Lori J. Pierce, professor of radiation oncology and vice provost for academic and faculty affairs, has been awarded the American Society for Radiation Oncology’s Gold Medal. It is the group’s highest honor to radiation oncologists who have made significant impacts to the field through their clinical patient care, research, teaching, mentorship and service. Pierce is an internationally renowned expert in breast cancer whose research significantly advanced the treatment of node-positive breast cancer and local therapy options for women with BRCA1 or BRCA2 germline mutations. She directs the Michigan Radiation Oncology Quality Consortium, was elected the 57th president of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and currently chairs its board. She has received multiple awards from medical and philanthropic organizations, including the Association for Community Cancer Centers, the United Way and the Sister’s Network, and she was inducted into the National Academy of Medicine.
Tim Colenback, assistant dean for enrollment management at the School of Social Work, has received the National Deans and Directors of Social Work Admissions 2021 Years of Service Award. The awards committee highlighted Colenback’s achievements in recruiting and cultivating the next generation of leaders and educators. The NDDSWA, a national organization affiliated with the Council on Social Work Education, established the award to recognize and honor exceptional individuals in the field of graduate recruitment and admissions.
Robert Joseph Taylor, Harold R. Johnson Endowed Professor of Social Work, Sheila Feld Collegiate Professor of Social Work, and professor of social work in the School of Social Work; and faculty associate in the Research Center for Group Dynamics, Institute for Social Research, was recently honored with the James Jackson Outstanding Mentorship Award from the Gerontological Society of America. The annual award recognizes outstanding commitment and dedication to mentoring minority researchers in the field of aging. Taylor is the director of the Program for Research on Black Americans at the Institute for Social Research and principal investigator of the Michigan Center for Urban African American Aging Research.
Wendy R. Uhlmann, the genetic counselor/clinic coordinator of the Medical Genetics Clinic at U-M, has been elected to a three-year term that begins Jan. 1 on the American Society of Human Genetics Board of Directors. Uhlmann is a clinical professor in the departments of Internal Medicine and Human Genetics in the Medical School and an executive faculty member of the genetic counseling training program. Her expertise includes genetic counseling, neurogenetics, genetic testing, direct-to-consumer/consumer-initiated genetic testing, ethical issues and return of research results. Uhlmann has served on the society’s former Social Issues Committee and currently serves on the Government & Public Advocacy Committee. She has also moderated sessions during ASHG Annual Meetings.
Christopher R. Friese, Elizabeth Tone Hosmer Professor of Nursing and professor of nursing at the School of Nursing; professor of health management and policy at the School of Public Health; and associate director for Cancer Control and Population Sciences at the Rogel Cancer Center, has been appointed by President Joe Biden to the National Cancer Advisory Board. The board plays an important role in guiding the director of the National Cancer Institute in setting the course for the national cancer research program. Friese holds advanced certification as an oncology nurse and has maintained an active clinical practice since 1997, working in some of the nation’s leading cancer centers. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine.
— Submit requests for faculty or staff Accolades to [email protected]. Please attach a digital photo if you wish for one to be included.
