2023 Postdoctoral Scholar Mentor of the Year Awardees
Dr. Anuja Kulkarni
Department of Chemestry and Biochemistry, College of Arts and Sciences.
One of the individuals chosen for the 2023 award is Dr. Anuja Kulkarni, who is a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry in the College of Arts and Sciences. To best show why Dr. Kulkarni was chosen, here are some of the quotes provided by trainees and lab colleagues in the nomination materials:
- “Dr. K is a model lab citizen and uniting force in our lab that is full of researchers with diverse backgrounds and experiences. Whether it’s something complex such as training on a new protocol or explaining how to run the vacuum oven for the fifth time that work, Dr. K always proceeds with patience, thoughtfulness, and humor.”
- “Beyond technical skills, Dr. K is a loyal confidant and essential contributor to our support network. She always leaves a door open for being a sounding board and source of tempered and unbiased perspective as we navigate our individual journeys.”
- “Dr. K is the foundation of our research success. Since joining our team, she has contributed to five publications, established two new research thrusts, and has trained over five junior scientists in the lab. Her hard work, devotion to learning and enthusiasm for a challenge are infectious, making it a joy to work with her in the lab.”
- “She shows great empathy in addressing people at every academic level. She is always thorough in her assessment without being critical, guiding us to correct answers to strengthen our reasoning skills. She welcomes being challenged just as much as she enjoys sharing her knowledge, using every opportunity to encourage both her and her labmates’ intellectual growth.”
- “As a lab member, Dr. Kulkarni is one of the most reliable and supportive postdoctoral scholars I’ve ever met. She provides indispensable scientific support through her enthusiasm to discuss research and willingness to help lab members troubleshoot their experiments. I have witnessed first hand her motivation and academic integrity, and experienced her trust and respect for my knowledge despite me only being a second-year graduate student.”
In conclusion, here is one final quote from the nomination materials that encapsulates why Dr. Kulkarni is so deserving of this award:
- “Dr. Kulkarni possesses the nurturing and uplifting spirit that every principal investigator should strive for, the work-ethic and scientific intellect that every graduate student finds inspiring, and the mentorship, patience, and dedication that other postdocs should aim to achieve.”
Seunghyun Lee
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering
One of the individuals chosen for the 2023 award is Dr. Seunghyun Lee, who is a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the College of Engineering. To best show why Seunghyun was chosen, here are some of the quotes from lab members that were included in the application:
- “Seunghyun demonstrates all the qualities that a postdoc should possess that not only make him an exceptional researcher, but also an invaluable teacher for everyone around him.”
- “Dr. Lee sets a strong example with his work ethic, integrity, and dedication to research. His commitment to students is evident through tireless guidance and growth opportunities.”
- “Dr. Lee’s positive attitude and support cultivate an empowering environment. He is constantly optimistic about research and always finds a positive angle when encountering roadblocks, which occur frequently.”
- “While Seunghyun is prompt with advice when students face research problems, he gives them enough time and space to investigate the issue at their own pace.”
- Apart from work, Seunghyun actively puts efforts into building strong bonds with collaborators and friends.
In closing, here is another direct quote from the nomination materials that further emphasizes why Seunghyun was chosen:
- “Dr. Lee is not just a leader, he is a mentor and an inspiration to those fortunate enough to work with him. His dedication and remarkable contributions have left an indelible mark on our group and we have full confidence in his continued excellence in future endeavors.”
Dr. Lorena Rosas
Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, College of Medicine
One of the individuals chosen for the 2023 award is Dr. Lorena Rosas, who is a postdoctoral scholar in the Division of Pulmonary Critical Care and Sleep in the Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine. To best show why Dr. Rosas was chosen, here are some of the quotes provided by trainees and lab colleagues in the nomination materials:
- Lorena has been a catalyst for learning in the laboratory, by working one-on-one with mentees to teach new techniques and thoroughly explain their significance.
- Dr. Rosas makes a conscious effort to ensure her mentees are being exposed to a variety of lab settings, helping to shape us into more well-rounded individuals.
- Lorena’s positive attitude and kind demeanor contribute to an uplifting learning environment which welcomes diverse perspectives and encourages collaboration.
- Her collaborative spirit and willingness to help not only her students, but also colleagues in neighboring labs, exudes professionalism. She has even participated in the Comprehensive Underrepresented Summer Internship Program and Destination OSU to extend research opportunities to students from outside universities and help those who have transferred to OSU acclimate.
- Lorena goes above and beyond by pushing her students out of their comfort one. For me, this meant presenting my project at multiple research forums. Because of Lorena’s guidance, feedback, and support, I was able to present two award-winning presentations, something I never would’ve dreamt of doing as an undergrad, yet somehow she helped make it possible.
