Skip to navigation Skip to main content

Explore UAB

A mentor is not just an educator. A mentor is a person who inspires and motivates. A mentor is committed to excellence. The Dean's Excellence in Mentorship Award recognizes full-time regular UAB faculty members who have demonstrated exceptional accomplishments as mentors of graduate students and/or postdoctoral fellows.

Here are some of the characteristics of an outstanding mentor:

Personality:

  • Demonstrates effective leadership skills
  • Is enthusiastic
  • Is respectful
  • Is unselfish
  • Is patient
  • Is self confident
  • Is honest
  • Is flexible
  • Is sensitive
  • Appreciates individual differences
  • Supports all trainees irrespective of their faculty affiliation

Teaching and Communication:

  • Is an effective communicator
  • Is regarded as an excellent teacher
  • Makes difficult information and concepts understandable
  • Adjusts presentations to audience level
  • Welcomes questions and alternative interpretations
  • Has an open door policy
  • Is a careful listener
  • Encourages creative thinking
  • Teaches the art of critique
  • Coaches people skills, leadership, and teamwork
  • Teaches non-academic skills: administration, management, and budgeting

Leadership:

  • Provides inspiration and optimism
  • Demonstrates ethical conduct of scholarly activity
  • Serves as a role model

Mentoring:

  • Believes in the importance of mentoring
  • Balances guidance and independence
  • Celebrates trainee successes
  • Treats all trainees as colleagues
  • Understands differences among cultural, gender, and ethnic groups
  • Solicits advice from other experienced mentors
  • Advises trainees to seek out multiple mentors
  • Promotes network building
  • Promotes personal and intellectual growth of trainees
  • Provides opportunities for skills development
  • Hones communication skills, research presentations, and teaching
  • Assists with manuscript preparation
  • Directs development of grant proposals
  • Serves as a career advisor
  • Fosters independence
  • Supports career objectives of students and postdocs
  • Wants trainees to be successful
  • Assists trainees with identifying and securing their next career opportunity
  • Stays in touch after trainees have completed their training
  • Derives great satisfaction from following the successful career trajectories of previous trainees

