2021 Cottrell IMPACT and STAR Awards Announced
Research Corporation for Science Advancement has named Cottrell Scholar 2009 Penny Beuning, Northeastern University, recipient of its 2021 IMPACT Award. In addition, CS 2007 Tim Clark, University of San Diego, and CS 2002 Hanadi Sleiman, McGill University, have won 2021 STAR Awards.
“Cottrell Scholars are leaders in their fields and at their institutions,” said RCSA President & CEO Daniel Linzer. "These awards recognize the contributions these remarkable researchers and educators are making as their careers advance.”
The IMPACT Award recognizes the work of an outstanding Cottrell Scholar who has had a national impact in science through leadership and service activities, while the STAR (Science Teaching And Research) Award recognizes the outstanding research and educational accomplishments of Cottrell Scholars. Both IMPACT and STAR awards include a $5,000 cash prize.
The awards will be presented at the 2021 Cottrell Scholar Conference, to be held virtually on July 7-9, 2021. Recipients will give brief acceptance talks and will be available throughout the coming year to provide invaluable mentoring to their early-career Cottrell Scholar colleagues, according to RCSA Senior Program Director Silvia Ronco.
IMPACT Award winner Beuning is recognized as a distinguished investigator in the area of DNA damage and repair whose work spans experimental enzymology, bioengineering and computational analysis. As a role model and faculty leader, she is deeply committed to broadening the participation of groups underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics through effective mentoring and education. As Director of Graduate Studies at Northeastern, her major focus areas are diversifying the faculty, faculty mentoring and support, and student retention. Beuning is also the lead author of the RCSA-supported “Teach Better, Save Time, and Have More Fun: A Guide to Teaching and Mentoring in Science” book, now headed into its second, online edition. Widely distributed and used for professional development at numerous institutions, the book has been nationally recognized for its promotion of effective and evidence-based teaching. Beuning has served on several key American Chemical Society national committees, especially those related to education and professional development, and was named ACS Fellow in 2020. She has served as facilitator and session leader at the RCSA/ACS New Faculty Workshops for new faculty in chemistry annually since 2013.
STAR Award recipient Clark is a prolific researcher and thoughtful and rigorous educator who has developed an internationally recognized and impactful research program in a PUI environment. His recent work using metals to catalyze the introduction of boron into organic molecules may represent a significant contribution to the area of phosphine ligand synthesis. His publication record in high-impact journals, and the quality of his work, are remarkable for a faculty member working primarily with undergraduate research students. Clark engages students through inclusive teaching practices, the incorporation of authentic research experiences, and collaborations with research-intensive universities. He has taken a lead role in curriculum reform at the University of San Diego and is active in the recruitment and retention of students from local high schools and community colleges into college and university STEM programs.
STAR Award recipient Sleiman is a world leader in DNA nanoscience, and an extremely productive and internationally recognized educator. Research carried out by her group has made a significant and lasting impact in the fields of materials science and biology, creating an unprecedented class of DNA nanostructures that have set the stage for an array of important applications ranging from medical diagnostics to interventions involving drug delivery that are needed for precision medicine. Her work has nucleated fruitful collaborations across multiple disciplines and many countries, and across academia and industry. At the forefront of creative teaching initiatives at McGill, Sleiman is driven by a passionate commitment to ensuring everyone's right to learn. She is also an Associate Editor for the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
IMPACT and STAR Award nominees must be at least 12 years beyond the year of their Cottrell Scholar Award and hold an academic position at a research university or primarily undergraduate institution in the United States or Canada.
The competitive Cottrell Plus Awards portfolio is aimed at advancing the skills, knowledge and experience of Cottrell Scholars toward attaining leadership roles in their institutions. Beyond IMPACT and STAR, several additional opportunities to post-tenure Cottrell Scholars include the SEED (Singular Exceptional Endeavors of Discovery) and FRED (Frontiers in Research Excellence and Discovery) awards.
