The Stanford University Postdoctoral Association is proud to announce the two winners of the second annual Stanford Postdoctoral Mentoring Award: Prof. Kang Shen in the Biology Department, and Dr. Michaela Kiernan from the Stanford Prevention Center in the Department of Medicine. The Stanford Postdoctoral Mentoring Award is the first university-wide post-baccalaureate mentoring award at Stanford University, and carries a cash prize of $2500 for each winner. Fifty- one nominations were received for thirty-six individuals, and in addition to the two winners, Prof. Susan McConnell (Biology) and Prof. Paul Segall (Geophysics) are recognized with honorable mentions.
 
Strong mentoring has been recognized as the most significant factor affecting both job satisfaction and research according to a survey conducted by the scientific research society Sigma Xi. In addition, both the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the National Science Foundation have established mentoring awards to recognize the value of this activity.
 
Kang Shen's nominators cited that "it takes a special mentor to think so carefully and thoughtfully about his students' professional future" and that he "instinctively knows how to adjust to each student and postdoc and how to best guide them."
 
Michaela Kiernan's nominators mentioned that she "fosters an environment of hard work and intellectual rigor" and "actively strives to maintain a balance of work and play(fulness)." They also noted that she "capitalizes on teachable moments" and "regularly asks for feedback about herself as a leader and mentor."
 
The selection committee was impressed by the outstanding examples of mentoring and strong commitment to the postdoctoral researchers demonstrated by all of the nominated Stanford faculty. The Stanford University Postdoctoral Association hopes that this award and recognition of outstanding postdoctoral mentors will inspire and encourage more faculty members to engage in effective mentoring for their students and researchers at all levels of education.
 
The awards will be presented at the annual School of Medicine Awards Ceremony held on Wednesday, June 10th, at 4pm, in the Dean's Courtyard. The SUPD gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Dean of the School of Medicine and the Vice Provost for Graduate Education for this award.
 

2009 Winners
Kang Shen	Michaela Kiernan

Honorable Mentions
Susan McConnell, Biology	Paul Segall, Geophysics

The Stanford University Postdoctoral Association is proud to announce the two winners of the inaugural Stanford Postdoctoral Mentoring Award: Prof. Andrea Goldsmith in Electrical Engineering, and Prof. James Gross in Psychology. The award is the first to recognize excellence in postdoctoral mentoring across Stanford University, and carries a cash prize of $2500 for each winner. Forty-seven nominations were received and in addition to the two winners, thirteen faculty members were recognized with honorable mentions.
 
Strong mentoring has been recognized as the most significant factor affecting both job satisfaction and research success according to a survey conducted by the scientific research society Sigma Xi. Being a good mentor is a challenging task. It involves interchangeably taking on the roles of teacher, motivator, sponsor and advocate. At its best, a mentoring relationship catalyses the transition of a post-doc from trainee to colleague and in the process can have a profoundly positive impact on both the mentor and mentee. The selection committee was impressed by the outstanding examples of mentoring and strong commitment to the postdoctoral researchers demonstrated by the nominated Stanford faculty.
 
The Stanford University Postdoctoral Association hopes that this award and recognition will inspire and encourage more faculty members to engage in effective mentoring and leadership for their students and researchers at all levels of education.
 
The awards were presented at the annual Stanford University Postdoctoral Association town hall meeting held on June 25th 2008.
 
Notable nomination excerpts included:
 
"[my mentor] taught me to remain a positive when there are uncertainties and difficulties ahead; to encourage others about their future and share my expertise with them"
 
"I learned the skills of communication, such as effectively communicating my research thoughts and ideas to other people and respectively disagree without being blunt and annoy other people.....through collaborations I have also learnt to foster respect and appreciate people's differences"
 
"[my mentor] fosters an environment of reciprocal mentorship that encourages each and every member to seek the guidance they need and share the knowledge they have"
 
"[my mentor] taught me how to execute the delicate balance of providing feedback in a way that would facilitate improved performance without rupturing the mentor/mentee relationship"
 

 

Winners
Andrea Goldsmith	James Gross

 

Honorable Mentions
Ben Barres, Neurobiology	John Huguenard, Nuerology
Kiki Chang, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences	Thomas Krummel, Surgery
Gretchen Daily, Biology/Woods Institute	W. James Nelson, Biology
Ronald Dalman, Surgery	Jennifer Raymond, Neurobiology
Shanhui Fan, Electrical Engineering	Daria Mochly-Rosen, Chemical and Systems Biology
Christopher Field, Biology	Kang Shen, Biology
Fumiko Hoeft, CIBR