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NIGMS Grantees Receive Presidential Mentoring Awards

NIGMS grantees Dr. Chellu S. Chetty and Dr. Margaret Werner-Washburne were among the recipients of this year's Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring. The annual awards recognize influential individuals and institutions who have been leaders in encouraging minorities, women and disabled persons to pursue careers in science and engineering.

Dr. Chellu S. Chetty Chetty is a professor of biology at Savannah State University in Georgia, where he also serves as director of the school's NIGMS-funded Minority Biomedical Research Support program. He is acknowledged for mentoring undergraduate and graduate students and for his efforts to increase the number of individuals in science, mathematics and engineering disciplines. Werner-Washburne is a professor of biology at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, where she is also a sub-project investigator on the NIGMS Initiative for Minority Student Development grant. She is credited with using a hands-on approach for mentoring students in the areas of biology, mathematics, computer science and mechanical and chemical engineering.

Dr. Margaret Werner-Washburne Also honored was the American Physiological Society (APS), which operates NIGMS-funded education and minority programs. APS was recognized for its programs for minority students and teachers and its efforts to increase diversity in the field of physiology. A total of nine individuals and eight institutions received Presidential awards at a recent ceremony in Washington, D.C. The awards were established by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy in 1996 and are administered through the National Science Foundation. Award recipients receive a $10,000 grant and a commemorative Presidential certificate.