FASEB Leader Honored with Presidential Award for Mentorship

By: Yvette Seger
Thursday, July 12, 2018

On June 25, FASEB Science Policy Committee member and Biomedical Engineering Society Immediate Past-President Gilda Barabino, PhD, was awarded the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM).

Given since 1995, PAESMEM recognizes the critical role of mentors in the academic and professional development of the nation’s Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) workforce. Awardees receive a $10,000 award administered by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and a commemorative presidential certificate recognizing their achievements.

Dr. Barabino is the Dean and Berg Professor at the Grove School of Engineering at the City College of New York and holds appointments in Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, and the Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education/City University of New York School of Medicine. Her PAESMEM citation notes her commitment to mentoring, which includes serving as the primary mentor/advisor or co-advisor to 56 individuals in PhD, Masters, and undergraduate programs, and two postdoctoral fellows. Dr. Barabino’s personal commitment to a diverse and inclusive STEM workforce is reflected in her mentees, the majority of whom are underrepresented in these fields.

Faculty development is another focus of Dr. Barabino’s efforts. As the founder of the National Institute for Faculty Equity – an initiative fostering faculty development and the diversification of academe through programs, practices, and policies – Dr. Barabino secured NSF funding for Minority Faculty Development Workshops, which have served more than 400 participants across all engineering disciplines since 2006.