Digital badges awarded to students, faculty, and staff for achievements in research skills

Digital badge.

Published June 16, 2020

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“Offering digital badges for completion of CTSI individual core competency workshop series has introduced a new dimension in clinical and translational science research training and education.”
Margarita L. Dubocovich, PhD
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Digital badges continue to grow in popularity and significance nationwide, as do the number of individuals receiving these micro credentials. At UB’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI), these clickable icons signify achievement in knowledge and skills related to clinical and translational research. They can even be used on digital resumes, e-portfolios and LinkedIn accounts.

“Offering digital badges for completion of CTSI individual core competency workshop series has introduced a new dimension in clinical and translational science research training and education, and increased interest among students, fellows, faculty and professional scientists to pursue careers in translational research,” says University at Buffalo CTSI Workforce Development Core Director and KL2 Mentored Career Development Award PI and Program Lead Margarita L. Dubocovich, PhD, SUNY Distinguished Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology and senior associate dean for diversity and inclusion in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

A total of 26 digital badges were awarded to 25 individuals in 2019 and 2020 for three of the CTSI’s core competency workshop series — 16 for Responsible Conduct of Research, six for Good Clinical Practice, and four for Scientific Communication. Fall 2020 will see the start of a new digital badge opportunity, in Effective Teaching. This series prepares participants to be effective educators of diverse individuals.

One digital badge recipient reflected on the experience, “Earning the digital badge was a nice way to formalize my participation and helped me engage more with the material.”

The digital badging opportunities are free and open to all members of the Buffalo Translational Consortium, including students, faculty, and staff members. Plans call for the CTSI to eventually award digital badges for all 10 core competency workshop series. And, organizers say, in the future, participants will have the opportunity to stack digital badges to earn specific micro-credentials in an area of clinical and translational research.

The list of 2019 and 2020 badge recipients includes students, faculty, and fellows from six different schools at UB, including the Jacobs School, the School of Public Health and Health Professions, the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Dental Medicine, and the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, as well as the Clinical and Research Institute on Addictions and Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Good Clinical Practice Digital Badges recipients, spring 2020:

  • Mehrnoosh Ghandili, MD (postdoctoral associate, Jacobs School)
  • Imon Goswami (PhD student, Roswell Park)
  • Julianne Hergenroder, MS, MPH (research assistant, UBMD Orthopaedics/Jacobs School)
  • Balakrishna Salandra (master’s student, Jacobs School)
  • Pragya Srivastava, PhD (postdoctoral associate, Roswell Park)     
  • Rebeccah Young (staff, Jacobs School)

Responsible Conduct of Research Digital Badges recipients, spring 2020:

  • Tanya Biscardi (staff, Jacobs School)
  • Jennifer Fillo, PhD (faculty, Clinical and Research Institute on Addictions/Jacobs School)
  • Megan Fitzgerald (PhD student, Roswell Park)
  • Jonathan Folmsbee (PhD student, Jacobs School)
  • Steven Gabriel, MA (fellow, School of Public Health and Health Professions)
  • Nirva Kudyan, MD (fellow, Jacobs School)
  • Sangita Patel, MD, PhD (faculty, Jacobs School)  
  • Akanksha Pathania (master’s student, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences)
  • Vishal Tuli (master’s student, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences)
  • Laurie Wikander (staff, College of Arts and Sciences)

Scientific Communication Digital Badges recipients, spring 2019:

  • Jennifer Fillo, PhD (faculty, Clinical and Research Institute on Addictions/Jacobs School)
  • Kyle Mentkowski (PhD student, Jacobs School)
  • Suyog Pal, PhD (postdoctoral associate, Jacobs School)
  • Swati Sonkawde, PhD (postdoctoral associate, Jacobs School)

Responsible Conduct of Research Digital Badges recipients, spring 2019:

  • Meghana Bapardekar, PhD (faculty and staff, Roswell Park)
  • Shirley Chang, MD (faculty, Jacobs School)           
  • Elie Chemaly, MD, PhD (faculty, Jacobs School)
  • Heidimarie Gulisano (research associate, Jacobs School)
  • Milagros Riquelme (master’s student, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences)
  • Shruti Singh (professional student, Dental Medicine)

Congratulations to all of the individuals who completed badges in 2019 and 2020 as part of the CTSI Core Competency Workshop Series. Visit the CTSI website for more information about the series and digital badge opportunities.