Dr. Juanita L. Merchant and Dr. Lisa A. Newman, both of the Medical School, have received Sarah Goddard Power Awards for 2014.
The ceremony for the 30th annual awards, presented to individuals who demonstrate scholarship, leadership and support of women faculty, took place Wednesday in the Michigan League’s Hussey Room.
The Academic Women’s Caucus, which presents the Power awards, also presented the Rhetaugh G. Dumas Progress in Diversifying Award to the Department of Health Behavior and Health Education in the School of Public Health.
Descriptions of the recipients’ work are taken from their award citations.
Merchant, H. Marvin Pollard Professor of Gastrointestinal Sciences, professor of internal medicine, and molecular and integrative physiology, is devoted to scientific scholarship as a physician-scientist, and committed to mentoring women in medicine and the biological sciences.
She has studied genetic mechanisms regulating cell growth and the role of gastritis in the development of ulcers and of gastric cancer. Her accomplishments have been recognized by continuous National Institutes of Health funding and by election to the American Society for Clinical Investigation, Association of American Physicians. Her election to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences testifies to the significance of her work.
Merchant mentors trainees in the Medical Scientist Training Program to be competitive in academic medicine. She has trained and advised more than 100 undergraduates, medical students, residents, fellows, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. She also has worked with ADVANCE and STRIDE programs to promote the recruitment and retention of women and minorities.
Newman, a professor of surgery, is devoted to scholarship to improve the treatment and control of cancer and is a consistent promoter of women in medicine and science. Her scholarly scientific work focuses on the control of breast cancer. She is able to bring together disparate forces to address the serious issues of breast cancer in a variety of communities, and is recognized for her leadership on behalf of underrepresented minorities.
She is internationally respected as a surgical oncologist, focusing on risk assessment, surgical treatment, and disparities in diagnosis and treatment related to social/ethnic background and socioeconomic resources. She has made seminal contributions to understanding breast cancer in women of African ancestry, working in both the United States and in Ghana.
As a mentor and role model she inspires lifelong learning and creative clinical thinking. Newman has served as the chief medical adviser to the Sisters Network, a breast cancer survivorship organization. Honored as a Detroit news Michiganian of the Year for 2012, she also received the Tokens of Appreciation award from students.
The Academic Women’s Caucus selection committee presented the Rhetaugh G. Dumas Progress in Diversifying Award to the Department of Health Behavior and Health Education in the School of Public Health. It was accepted by Cathleen Connell, professor and HBHE chair, on behalf of the unit.
HBHE has made it a goal that faculty reflect the diversity of the students and population. It promotes diversity in every aspect of its mission, according to nomination materials. The Paul B. Cornely Sr. Postdoctoral Fellowship Program, developed in 1987, has served many postdoctoral scholars, most of them women. The addition of faculty from varied groups has helped fulfill the mission to recruit a diverse student body and educate students about gender, racial/ethnic and social inequalities in health.
HBHE also is committed to targeted outreach activities to minority serving institutions. To support students and faculty, HBHE/CRECH matches students with faculty who can provide the mentoring necessary for success.
The Academic Women’s Caucus was founded in 1975 by women working to overcome inequity issues in the workplace. It presents the Sarah Goddard Power Award to distinguished faculty and senior administrative staff including instructors, lecturers, primary researchers, librarians and curators affiliated with the university. Awardees are nominated based on their contribution to the betterment of women through scholarship, leadership and service.
The award was established in memory of Sarah Goddard Power, a former regent who was a strong advocate for women within the university. The Rhetaugh Dumas Progress in Diversifying Award was established several years ago, and is named for Dumas, a former dean and professor at the School of Nursing.
