Congratulations to the WIT 2021 Award Recipients!

2021 Smith and Hook Distinguished Service Award
Betina Lew, PhD, DABT, ERT, Johnson & Johnson (Ethicon)

2021 Mentoring Award
Helen Haggerty, PhD, Janssen

2021 Outstanding Young Investigator Award
Professor Alicia Timme-Laragy, PhD, University of Massachusetts



2021 Vera W. Hudson and Elizabeth K. Weisburger Scholarship Fund Student Award
Krisa Camargo, BS, Texas A&M University
Melissa Wilkinson, BS, Rutgers University
Lillie Barnett, BS, University of Georgia

2021 Postdoctoral Achievement Award
Genoa Warner, PhD, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

2021 Celebrating Women in Toxicology Award (Undergraduate Student)
Tanvi Banota, Rutgers University

2021 Celebrating Women in Toxicology Award (Graduate Student)
Danielle Kolosky, Rutgers University


2021 Celebrating Women in Toxicology Award (Postdoctoral Fellow)
Rebekah Petroff, PhD, University of Michigan
Lauren Walker, PhD, Rutgers University
Previous Award Recipients
Outstanding Young Investigator Awards
Jennifer L. Freeman, PhD, Purdue University
Smith and Hook Distinguished Service Award
Leigh Ann Burns Naas, PhD, DABT, ATS, ERT, Magnolia Toxicology Consulting, LLC
Rakeysha Ivymaria Pinkston, BS, MS, Southern University and A&M College
Vera W. Hudson and Elizabeth K. Weisburger Scholarship Fund Student Award
1st place—Monika Roy, BS, MSPH, University of Massachusetts Amherst
2nd place—Jeanine D’Errico, BS, Rutgers University
Postdoctoral Achievement Award
Colette N. Miller, PhD, MS, US EPA
Celebrating Women in Toxicology Award Fund (Postdoctoral)
Meghan Rebuli, PhD, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Celebrating Women in Toxicology Award (Graduate Student)
Rachel Speer, BS, MS, University of Louisville
Anne Turco, BA, University of Wisconsin Madison
Celebrating Women in Toxicology Award (Undergraduate Student)
Victoria Salemme, University of Massachusetts Amherst
2019 WIT Mentoring Award
Rita Loch-Caruso, PhD, University of Michigan
Outstanding Young Investigator Awards
Lauren Aleksunes, PharmD, PhD, DABT
Smith and Hook Distinguished Service Award
Brinda Mahadevan, MS, PhD, ERT, FATS, Abbott Laboratories
Vera W. Hudson and Elizabeth K. Weisburger Scholarship Fund Student Award
1st place—Jessica Murray, University of Pennsylvania
2nd place—Elana Elkin, University of Michigan
Postdoctoral Achievement Award
1st place—Kimberly Keil, PhD, University of California, Davis
2nd place—Courtney Roper, PhD, University of California, Davis
Celebrating Women in Toxicology Award (Graduate Student)
Rita-Josiane Gouesse, INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier Research Centre
Lauren Lewis, Texas A&M University
Saniya Rattan, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign
Celebrating Women in Toxicology Award (Undergraduate Student)
Brittany Rickard, University of the Science
Mentoring Award
Laura Van Winkle, PhD, University of California, Davis
Smith and Hook Distinguished Service Award
Katie Sprugel, PhD, DABT, Amgen, Inc.
Vera W. Hudson and Elizabeth K. Weisburger Scholarship Fund Student Award
Saniya Rattan, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Postdoctoral Achievement Award
Karilyn Sant, PhD, University of Massachusetts
Celebrating Women in Toxicology Award
Jessica Murray, University of Pennsylvania
Samantha Snow, PhD, US EPA
Suang Supasai, PhD, University of California, Davis
Mentoring Award
Jodi Flaws, PhD, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Outstanding Investigator Award
Dana Dolinoy, PhD, University of Michigan
Smith and Hook Distinguished Service Award
Carol S Auletta, MBA, DABT, Envigo
Vera W. Hudson and Elizabeth K. Weisburger Scholarship Fund Student Award
Katelyn Lavrich, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Lisa Weatherly, University of Maine
Kristal Richlyk, Texas A&M University
Postdoctoral Achievement Award
Priyanka Trivedi, PhD, Harvard Medical School
Celebrating Women in Toxicology Award
Alison Sanders, PhD, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Mentoring Award
James Luyendyk, PhD, Pathobiology and Diagnostic Investigation, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University
Vera W. Hudson and Elizabeth K. Weisburger Scholarship Fund Student Award
Logeswari Ponnusamy, Texas Tech University
