McMorris receives postdoctoral advising award
October 22, 2020
Associate Professor Barbara McMorris, PhD, received the 2020 Excellence in Postdoctoral Advising award from the Graduate School, Office of Postdoctoral Initiatives. The award is given to faculty who exemplify the best in postdoctoral advising at the University.
The competitive selection process included nominations from current and past postdocs and letters of recommendation.
“We deeply appreciate the contributions of Dr. McMorris to postdoctoral advising and her ability to create an environment where postdocs can succeed and thrive at the University,”
“We deeply appreciate the contributions of Dr. McMorris to postdoctoral advising and her ability to create an environment where postdocs can succeed and thrive at the University,” said Scott Lanyon, PhD, vice provost and dean of Graduate Education.
The nomination committee noted McMorris’ depth of support from her current and former advisees and her track record of commitment to postdoctoral advising. McMorris has mentored or advised more than 35 postdoctoral fellows and graduate students since 2012.
She was described as being approachable and dedicated with remarkable integrity by advisees, who said she connects the research experience of the postdocs she supervises to the social impact their work can have. She regularly includes postdocs in her own research on violence, aggression, sexual risk-taking, school disconnection and substance use disorders in vulnerable populations of young people.
Multiple writers spoke to McMorris’ ability to create an inclusive and respectful work culture, and the loyalty and admiration she engendered from a diverse pool of advisees is a testament to how successful she was at this, the committee noted.