March 30, 2009

Seven UAB professors will receive the 2009 Dean's Award for Excellence in Mentorship. The awards will be presented at a special ceremony in April on the UAB campus.

The ceremony will take place Friday, April 10 at 2 p.m. at the UAB Hill Center, Great Hall, 1400 University Blvd.

The award, which is in its second year, was created by Bryan D. Noe, Ph.D., dean of the Graduate School, to recognize exceptional faculty mentorship. Current and former undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral fellows can nominate the professors they believe have made a difference in their academic careers. The recipients will receive an engraved plaque.

Nominees must be full-time UAB faculty members in one of the university's 12 schools, or in a joint health sciences department. The nominees are judged on personal characteristics, teaching, communication and mentoring.

The 2009 winners are: Professor Stephen A. Watts, Ph.D., School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Department of Biology; Professor Victor M. Darley-Usmar, Ph.D., Joint Health Sciences, Department of Molecular and Cellular Pathology; Professor Brian F. Geiger, Ed.D., School of Education, Department of Human Studies; Professor Graciela Alarcon, M.D., School of Medicine, Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology; Professor Louis J. Dell'Italia, M.D., School of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Disease; Professor Ian W. Knowles, Ph.D., School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Department of Mathematics; and Associate Professor Lesley Smythies, Ph.D., School of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology