Association for Women in Science Announces Annual Award Winners

WASHINGTON DC, October 13, 2022 – The Association for Women in Science (AWIS) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2022 AWIS Annual Awards, which recognize their career achievements, strong leadership skills, innovative thinking, and commitment to inclusivity, diversity, equity, and accessibility of AWIS members.

To ensure access, equity, and inclusivity, the awards nomination process is open to all, and nominations are accepted from both AWIS members and the general public. This year, AWIS received a number of exceptionally qualified nominations for scientists in fields from artificial intelligence to genomic characterization highlighting DEI activities ranging from revising institutional code of ethics and member conduct documents to developing interactive workshops for colleagues recognizing unconscious bias and starting an introspective journey.

“Recognizing the achievements of women scientists is an integral part of the AWIS mission,” said Meredith Gibson, AWIS CEO. “We received a record number of nominations for members at all stages of their careers. It was wonderful to see so many women making significant contributions to science while also working to advance diversity and inclusion in their organizations and beyond. We are so pleased and proud to have these amazing leaders among our membership.”

ZENITH AWARD – Honors senior career professionals with a lifetime of innovative achievements in STEM and a commitment to workplace diversity.

• Rita R. Colwell, PhD, Distinguished Professor, University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health; Chair and Founder, CosmosID; and President of the Rosalind Franklin Society
• Barbara Di Eugenio, PhD, Professor, Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Computer Science, College of Engineering, University of Illinois Chicago (UIC)
• Usha Rao, PhD, Professor of Chemistry, Saint Joseph’s University

MERIDIAN AWARD – Recognizes mid-career professionals whose diversity and inclusion efforts represent true leadership in the pursuit of workplace equity.

• Reshma Jagsi, MD, DPhil, Newman Family Professor and Deputy Chair, Department of Radiation Oncology; Director, Center for Bioethics and Social Sciences in Medicine (CBSSM), University of Michigan
• Darlene Mitrano, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Neuroscience, Department of Molecular Biology and Chemistry, Christopher Newport University (CNU)
• Roshell Muir, PhD, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, College of Medicine, Drexel University

SPARK AWARD – Highlights students or early career leaders in STEM who are visible and vocal advocates for diversity and inclusive scientific practices.

• Claudia Garnica Diaz, PhD, Student, Botany, The Grace P. John Lab, University of Florida
• Brandy E. Phipps, PhD, Assistant Professor, Central State University
• Abigail Stack, Discovery Pathology Research Lead, Bayer Crop Science

For more information on the award winners, visit https://awis.org/annual-awards