- Lorena’s mentorship has made me a more confident and capable individual, inside and outside of the lab.
To conclude, there is one final quote from the nomination materials that encapsulates why Dr. Rosas is so deserving of this award.
- One student wrote, “when I reflect on my undergraduate studies and time working in research, Lorena is single-handedly the most memorable person I’ve encountered. Above being a mentor in the lab, she is truly a great friend who ensures that every student feels welcomed and supported so that they may reach their fullest potential. Whether it be needing help understanding how to do an experiment or overcoming a personal struggle, I know she will be there to help me.”
2022 Postdoctoral Scholar Mentor of the Year Awardees
Jesse Hall, PhD
Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, College of Medicine
Jesse was nominated by his entire lab group of undergraduate and graduate trainees and visiting scholars in the Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, COM.
Jesse is an excellent researcher and committed mentor and leader who drives the trainees he engages with to academic excellence and leads by example. He has a dynamic communication style and is able to both breakdown complex research topics in a way that trainees can understand and also show them how their assigned tasks fit into the larger project and scholarly output of the lab. Additionally, he provides guidance and compassion when trainees experience setbacks or failures in their projects and provides anecdotes from his own personal experiences so that the trainees are aware that failure and redirections are a natural and expected part of academic research.
Jesse’s empathy, leadership and proactive pursuit of mentorship, service, and engagement with trainees makes him an exceptional academic researcher and future leader in his field. In addition to pursuing his own research and maintaining critical lab resources like the mouse colony, he devotes considerable time to train and provide hands-on experiences to students and visiting scholars in the lab. At the same time, he goes beyond near-term research projects and regularly talk with trainees 1:1 about their long-term plans, to help them identify why they want to work in research and what milestones they need to meet to succeed. He regularly helps the lab’s trainees work on their own specific professional and educational goals and plan next steps in their career trajectories. One example from his nomination letter includes helping an undergraduate student conceptualize and then execute a research project for their undergraduate honors thesis – without Jesse’s encouragement, support, and checking in, this student expressed that they likely would not have been able to pursue this project.
Ryan King, PhD
Office of Research, College of Medicine
Dr. King was nominated by one of his faculty mentors, Sai Veeraraghavan, Assistant Professor, in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, who also provided testimonials from many of the trainees who engage with Ryan regularly in their research and educational training.
Dr. King is a passionate and committed mentor, who inspires not only his mentees but also his colleagues and mentors to do more not only for trainees and the academy, but also society at large. He is also a prolific researcher; many of the methods and pedagogical approaches he has developed are so refined that many of his colleagues, including faculty, often adopt them into their courses and research methods.
Dr. King has a strong track record of fostering intellectual, professional, and personal development in his colleagues and mentored junior trainees. This is evidenced by the recent successes of some of his previous mentees, who have gone on to receive prestigious awards and fellowships (some examples of which include a prestigious Jefferson Scholarship to the University of Virginia, two NIH F31 pre-doctoral fellowship recipients, and a national undergraduate fellowship). The successful outcomes these trainees have experienced can in large part be attributed to the structured training programs he constructs, whether they be focused on grant writing for graduate students or a scientific journal club for trainees to get presentation experience. due to his selfless commitment to mentorship. He also volunteers outside of the university and has routinely served as a science fair judge at local K-12 schools and during his time as a graduate student at Virginia Tech advocated to ensure that international students were supported on visa issues and that all students on campus had food security. He currently serves as a member of COSI’s Emerging Leaders Advisory Board to implement various educational initiatives across Central Ohio.
Simon Power, PhD
School of Environmental and Natural Resources, CFAES
Dr. Power was nominated by his faculty mentor, Matt Davies, Associate Professor, SENR, CFAES, who also provided many testimonials from Simon’s colleagues and the trainees he regularly engages with in his research and teaching activities.
Dr. Power is a productive and successful researcher, a highly valued mentor to undergraduate and graduate students, and has played a critical role in training undergraduate and graduate students during formal instruction across the School of Environmental and Natural Resources (SENR). Since joining Ohio State three and a half years ago, Simon has published eleven papers and currently has several in review focusing on the use of long-term monitoring data to track ecosystem change following wildfires. His work has gained significant attention within his field and been cited more than two hundred times (with aa number of his papers cited more than fifty times). His exceptional research capabilities are further underscored by an H-Index of 7 and his participation in a major, multi-author global review paper on the use of drones to estimate vegetation biomass.