Graduate Student Achievement Award
Kyla Walters, Michigan State University
Postdoctoral Achievement Award
Samantha Snow, PhD, US Environmental Protection Agency, ORD Postdoctoral Program, NHEERL/EPHD/CIB
Celebrating Women in Toxicology Award
Kristin Licko, Michigan State University
Dana Lauterstein, New York University
Kimberly Keil, PhD, University of California Davis
Mentoring Award
Judith T. Zelikoff, PhD, Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine
Vera W. Hudson and Elizabeth K. Weisburger Scholarship Fund Student Award
Andree-Anne Hudon Thibeault, INRS-Armand-Frappier Institute
Honorable Mention—Jessica M. Sapiro, University of Arizona
Graduate Student Achievement Award
Alexandra Colon-Rodriguez, Michigan State University
Kristin M. Bircsak, Rutgers University
Postdoctoral Achievement Award
Melissa A. Badding, PhD, National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health
Honorable Mention—Jaime E. Mirowsky, PhD, University of North Carolina
Mentoring Award
Debra Laskin, PhD, Rutgers University
Nancy Kerkvliet, PhD, Oregon State University
Vera W. Hudson and Elizabeth K. Weisburger Scholarship Fund Student Award
Mary Popovech, New York University School of Medicine
Graduate Student Achievement Award
Jamie Moscovitz, Rutgers University
Valerie Minarchick, West Virginia University
Postdoctoral Achievement Award
Colleen McLoughlin, PhD, National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health
Mentoring Award
Patricia Hoyer, PhD, University of Arizona
- Research interests in reproductive and developmental toxicology, with 112 publications and 30 book chapters
- Has mentored 15 graduate students and 12 postdocs
- Her qualities that are most admired by her students are:
- Ethics and passion for research
- Desire to make her students the best they can be
- bility to encourage independent thinking and critical analysis
- Treats students with great respect and kindness
- Understanding and helps students achieve work/life balance
Louis Trombetta, PhD, St. John’s University
- Research interests in toxicology, pathology and drug delivery, with 37 publications and five book chapters
- Has mentored 30 graduate students, 18 of which are women
- His qualities that are most admired by his students are:
- Understanding and kind
- Advocate for women in the sciences
- Gives freedom for students to work independently
- Encouraging
- Approachable about research and on a personal level
Vera W. Hudson and Elizabeth K. Weisburger Scholarship
Weimin Chen, MS, Michigan State University
- Advisor: Norbert E. Kaminski, PhD
- Research: Effect of marijuana-derived cannabinoids on immune functions in response to HIV viral antigens and the molecular and cellular mechanisms responsible for the immune modulation
- Leadership Roles: student representative of the American Association of Chinese in Toxicology SIG, Programming Subcommittee of SOT, recruitment events for Microbiology and Molecular Genetics Department
Graduate Student Achievement Award
Ashley Brinkman, University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Advisor: Wei Xu, PhD
- Research: Understanding how the aryl hydrocarbon receptor and its environmental ligands function in the context of breast cancer
- Leadership Roles: student representative of the Molecular and Environmental Toxicology Center Student Liaison Committee, chair and treasurer of Biological Honor Society—Omega Pi Chapter, Biology 152 Undergraduate Mentor
Jaime Mirowsky, New York University
- Advisor: Terry Gordon, PhD
- Research: The cardiac and respiratory effects of traffic-related air pollutants in humans (seven publications)
- Leadership Roles: president and vice-president of Environmental Health Science Student Government, team captain for Relay for Life, presenter at Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth
Postdoctoral Achievement Award
Phoebe Stapleton, PhD, West Virginia University
- Advisor: Tim Nurkiewicz, PhD
- Research: Assessments of maternal and fetal microvascular function after pulmonary nanomaterial exposure
- Leadership Roles: postdoc representative of the Allegheny-Erie RC, Programming Subcommittee of SOT, postdoc representative of the Cardiovascular Toxicology SS, president and founder of the Posdoctoral Assembly at WVU School of Medicine