2020 NPA Distinguished Service Award Recipient Announced

ROCKVILLE, Md. - Dec. 18, 2019 - PRLog -- The recipient of the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) 2020 Distinguished Service Award (DSA) is Lisa Marshall Schwiert, Ph.D., professor of cell, developmental and integrative biology and senior associate dean for graduate and postdoctoral affairs at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). The DSA represents appreciation for an individual or entity that has demonstrated either a profound, sustained, or leadership contribution to improving the postdoctoral experience.

Schwiebert is professor of cell, developmental and integrative biology, and senior associate dean for graduate and postdoctoral affairs at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Collectively, she has published over 100 manuscripts, abstracts, reviews and book chapters in the areas of asthma, cystic fibrosis, and immunology. With regard to training efforts, Schwiebert has served as the primary mentor for graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and clinical fellows. Throughout these efforts, she prepared trainees to enter a variety of career paths, including biopharma, research policy, teaching and academic research. She has also served / is serving on more than 20 graduate student dissertation and postdoctoral career development committees and is preceptor on five UAB NIH-funded training grants. In addition, she has been instrumental in mentoring junior faculty through the development and facilitation of the annual UAB Mentoring Academy since 2013. During her career, Schwiebert has been well-known for her mentoring and collaborative efforts. She was recognized formally for these efforts upon receipt of the 2015 UAB Woman Faculty Member of the Year, the 2015 UAB School of Medicine Senior Faculty Mentoring Award, the 2015 Dr. Sam Brown Bridge Building Award from the UAB School of Public Health, and the 2016 UAB Graduate School Dean's Award for Excellence in Mentorship.

In her role as senior associate dean, Schwiebert and her staff work with graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, faculty members, and administrators campus-wide to facilitate and enhance trainee recruitment, oversight and career development. She has developed and also directs a year-round curriculum, including courses in lab management, grant writing, translational science and job skills, and oversees award programs that emphasize career preparation for basic science and clinical postdoctoral fellows as well as graduate students. As an example of her administrative efforts, Schwiebert led the development of the NIH-funded IRACDA program, the Mentored Experiences in Research, Instruction and Teaching (MERIT) Program; she currently serves as its program director. She also represents UAB at the national level through her service on the Association of American Medical Colleges – Postdoctorate Leaders Section and on NIH training grant review committees.

The NPA applauds Schwiebert for her various contributions and the profound impact they have had on the postdoctoral experience.

The National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) is a nonprofit, 501(c)3 educational association headquartered in Rockville, MD.