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