Awards and Achievements

Professors Eliot Brenowitz and Phyllis Wise were inducted into the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Brenowitz is a professor of biology and psychology. Wise is the UW Provost and professor of biology, physiology and biophysics, and obstetrics and gynecology. AAAS Fellows are recognized for their efforts to advance science and/or its applications.

Professor and Provost Phyllis Wise was inducted into the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. The IOM is a nonprofit organization that provides science-based advice on matters of health, medicine and biomedical science.

Sara O’Brien, a biology doctoral candidate, was awarded Best Student Poster in the Division of Comparative Endocrinology at the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology meeting this year. Her poster was entitled "Reproductive Profiles of Gonadotropin-inhibitory Hormone (GnIH) Gene Expression in White-crowned Sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys."

Sam Sudar, a triple major in neurobiology, philosophy and English, received the prestigious Gates Cambridge Scholarship. This scholarship supports graduate study at the University of Cambridge in England. Sudar plans to research spinal cord regeneration while there. Read more.

Pavan Vaswani, a triple major in neurobiology, biochemistry and computer science, was the junior medalist for the 2007-08 academic year. He was also the sophomore medalist last year. Medalists are recognized for having the strongest academic record in their class.

Peter G. Anderson, '77 (BA, Zoology), D.V.M, Ph.D., received the Alpha Omega Alpha Robert J. Glaser Distinguished Teacher Award. The AOA medical honor society established this national award in 1988 to recognize faculty who make an outstanding contribution to teaching medical students. Anderson is a professor of pathology and director of pathology undergraduate education at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Read more.

Nancy E. Beckage, '80 (Ph.D., Zoology), received an honorary doctorate from ETH (the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) in Zurich for her research contributions to the fields of insect endocrinology and immunology. Beckage is a professor of entomology, cell biology and neuroscience at the University of California, Riverside.

Jane Lubchenco, '71 (Ph.D., Zoology), was nominated Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) by President Obama. Lubchenco is a Wayne and Gladys Valley Professor of Marine Biology and Distinguished Professor of Zoology at Oregon State University.

Krystal St. Julien, '08, Tribeta (UW Biology Undergraduate Honor Society) president for 2007-08 and former HHMI research intern in Biology, was one of nine recipients of the 2009 Gilliam Fellowship for Advanced Study. St. Julien is currently a graduate student at Stanford University. Read more.

Did we miss anyone?  Please tell us about your awards and achievements so we can add them to future Biology Newsletters and/or post them on the News Section of our website. Please e-mail your awards and announcements to: uwbio@u.washington.edu.