The Graduate Faculty Mentorship Award annually recognizes exceptional guidance provided by graduate faculty as mentors of master’s, doctoral and professional students.
Honorees are selected from three graduate study areas: arts and sciences, professional colleges and health sciences. Tenure track and tenured faculty members who have worked at Ohio State for a minimum of three years are eligible for the award.
Join us in congratulating the 2023-24 GFMA Recipients
Arts and Sciences Graduate Studies
Jody Patterson
Associate Professor, Roy Lichtenstein Foundation Chair of Art History, Department of History of Art, College of Arts and Sciences
As chair of graduate studies, Jody Patterson has worked tirelessly to cultivate a culture of support, care and excellence throughout her department. While an exceptional mentor to her own students and postdocs, Patterson’s willingness to spend substantial time with all students has helped create a positive and supportive environment where students support and care for each other. A firm and fair critic of her mentees, Patterson is also known for going above and beyond for her students by being their champion and cheerleader. She is an exceptional communicator who actively practices mentoring as a philosophy and set of practices, which she constantly puts into action for her students.
Professional College Graduate Studies
Susan Yoon
Associate Professor, College of Social Work
Susan Yoon’s mentees recognize her ongoing efforts to provide a safe and supportive environment. Known for creating individual and group “brave spaces” for mentees’ growth as scholars, she encourages students to be aware of their own and sensitive to others’ sociocultural identities,
diversity and differences. Yoon helps her mentees build a work plan by identifying individual needs and provides support and guidance for networking and funding support. She continues providing outstanding support through the job-search process, allowing mentees to participate in mock screening interviews and job talks. Yoon’s thoughtful and empathetic approach promotes not only academic growth but also resilience in her mentees.
Health Sciences Graduate Studies
Jenessa A. Winston
Assistant Professor, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine
A dedicated and committed mentor, Jenessa A. Winston advises and serves on committees for multiple doctoral and master’s students and is actively involved in resident training and research projects. Under her guidance, her mentees have achieved successful publication records and received numerous awards. Winston is passionate about providing research opportunities for Doctor of Veterinary Medicine students and is active in the college’s Veterinary Scholar Summer Research Program. She was also instrumental in launching the college’s combined Small Animal Internal Medicine Residency and PhD program. Her efforts have significantly impacted the department and beyond, earning her the college’s Charles C. Capen Teaching Excellence Award for Graduate Education in 2023.