  • 2023 Award Recipients
    • Elizabeth Baker, PhD, Sociology
    • Mary Ann Bodine Al-Sharif, PhD, Higher Education Administration
    • Aaron Catledge, PhD, Physics
    • Olivio Clay, PhD, Psychology
    • Todd Green, PhD, Microbiology theme
    • Ashley Harms, PhD, Neurology theme
    • David Schneider, PhD, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics theme
    • David Schwebel, PhD, Psychology
    • Jessica Scoffield, PhD, Microbiology theme
    • Adam Wende, PhD, Pathology theme
  • 2022 Award Recipients
    • Thomas Buford, PhD, Neuroscience theme
    • Renato Camata, PhD, Physics
    • Sue Feldman, PhD, Health Services Administration and Health Informatics
    • Grace Jepkemboi, PhD, Curriculum and Instruction
    • Wei Li, PhD, Physician Assistant Studies
    • Karolina Mukhtar, PhD, Biology
    • Sarah O'Kelley, PhD, Psychology
    • Josephine Prado, PhD, Curriculum and Instruction
    • Yan Sanders, MD, Cell, Molecular, and Developmental Biology theme
    • Laura Volpicelli-Daley, PhD, Neurobiology theme
  • 2021 Award Recipients
    • Alan Eberhardt, PhD, Biomedical Engineering
    • Suzanne Lapi, PhD, Radiology
    • Stephanie Corcoran, PhD, Curriculum and Instruction
    • Kerry Madden-Lunsford, MFA, English
    • Lyne Racette, PhD, Opthalmology and Vision Sciences
    • Adelais Markaki, PhD, Nursing
    • Jeremy Herskowitz, PhD, Neurology
    • Leann Long, PhD, Biostatistics
    • Greg Pavela, PhD, Health Behavior
    • Cullen Clark, PhD, Sociology
  • 2020 Award Recipients
    • Burel Goodin, PhD, Psychology
    • Joel Berry, PhD, Biomedical Engineering
    • April Carson, PhD, Epidemiology
    • Ragib Hasan, PhD, Computer Science
    • Rajeev Samant, PhD, Pathology
    • Susan Davies, PhD, Health Behavior
    • Mirjam-Colette Kempf, PhD, Nursing
    • Kelly Hill, PhD, Curriculum & Instruction
    • Michelle Brown, PhD, Health Services Administration
    • Jerzy Szaflarski, PhD and MD, Neurology
  • 2019 Award Recipients
    • Charles Amsler, Biology
    • Stacey Cofield, Biostatistics
    • Jeremy Day, Neurobiology
    • Alecia Gross, Optometry
    • Sigrid Ladores, Nursing
    • Robin Gaines Lanzi, Health Behavior
    • Tina Kempin Reuter, Anthropology/Political Science
    • Daniel Smith Jr., Nutrition Sciences
    • Vinoy Thomas, Materials Science and Engineering
    • Nabiha Yusuf, Dermatology
  • 2018 Award Recipients
    • Elizabeth Beierle, Surgery - Pediatric
    • Paula Chandler-Laney, Nutrition Sciences
    • Amy Knight, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
    • Jenna LaChenaye, Human Studies
    • Emily Levitan, Epidemiology
    • Jim McClintock, Biology
    • Sylvie Mrug, Psychology
    • Patricia Patrician, Nursing
    • Erik Roberson, Neurology
    • Ferhat Zengul, Health Services
  • 2017 Award Recipients
    • Stephen G. Aller, Pharmacology/Toxicology
    • Marie A. Bakitas, Nursing
    • William J. Britt, Medicine
    • Cynthia J. Brown, Medicine
    • Pi-Ling Chang, Nutrition Sciences
    • Qiang Ding, Medicine
    • Retta R. Evans, Human Studies
    • James F. George, Medicine
    • Orlando Gutierrez, Medicine
    • Mohammad Hassan, Dentistry
    • Karen L. Heaton, Nursing
    • Virginia J. Howard, Epidemiology
    • Suzanne E. Judd, Biostatistics
    • Rajesh Kana, Psychology
    • David C. Knight, Psychology
    • Farah Lubin, Neurobiology
    • Tonya Perry, Curriculum Instruction
    • Marti Rice, Nursing
    • Linda Roussel, Nursing
    • Nitesh Saxena, Computer & Information Sciences
    • Lalita Shevde-Samant, Molecular & Cellular Pathology
    • Yuhua Song, Biomedical Engineering
    • Despina Stavrinos, Psychology
    • Nasim Uddin, Civil Engineering
    • Kristina M. Visscher, Neurobiology
    • C. Roger White, Medicine
    • Martha Wingate, Health Care Organization & Policy
    • Frank Wolschendorf, Medicine
  • 2016 Award Recipients
    • Susan Bellis, Cell, Developmental, and Integrative Biology
    • Elizabeth Brown, Pathology
    • Yabing Chen, Pathology
    • Deek Cunningham, Occupational Therapy
    • Jeffrey Engler, Associate Dean, Graduate School
    • Candace Floyd, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
    • Stuart Frank, Medicine
    • Amit Gaggar, Medicine
    • William Geisler, Medicine
    • Eugenia Kharlampieva, Chemistry
    • Jacqueline Moss, Nursing
    • Lisa Schwiebert, Associate Dean, Postdoctoral Education
    • Jacques Wadiche, Neurobiology
    • Linda Overstreet Wadiche, Neurobiology
    • J. Michael Wyss, Cell, Developmental, and Integrative Biology
  • 2015 Award Recipients
    • Cathleen Cummings, Art and Art History, Arts and Sciences
    • Lawrence DeLucas, Optometry, Optometry
    • James Ernest, Early Childhood Education, Education
    • Randa Hall, Health Services Administration, Health Professions
    • Gwendalyn King, Neurobiology, Joint Health Sciences
    • James Meador-Woodruff, Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, Medicine
    • Paul Muntner, Epidemiology, Public Health
    • Christina Ochsenbauer, Hematology and Oncology, Medicine
    • Nada Souccar, Orthodontics, Dentistry
    • Janet Turan, Health Care Organization and Policy, Public Health
  • 2014 Award Recipients
    • Donna K. Arnett, Epidemiology, Public Health
    • Etty (Tika) Benveniste, Cell, Developmental & Integrative Biology, Joint Health Sciences
    • John C. Chatham, Molecular & Cellular Pathology, Joint Health Sciences
