Cinda Helke Award

Dr. Cinda Helke, first as Director of the Neuroscience Graduate Program Director and subsequently as Associate Dean for Graduate Education embodied the terms mentor and academician. Dr. Helke tirelessly pursued the goals of academic excellence and equal recognition for the doctoral trainees within the School of Medicine. She gave endlessly of her time to increase funding and stipend support for graduate students.

Dr. Helke revitalized the departmental programs where appropriate and worked to expand the interdisciplinary graduate programs so as to broaden the academic opportunities for all students. She was committed to the goal of offering superior graduate education in the basic sciences and devoted her time to creating a scholarly environment for students. We commemorate her devotion to graduate students by recognizing a faculty member or staff member who is an outstanding advocate of graduate student interests within the School of Medicine Graduate Programs at USU.

The Cinda Helke Award is presented annually at the Graduate Student Colloquium during Research Days. The recipient of this Award will receive an individual memento and also have his/her name placed on a permanent plaque with all other previous recipients of this Award.

To nominate an individual for this Award, please submit a one page memo explaining why s/he exemplifies the standards set by Dr. Helke. Students may garner support for their nominee from other graduate students with accompanying signatures. Any faculty member or staff member who has not won this Award in the last 5 years is eligible.  

Awardees

2019 Barrington Burnett, Ph.D. - Anatomy, Physiology & Genetics

2018 NeTina Finley - Graduate Education

2017 Andrew Snow, Ph.D. - Pharmacology

2016 Andrew Waters, Ph.D. - Medical & Clinical Psychology

2015 D. Scott Merrell, Ph.D. - Microbiology

2014 Christopher C. Broder, Ph.D. - Microbiology

2013 Mark Ettenhofer, Ph.D. - Medical & Clinical Psychology

2012 Greg Mueller, Ph.D. - Anatomy, Physiology & Genetics

2011 Pengfei Zhang, Ph.D.

2010 Michael Flora - Biochemistry

2009 Marjan G. Holloway, Ph.D. - Medical & Clinical Psychology

2008 Neil E. Grunberg, Ph.D. - Medical & Clinical Psychology

2007 Eleanor S. Metcalf, Ph.D. - Microbiology

2006 Alison D. O’Brien, Ph.D. - Microbiology

2005 Janet Anastasi - Graduate Education