April 16, 2010
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Twenty-two University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) professors from 17 departments received the 2010 Graduate Dean's Award for Excellence in Mentorship during a ceremony April 12.
The award, now in its third year, recognizes faculty who have been outstanding mentors, advisors and role models to the students and trainees with whom they have worked. Honorees receive an engraved plaque and a bound volume of letters nominating them. Bryan Noe, Ph.D., dean of the UAB Graduate School, is the award's creator.
For a faculty member to be selected for the award, at least five letters of nomination had to be submitted on their behalf. Nominators were asked to consider personal characteristics, excellence in teaching and communication, and mentoring characteristics in their recommendations.
Among the characteristics of an outstanding mentor documented are demonstration of effective leadership, enthusiasm, an ability to make difficult information and concepts understandable, the willingness to serve as a role model and a belief in the importance of mentoring.
This year's recipients were:
David Chaplin, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Microbiology
Shelia Cotten, Ph.D., associate professor, Department of Sociology & Social Work
Jose Fernandez, Ph.D., associate professor, Department of Nutrition Sciences
Frank Franklin, M.D., Ph.D., professor, Department of Health Behavior
Nataliya Ivankova, Ph.D., associate professor, Department of Human Studies
Pauline Jolly, Ph.D., professor, Department of Epidemiology
Ho-Wook Jun, Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering
John Kearney, Ph.D., professor, Department of Microbiology
Connie Kohler, Dr. P.H., associate professor, Department of Health Behavior
Claudiu Lungu, Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of Environmental Health Sciences
Raymond Mohl, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor, Department of History & Anthropology
Michael Mugavero, M.D., assistant professor, Division of Infectious Diseases
Kent Oestenstad, Ph.D., associate professor, Department of Environmental Health Sciences
Sarah Parcak, Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of History & Anthropology;
David Roth, Ph.D., professor, Department of Biostatistics
Virginia Sisiopiku, Ph.D., associate professor, Department of Civil, Construction & Environmental Engineering
Harald Sontheimer, Ph.D., professor, Department of Neurobiology
Hemant Tiwari, Ph.D., associate professor, Department of Biostatistics
Tino Unlap, Ph.D., associate professor, Department of Clinical & Diagnostic Sciences
David Vance, Ph.D., associate professor, Department of Family/Child Health & Caregiving
Pete Walsh, Ph.D., research professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering;
Thane Wibbels, Ph.D., professor, Department of Biology.
About the UAB Graduate School
The UAB Graduate School offers 47 masters and 38 doctoral degree programs spanning across the disciplines. The Graduate School seeks to nurture skills that transcend disciplinary boundaries, preparing students to participate successfully in professional and academic arenas. With coordinated and interdisciplinary degree programs available, UAB Graduate School students can tailor their educational experience to their own career objectives.