adriana Beltran, PhD, Jessica Bowser, PhD, and Natalie Stanley, PhD.


Each year the Office of Graduate Education recognizes faculty mentors affiliated with the Biological and Biomedical Sciences Program (BBSP) who embody innovative and student-centered training of graduate trainees. Early-career faculty are eligible for the Nova Award for Mentoring, and faculty with a longer track record of mentoring can be honored with the Award for Excellence in Basic Science Mentoring.

The following faculty have been selected as Nova Award recipients for 2022-2023: Adriana Beltran, PhD, associate professor of genetics; Jessica Bowser, PhD, assistant professor of pathology & laboratory medicine; and Natalie Stanley, PhD, assistant professor of computer science in the College of Arts and Sciences.

The Awards for Excellence in Basic Science Mentoring for 2022-2023 were given to: Joyce Besheer, PhD, professor of psychiatry; Sharon Campbell, PhD, the Gary F. Liebscher Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry & Biophysics; Charles Perou, PhD, the May Goldman Shaw Distinguished Professor of Genetics and Pathology & Laboratory Medicine; and William Valdar, PhD, professor of genetics.

These awards exemplify faculty members who create a supportive environment for trainee growth, clearly articulate expectations, value diversity and belonging, show respect for trainees, facilitate trainee career development, and provide opportunities to network both within and beyond their scientific field of interest. Winners of the Award for Excellence in Basic Science Mentoring, in particular, demonstrate long-term commitment to supporting trainees beyond their training period in the lab.

View past awards recipients here.