Seven postdocs honored with achievement awards

Seven postdoctoral scholars have been honored with Postdoc Achievement Awards, as part of Cornell’s celebration of National Postdoc Appreciation Week, celebrated Sept. 21-25.

The recipients are:

• Andy Borum (mathematics, College of Arts and Sciences) and Yoon Choi (communication, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences) for Excellence in Community Engagement;
• Rachel Cheng (food science, CALS) and Sarah Sachs (science and technology studies, A&S) for Excellence in Leadership; and
• Chase Mayers (plant pathology and plant-microbe biology, CALS), Manuela Ramalho (entomology, CALS), and Erin Soros (Society for the Humanities, A&S) for Excellence in Mentoring.

The awards recognize postdoctoral scholars who have made contributions to community and show commitment to promoting inclusion at Cornell and in society. In all, 51 postdocs were nominated and endorsed by letters from faculty, staff, graduate and undergraduate students in one or more categories.

“This year, as we are physically isolated, it’s really important to recognize all of the great work that our postdocs are doing,” said Christine Holmes, director of postdoctoral studies. “Our postdocs do amazing research, but it’s really important to also recognize their leadership, mentoring and community involvement.”

The award recipients were grateful not only for the personal recognition, but for the acknowledgement of the work they do for the betterment of the Cornell and broader community.

“I’m thankful that my postdoc position gives me the freedom to pursue academic interests outside of my research,” Borum said. “I hope this award will raise awareness about all of the opportunities for community engagement and outreach at Cornell.”

Katya Hrichak is a communications assistant in the Graduate School.