UChicago graduate students and advisors awarded fellowships to increase diversity in science
Three University of Chicago graduate students and their thesis advisors have been awarded Gilliam Fellowships for Advanced Study from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI). The fellowships support development of their scientific leadership and commitment to advance diversity and inclusion in the sciences.
The 2018 recipients of Gilliam Fellowships from UChicago are:
- Kate Cavanaugh, PhD candidate in development, regeneration and stem cell biology. Advisor: Margaret Gardel, PhD, Professor of Physics.
- Cody Hernandez, PhD candidate in molecular genetics and cellular biology, co-founder and director of the Graduate Recruitment Initiative Team. Advisor: Jonathan Staley, PhD, Professor of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology.
- Charles Washington, PhD candidate in human genetics. Advisor: Carole Ober, PhD, Professor and Chair of the Department of Human Genetics.
The three are among 45 doctoral student-advisor pairs from across the country to receive the fellowships. The Gilliam program was created to ensure that a diverse and highly trained workforce is prepared to assume leadership roles in science by supporting promising graduate students from groups that are underrepresented in science and helping their thesis advisors build inclusive training environments.
Each pair will receive an annual award totaling $50,000 for up to three years, including a stipend, training allowance and institutional allowance. Advisors will participate in a year of mentorship development activities and training. For the first time this year, a portion of the annual award will support activities designed to foster diversity and inclusion in the mentors’ labs and departments.
