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