2024 Recipients: Dean’s Award for Excellence in Mentoring

Megan Chong

she/her
Tetrad PhD program
Nominated by Sophie Dumont, PhD (Professor)

“She takes the time to get to know her mentees and to help them become the scientists and people they want to become and no matter who that is. She knows how to listen, and listens without judgement, with the mindset that she can learn as much from her mentees as they can learn from her.”

“When I joined the Dumont Lab, nearly three years ago, I had no prior experience working with living cells – and was quite nervous. Megan volunteered to teach me cell culture and was patient with me, despite the steep learning curve. Since then, Megan has taught me almost all the wet lab protocols I know and use today.”

Nicholas Stevers

he/him
Biomedical Sciences PhD program
Nominated by Joseph Costello, PhD (Professor) and Chibo Hong, PhD (Staff)

“Nick is a PhD student, but his mentees already include high school interns, predocs, postdocs and medical fellows. Nick makes science irresistible to his mentees because it is to him. His youngest trainees are so turned on to science and they are thriving. His personal and professional mentoring of peers and postdocs has elevated their scientific contributions, their sense of personal well-being and in turn added to a very positive work environment.”

“I don’t think it would be an understatement to say that he ruined research mentors for me. This is simply because I don’t know how I will ever find a better mentor than him. For those three summers and the rest of my life, I found a teacher. A co-worker. A best friend. A role model. And so much more.”

Emily Twedell

she/her
Neuroscience PhD Program
Nominated by Olivia Barnhill (PhD student, Neuroscience)

“One of the most striking examples of Emily's mentorship excellence is her instrumental role in leading a workshop on applying for the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP). [Emily’s] personalized mentorship has yielded remarkable results, as evidenced by the increase in the number of UCSF Neuroscience students awarded the NSF GRFP since Emily took on this role.”

“Emily's dedication to mentorship and program development extends beyond the walls of UCSF. Her impact on trainees who are not directly affiliated with the university is substantial. Emily's unwavering commitment to creating opportunities for underrepresented minorities in the sciences is exemplary.”

Darwin Kwok
he/him
Biomedical Sciences PhD program
Nominated by Jerry Liu (Junior Research Specialist, UC Berkeley student)

Alexander Marr
he/him
Global Health Sciences PhD program
Nominated by Elizabeth Fair, PhD, MPH (Professor)

Ashley Mitchell
she/her
Global Health Sciences PhD program
Nominated by Elizabeth Fair, PhD, MPH (Professor)

Brooke Jarvie, PhD

she/her
Department of Physiology
Nominated by Anagh Ravi (PhD student, Neuroscience)

“Brooke is an effective leader because she can use her emotional intelligence to identify the real source of an issue, whether it is handling a challenging professional situation, changes to the lab environment, or dealing with workplace conflicts. When working with her peers and mentees in the lab, she always assumes honest intent and shows complete respect for the positions of others.”

“…Brooke has consistently prioritized the mentoring of others, even in situations where there was little direct benefit to herself and, indeed, at times where she was facing setbacks in her own research. I think this illustrates how deeply committed Brooke is to serving as a mentor for others.”

Stephanie Sandoval-Pistorius, MS, PhD

she/her
Department of Neurosurgery
Nominated by Philip Starr, MD, PhD (Professor)

“Stephanie emphasizes the why behind all aspects of the work to ensure that mentees are doing more than completing tasks and are learning to think critically.”

“Dr. Sandoval-Pistorius’ mentorship was not just limited to how she taught me to be a scientist, but she was deeply invested in my development as an underrepresented minority student in STEM. I am not able to meet and have close connections with successful academics in STEM who are from backgrounds like mine, so her guidance was unique and valuable to me.”

Finn Wolfreys, PhD

he/him
Department of Ophthalmology
Nominated by Matilda Chan, MD, PhD (Professor)

“Too often, helping those underrepresented in science focuses only on achieving outcomes. But a successful scientific career demands more, and good scientific mentoring should transcend our formal responsibilities with a continued commitment to support a mentee. Time and again, Dr. Wolfreys actualizes this in a manner that has left a lasting positive impact on the lives of his mentees, as well as the scientific community both in the U.S. and internationally.”

“He is very kind and supportive and always bends over backwards to help people. If I didn't meet him, I wouldn't have been able to study medicine. I feel my life would be totally different. Soon I will graduate and begin working as a doctor in the Tibetan community hospital. Dr. Wolfreys inspires me to help other young Tibetans to believe in their potential and chase their dreams.”

Molly Hodul, PhD
she/her
Department of Neurology
Nominated by Edwina Mambou (Junior Specialist, PROPEL Scholar) and Camila Benitez (PhD student, Tetrad)

Andrew Nelson, PhD
he/him
Department of Neurology
Nominated by Kevin Bender, PhD (Associate Professor)

Parul Verma, PhD
she/her
Department of Radiology
Nominated by Benjamin Sipes (PhD student, Bioengineering)