Major Awards for Women in Higher Education

Kan Cao, an assistant professor of cell biology and molecular genetics at the University of Maryland, won the New Scholar in Aging Award from the Ellison Medical Foundation. The award comes with a four-year, $400,000 grant that will allow Dr. Cao to continue her work on the rare premature aging disease, progeria.

Dr. Kao earned a Ph.D. in 2005 at Johns Hopkins University.

Marcela Carena, professor of physics at the University of Chicago and senior scientist at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, received the Alexander von Humboldt Research Award from the Humboldt Foundation in Bonn, Germany. Dr. Carena, a native of Argentina, was honored for her outstanding career in theoretical particle physics research.

Dr. Carena received her Ph.D. in high energy physics at the University of Hamburg.

Tracy Bale, associate professor of neuroscience in the department of animal biology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine and assosicate professor of neuroscience at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, received the 2011 Richard E. Weitzman Memorial Award from the Endocrine Society.

Dr. Bale earned a Ph.D. in pharmacology/neurobiology at the University of Washington. She conducted postdoctoral research at the Salk Institute.

Michelle C. Geoffrion-Vinci, associate professor of Spanish at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, was named the 2011 College/University Teacher of the Year by the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese. Professor Geoffrion-Vinci joined the Lafayette College faculty in 1998.

Dr. Geoffrion-Vinci is a graduate of Wellesley College in Massachusetts. She earned a master’s degree and a Ph.D. at Stanford University.

Connie Celum, professor of global health and medicine at the University of Washington received the Achievement Award from the American Sexually Transmitted Disease Association. The award was presented at the International Society for STD Research conference in Quebec City. Dr. Celum’s research involves HIV epidemiology and prevention.

Dr. Celum ia a graduate of Stanford University and the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine. She also earned a master of public health degree at the University of Washington.

Kathy Burlew, a professor of psychology at the University of Cincinnati, received the 2011 Kenneth and Mamie Clark Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Professional Development of Ethnic and Minority Graduate Students from the American Psychological Association.

Professor Burlew holds bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. degrees, all from the University of Michigan.