FASEB Announces Inaugural Howard Garrison Advocacy Fellows

By: Jennifer Zeitzer
Thursday, September 14, 2023
On September 6, FASEB announced the inaugural cohort of Howard Garrison Advocacy Fellows. Chosen from a competitive pool of applicants, these scientists will expand their impact as science advocates and help drive change in the research community.

It is increasingly important for scientists to engage directly with elected representatives, policymakers, and the broader public. Skills development in this area is rarely included in graduate school curricula and is unlike most scientific communication. FASEB addressed this gap with its recently launched Howard Garrison Advocacy Fellowship.

This fellowship program underscores FASEB’s commitment to advance science policy goals, pursue sustainable funding for scientific research, and support researchers’ training and professional development. 

The inaugural Howard Garrison Advocacy Fellows are: 

• Jazmine Benjamin, Graduate Student, University of Alabama at Birmingham and a member of the American Physiological Society (APS)
• Kaitlyn Browning, Graduate Student, Vanderbilt University, Nashville and a member of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB)
• Joyce Fernandes, Professor of Biology and Director of Undergraduate Research, Miami University, Oxford, OH and a member of the Genetics Society of America (GSA)
• Madison Flory, Graduate Research Assistant, University of Kentucky, Lexington and a member of the American Association of Immunologists
• Natalie Gehred, Graduate Student, University of California, Los Angeles and a member of ASBMB
• Katherine Lehmann, Graduate Student, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland and a member of GSA and ASBMB
• Dianicha Santana Nunez, Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Illinois, Chicago and amember of the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET)
• John Redden, Associate Professor-in-Residence, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT and a member of the American Association for Anatomy and APS 
• Haily Traxler, Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Kentucky, Lexington and a member of ASPET

Upon completion of the 10-month fellowship, the inaugural fellows will have received instruction in advocacy, science policy, science communications, leadership development, and career exploration outside academia. Fellows will also participate in the FASEB Science Policy Symposium in October 2023 and Capitol Hill Day in March 2024. 

More information about the Howard Garrison Advocacy Fellowship and interviews with the inaugural fellows can be found on the FASEB website.