The Graduate School named Janay Franklin a 2024 recipient of the Boka W. Hadzija Award for Distinguished University Service, one of the Chancellor’s Awards at UNC-Chapel Hill.
The Graduate School has named Janay Franklin a 2024 recipient of the Boka W. Hadzija Award for Distinguished University Service, one of the Chancellor’s Awards at UNC-Chapel Hill. The award recognizes graduate or professional students with outstanding character, scholarship, leadership, and service to the University. Franklin, a PhD candidate studying neuroscience in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences Program (BBSP), was commended for focusing on service to others in addition to her academic excellence.
Christiann Gaines, PhD, the assistant director for Doctoral Success in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences Program, cited Franklin’s “exemplary character, academic achievements, leadership abilities, and commitment to service” in her nomination of Franklin for the award.
Among many other achievements, Franklin is a founding member of the Maximizing Exposure to Biomedical Research (MEBR) Program which provides opportunities for underrepresented students in biological and biomedical sciences, and a cofounder of Project Legacy Foundation which provides financial support and continuing mentorship to high school students aiming to attend college. She has also focused on underrepresented communities via outreach to elementary and high school students, as well as undergraduates at various schools including her alma mater, North Carolina A&T State University.
Read more about Franklin’s work, here.