The Graduate School has announced its 2024 spring award recipients. There were strong candidates for each award who showcased the breadth of talent found within the Graduate School community.
Graduate School Dean's Doctoral Mentoring Award
Dr. Traci Lyons, Associate Professor of Medical Oncology, has been awarded the Dean’s Doctoral Mentoring Award.
Dr. Lyons creates a welcoming atmosphere from the very beginning. Several nominees stated that they knew they wanted to work with her as soon as the interviewing stage after seeing her enthusiasm, positive attitude, and positive relationships with current students. She inspires the next generation of scientists through her work in the lab and her encouragement of those she mentors.
Graduate School Dean's Master's Mentoring Award.
Our Dean’s Masters Mentoring Award has been given to Dr. Marian (Emmy) Betz, Professor of Epidemiology at the Colorado School of Public Health and Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.
A former student’s testimony about Dr. Betz truly shows what sets her apart.
“Dr. Betz has mentored numerous faculty, medical trainees, and doctoral students who have successfully completed publications, presented at national meetings and obtained young investigator grants and career development awards… Needless to say, her passion for firearm research and mentorship have filtered down as her mentees have become mentors themselves,” Maya Haasz, Master of Clinical Science, said.
Campus Culture and Community Engagement Award
Christina (Tina) Piarowski, a doctoral student in the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, has been awarded the Campus Culture and Community Engagement Award. She is Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Developing Scholars Program, connecting area undergraduates with PhD students for internships that give undergrads the research experience they need to succeed while also providing the PhD students mentoring experience to further their careers.
Her work’s impact expands far beyond the CU Anschutz campus, and she has a deep commitment to lessening barriers young scientists from historically underserved backgrounds face when pursuing careers in research and academia.
Outstanding Dissertation Award from PhD Programs
This year’s Outstanding Dissertation Award from PhD Programs goes to Cell Biology, Stem Cells and Development graduate Dr. Hannah E. Jones. She successfully defended her thesis, which focused on a poorly understood perivascular cell type in the central nervous system (CNS) vasculature, perivascular fibroblasts (PVFs),; in March of this year.
Hannah has been published extensively, secured NIH predoctoral funding, and received awards for her research presentations. During her research, Hannah demonstrated a commitment to sharing knowledge that advances the field, not just her own work, as she made new techniques she had adapted available as a preprint.
Hannah’s thesis committee rated it as “outstanding” and “an example of excellent scholarship.” Her success was further exemplified by the full audience she presented in front of in the Nighthorse Campbell auditorium and the 20 virtual attendees of her defense. Not only a great scientist, she also proved herself an excellent science communicator and speaker.
Graduate School Dean’s Outstanding Master's Award
Marie-France (Marie) Izere, a fall 2023 graduate of the Modern Human Anatomy program, has been awarded the Dean’s Outstanding Master’s Award for her excellence in research, teaching, and service.
Marie not only excelled in coursework but was an integral member of the community program Advocates for ALL Youth (ALLY), where she designed trainings for teachers and volunteers, created assessments, and presented the data gathered orally during a presentation and visually during a poster session.
During her time at CU Anschutz, she completed her master’s degree and earned a Certificate in Anatomical Sciences Education. She is an outstanding anatomy educator and served as a role model and mentor for other students in her program.