Dr. Melissa Harris, an assistant professor in the Department of Biology, has received the 2016 PanAmerican Society for Pigment Cell Research (PASPCR) Medrano Award. 

This prestigious award consists of a commemorative plaque, complimentary PASPCR membership for 2017, and a travel award to the 2017 PASPCR Conference. 

Each year, the award is given to an individual at the early stages of his/her career who embodies the characteristics and love of science exemplified by Dr. Estela Medrano. Dr. Medrano was a highly respected scientist who contributed to deciphering the roles of cyclins in senescence, of epigenetic changes in aging, and of Ski in melanoma progression, before passing away in 2010.