Dr. Power has demonstrated strong leadership and mentorship capabilities during his time in SENR. He started his postdoc position around the beginning of the pandemic. Despite the uncertainty and turmoil that occurred during that time, he stepped up to make sure the trainees in his lab felt supported. One example from his nomination letter that highlights this commitment involves two graduate students, who at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, were working on a project focused on examining the use of prescribed burning and goat grazing to control woody invasive species within Ohio’s forests. These students faced significant delays and logistical changes due to research restrictions; Simon stepped in and spent weeks camping in the field with them to ensure they were able to collect the samples and data they needed to complete their project. Thanks to his support, these students now have several papers in review or preparation stages.
In addition to his research and mentoring activities, he has also made substantial contributions to supporting SENR’s teaching mission, which has experienced instructional openings and gaps due to a rapidly growing undergraduate population.
2021 Postdoctoral Scholar Mentor of the Year Awardees
Dalton T. Snyder, PhD
Research associate in the Resource for Native Mass Spectrometry Guided Structural Biology (nMS->SB) under Professor Vicki Wysocki.
Dr. Snyder obtained his B.S. degree in chemistry and applied mathematics from the University of Evansville in 2014 and later earned his PhD in chemistry (with a focus on mass spectrometry) under Dr. R. Graham Cooks at Purdue University in 2018. Since joining the nMS->SB Resource, he has focused on simplification and dissemination of surface-induced dissociation technology for the native mass spectrometry community. His current research interests include gas-phase hydrogen-deuterium exchange of native proteins and protein complexes as well as study of amyloid beta aggregation pathways by native mass spectrometry.
Dr. Snyder’s mentees recognized his incredible scientific worth ethic, his dedication to training students and creating a welcoming work environment, and his empathy with others
2020 Postdoctoral Scholar Mentor of the Year Awardees
Faith Brennan, PhD
Postdoctoral fellow, Department of Neuroscience.
Since joining the lab in 2016, Dr. Brennan has investigated the pathophysiology of traumatic spinal cord injury, with a particular interest in immune responses to neurotrauma. During her post-doctoral tenure, she has become a role model for more than a dozen other trainees and technical staff, several of whom expressed multiple ways in which Dr. Brennan demonstrates outstanding leadership, management, communication skills, and selfless devotion to supporting others.
Dr. Brennan received a PhD from the University of Queensland (Australia), where she won the 2015 Dean’s award for Outstanding PhD thesis. Her post-doctoral research at OSU is supported by fellowships from the Craig H. Neilsen foundation and the Wings for Life Spinal Research Foundation. Dr. Brennan served as chair of the post-doctoral association’s international committee until 2019.
2019 Postdoctoral Scholar Mentor of the Year Awardees
Moriah Flagler, PhD
Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy
Dr. Flagler is a teacher, theatre-maker, and scholar. Her research focuses on community-based devising, applied improvisation, and digital storytelling. Her recent scholarship examines how devising digital stories with middle school-aged Spanish speakers foregrounded their community cultural wealth in a schooling system that often strips Latinx youth of their languages and cultures through subtractive assimilation. Moriah received the 2019 Distinguished Thesis Award from the American Alliance for Theatre and Education for her study, “Storied Moments: Foregrounding Community Cultural Wealth through Digital Storytelling.”
Moriah holds a Master of Fine Arts in Drama and Theatre for Youth and Communities from The University of Texas at Austin and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Education from The University of Arizona. She is currently a postdoctoral researcher and the Artistic Director of Be the Street, an Ohio State University community-engaged devising program where she continues to explore the intersections of place, identity, connection, story, and social justice.
2018 Postdoctoral Scholar Mentor of the Year Awardees
Leanna Perez, PhD
Postdoctoral researcher, Department of Human Sciences.
Dr. Perez has interdisciplinary research experience in nutrition and psychiatry and is currently coordinating a clinical research trial for children with ADHD. Her research involves identifying dietary patterns and multinutrient interventions that could inform integrative treatment options for youth with psychiatric or developmental disorders.
Dr. Perez is incredibly enthusiastic about student mentoring and advocacy, and also serves as the current chair for the Policy & Advocacy Committee of the PDA. She has a true passion for learning the stories of each student in her lab and finding a place in research that fits their individual strengths and interests.
Dr. Tasha Posid, PhD
Postdoctoral researcher, Department of Psychology
Dr. Posid was nominated by an undergraduate research assistant who articulated the genuine efforts Dr. Posid has put forth into improving the undergraduate research experience, as well as the outstanding support and mentorship she has received while working with Dr. Posid. In addition to her commendable mentoring capabilities, Dr. Posid has also demonstrated excellent leadership amongst her trainees in the research environment. Congratulations Dr. Posid!