Recognizing Excellence: CU Boulder Postdocs and Mentors at National Postdoctoral Appreciation Week
National Postdoctoral Appreciation Week provides a unique opportunity to celebrate contributions of postdoc scholars and the essential role played by their mentors. This year, OPA seized the occasion to honor its postdocs and faculty mentors, creating a memorable and inspiring experience. Among the highlights of the celebration were a breakfast gathering and presentation of Outstanding Postdocs and Postdoc Mentor of the Year awards. The breakfast allowed postdocs to network with peers and mentors, sharing their research interests, and exploring potential collaborations.
Tabitha Green (Integrative Physiology) & Massimo Ruzzene,Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation
Outstanding Postdocs of the Year
Highly competitive, the Outstanding Postdoc of the Year Awards recognize CU Boulder postdocs excelling in research productivity, innovation, communication, leadership and advocating for justice, equity, diversity and inclusion.Massimo Ruzzene,Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation, presented both the Outstanding Postdoc of the Year along with the Outstanding Mentor of the Year awards.
This year’s awardees are Drs.Tabitha Green(Integrative Physiology) andZachary Laubach(Ecology & Evolutionary Biology).
Dr. Tabitha Green is a postdoctoral fellow who has trained under Dr. Rachel Rowe for the past seven years as both a postdoc and graduate student, investigating traumatic brain injury. Rowe praised Green’s productivity, highlighting her publishing ten manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals, seven of which over the past year at CU Boulder. Rowe described Green as “one of the brightest, most efficient, proactive, and team-oriented trainees I have hadthe pleasure of working with.” Green is also a recipient of the “Women in Neurotrauma Research Visiting International Scholar Award,” recognizing females in neurotrauma research, a and serves as an editorial board member forFrontiers inNeurology.
Massimo Ruzzene, Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation, Zachary Laubach & Rebecca Safran
Postdoctoral fellow Dr. Zachary Laubach, a vertebrate biologist studying early life environments, was nominated by Dr. Rebecca Safran, a previous Outstanding Postdoc Mentor of the Year recipient. Safran emphasized Laubach’s “outstanding contributions, exceptional potential, and steadfast and authentic commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion” in her nomination. Laubach has a strong track record securing extramural funding receiving a prestigious NSF Rules of Life Postdoctoral Fellowship, a Morris Animal Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship and an NSF Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant.
Outstanding Postdoc Mentor of the Year
The Outstanding Postdoc Mentor of the Year Award, recognizing exceptional faculty mentors who regularly engage postdocs, is awarded toDr. Kristi Anseth(Chemical & Biological Engineering).
Distinguished Professor Kristi Anseth was nominated by a group of postdoctoral scholars: Alex Khang; Della Shin; George Tseropoulos; Kaustav Bera; Michael Blatchley; and Monica Ohnsorg. The group, mostlycomprised ofPAC Bouldermembers, emphasized Anseth’s exceptional leadership and mentorship, having trained over 45 postdoctoral researchers, 20 of whom now faculty members at topuniversities. They also highlighted Anseth’s use ofindividual development plansas a key tool used to track postdoc professional development, and her encouragement of work/life balance and the importance of personal time away from work.
Della Shin, Alex Khang, George Tseropoulos, Kaustav Bera
Postdoctoral Association of Colorado Boulder
Tomasz Karpisz, president of PAC Boulder, shared an overview of the organization, which aims to provide social opportunities for postdocs and their families. The organization also funds travel (due October 31) and outreach/research (due December 5) grants. These grants fund postdocs in any CU Boulder and/or aNational lab for travel or research needs.