    • Carolyn A. Conley, History, Arts & Sciences
    • Lisa M. Curtis, Nephrology, Joint Health Sciences
    • Martha Dawson, Community Health, Outcomes and Systems, Nursing
    • Aaron L. Lucius, Chemistry, Arts & Sciences
    • Kristopher Maday, Physician Assistant Studies, Health Professions
    • Leslie A. McClure, Biostatistics, Public Health
    • Steven M. Rowe, Pulmonary, Allergy & Critical Care, Joint Health Sciences
    • David A. Schneider, Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics, Joint Health Sciences
    • Uday Vaidya, Materials Science & Engineering, Engineering
    • Hui Wu, Pediatric Dentistry, Joint Health Sciences
  • 2013 Award Recipients
    • Anupam Agarwal, Medicine—Nephrology, Joint Health Sciences
    • David B. Allison, Biostatistics, Public Health
    • Marcas Bamman, Cell, Developmental, & Integrative Biology, Joint Health Sciences
    • Dale Callahan, Information Engineering Management, Engineering
    • Karen L. Cropsey, Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, Joint Health Sciences
    • Nita A. Limdi, Neurology and Epidemiology, Joint Health Sciences
    • Ludwine Maria Messiaen, Clinical Genetics, Joint Health Sciences
    • Andrew E. Pollard, Biomedical Engineering, Engineering
    • Alan Randich, Psychology, Arts & Sciences
    • Jack M. Rogers, Biomedical Engineering, Engineering
    • Sadeep Shrestha, Epidemiology, Public Health
    • Brian Sims, Pediatrics and Cell, Developmental, & Integrative Biology, Joint Health Sciences
    • Murat M. Tanik, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Engineering
    • Robert Weech-Maldonado, Health Services Administration, Health Professions
  • 2012 Award Recipients
    • Olivia Affuso, Epidemiology, Public Health
    • Ann W. Alexandrov, Nursing, Nursing
    • Scott R. Barnum, Microbiology, Joint Health Sciences
    • Michael Brenner, Neurobiology, Joint Health Sciences
    • John O. Burgess, Prosthodontics, Dentistry
    • Lois M. Christensen, Curriculum & Instruction, Education
    • Gary Cutter, Biostatistics, Public Health
    • William R. Drace, Physician Assistant Studies, Health Professions
    • Paul A. Goepfert, Infectious Diseases, Joint Health Sciences
    • Renitta Goldman, Curriculum & Instruction, Education
    • Adrienne C. Lahti, Behavioral Neurobiology, Arts and Sciences
    • Max Michael II,I Public Health, Public Health
    • Selvarangan Ponnazhagan, Pathology, Joint Health Sciences
    • Rosalinda C. Roberts, Behavioral Neurobiology, Joint Health Sciences
    • Bisakha Sen, Health Care Org. & Policy, Public Health
    • Jon Daniel Sharer, Genetics, Joint Health Sciences
    • Susan K. Spezzini, Curriculum & Instruction, Education
    • Günter Stolz, Mathematics, Arts and Sciences
    • Timothy Wick, Biomedical Engineering, Engineering
    • Bradley K. Yoder, Cell Biology, Joint Health Sciences
  • 2011 Award Recipients
    • Michael Brooks, PhD, Human Studies
    • Steven Carroll, MD, PhD, Neuropathology
    • Nikolai Chernov, PhD, Mathematics
    • Noel K. Childers, DDS, Pediatric Dentistry
    • Loucrecia Collins, EdD, Educational Leadership
    • John Heith Copes, PhD, Justice Sciences
    • Terje Dokland, PhD, Microbiology
    • Robert Fischer, PhD, Biology
    • Roderick Fullard, OD, PhD, Vision Sciences
    • W. Timothy Garvey, MD, Nutrition Sciences
    • Barbara Gower, PhD, Nutrition Sciences
    • Amjad Javed, PhD, Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
    • Julie Locher, PhD, Gerontology
    • Lori McMahon, PhD, Physiology & Biophysics
    • Nir Menachemi, PhD, Health Care Organization & Policy
    • Linda Moneyham, PhD, Nursing
    • Tim R. Nagy, PhD, Nutrition Sciences
    • Linda Searby, PhD, Educational Leadership
    • Rosa Serra, PhD, Cell Biology
    • John Van Sant, PhD, History & Anthropology
    • Rosalyn Weller, PhD, Psychology
    • Nengjun Yi, PhD, Biostatistics
  • 2010 Award Recipients
    • David D. Chaplin, MD, PhD – Microbiology
    • Shelia R. Cotton, PhD – Sociology & Social Work
    • José R. Fernández, PhD – Nutrition Sciences
    • Frank Franklin, MD, PhD – Health Behavior
    • Nataliya V. Ivankova, PhD – Human Studies
    • Pauline E. Jolly, PhD – Epidemiology
    • Ho-Wook Jun, PhD – Biomedical Engineering
    • John F. Kearney, PhD – Microbiology
    • Connie L. Kohler, PhD – Health Behavior
    • Claudiu T. Lungu, PhD – Environmental Health Sciences
    • Raymond A. Mohl, PhD – History and Anthropology
    • Michael H. Mugavero, MD – Medicine (Infectious Diseases)
    • R. Kent Oestenstad, PhD – Environmental Health Sciences
    • Sarah H. Parcak, PhD – History and Anthropology
    • David L. Roth, PhD – Biostatistics
    • Virginia P. Sisiopiku, PhD – Civil, Construction & Environmental Engineering
    • Harald W. Sontheimer, PhD – Neurobiology
    • Hemant K. Tiwari, PhD – Biostatistics
    • M. Tino Unlap, PhD – Clinical & Diagnostic Sciences
    • David E. Vance, PhD – Family/Child Health & Caregiving
    • Peter M. Walsh, PhD – Mechanical Engineering
    • Thane Wibbels, PhD – Biology
  • 2009 Award Recipients
    • Graciela S. Alarcon, M.D., Epidemiology
    • Victor Darley-Usmar , Ph.D., Molecular and Cellular Pathology
    • Louis J. Dell'Italia , M.D., Medicine
    • Brian F. Geiger , Ed.D., Education-Human Studies
    • Ian W. Knowles , Ph.D., Mathematics
    • Lesley E. Smythies , Ph.D., Medicine
    • Stephen A. Watts , Ph.D., Biology

Back to Top