Character, Service, Mentorship

"Molly was a former postdoctoral fellow in our lab, and even though she has moved on to a new university as an early career assistant professor and director of undergraduate research, her influence in our lab and her commitment to student learning and research still permeates every aspect of our lab today! Molly researches the neurobiological differences in the brains of wild versus traditional lab rats and also studies aggression and stress in fish. She has a remarkable ability to make students feel that their research projects and contributions are meaningful and enriching. While providing dedicated mentorship and scientific training, she also allows students to develop ownership of their projects and fosters a welcoming and enjoyable lab environment in which students can develop scientifically. Displaying an unparalleled dedication to serving others in the research lab, classroom and community, Molly selflessly traveled back to our lab on more than one occasion to spend time teaching me new techniques and assisting with experiments that often extended a full day. As a postdoctoral fellow, I was honored that an Assistant Professor would travel two hours each way to share her knowledge in the lab with me. Molly is a leader of character, always following through when she says she’ll do something – no matter how big or small! Embodying what she teaches, she shows our student researchers that it is important to bring what we learn in the lab to the larger community. Not only does she actively serve on an international neuroscience committee making valuable and tangible contributions, but she also actively and eagerly volunteers with local neuroscience outreach initiatives. When the students in our lab were organizing a neuroscience competition for high school students, Molly eagerly traveled our way to share her weekend and expertise with the next generation of students in this competition. She served as a judge for the competition, interacted with the high school students and their parents and shared neuroscience instructional demonstrations that she had created and brought with her. The students were delighted by her enthusiasm, warm demeanor and scientific anecdotes from her lab and research that she shared. Molly exceptionally inspires the next generation of leaders and scholars, goes above and beyond when collaborating and teaching students in the research lab, and overall makes the lab environment an inviting, motivating and enriching experience for all!"

Nominated by Kitty Hartvigsen, Department of Psychology, University of Richmond, USA