Established by the Office of Postdoctoral Scholars in 2009, this award is presented to faculty members who excel in the mentoring of postdoctoral scholars. A good mentor not only teaches their mentees but also serves as an advocate, advisor and positive role model during the period of direct training and most often, in the following years.
Department of Urban and Regional Planning
Samina Raja, PhD, principal investigator of the Food Systems Planning and Healthy Communities Lab, focuses on community-led policy for building equitable and healthy food systems and communities. An excellent mentor, she works with her mentees to design individual development plans, facilitates strategic opportunities for their collaboration with scholars and community partners in local and international spaces, and supports their professional growth as independent researchers and teachers. She views mentoring to be just as enriching for her as it is for her mentees.
Department of Psychology
As a senior research scientist at the Clinical and Research Institute on Addictions and in the Department of Psychology, Maria Testa, PhD, has mentored many postdoctoral scholars and junior scientists. A fellow of the American Psychological Association, she has published over 100 articles in peer-reviewed journals and served on numerous editorial boards and grant review panels. An excellent role model and mentor, she is dedicated to helping her mentees develop academic research skills, increase their productivity, secure grant funding, and enhance their professional networks.
