Biological Sciences and Psychology
Dr. Devavani Chatterjea, Professor of Biology, Macalester College
The letter nominating Dr. Chatterjea for the award emphasized her outstanding record in mentoring students and her impact on STEM education within the larger Macalester College community. Her scholarship occurs at the intersection of immunology, neuroscience and public health with a special emphasis on the environmental drivers of chronic pain. She has had an exceptionally prolific research program with over 100 research students mentored at Macalester in the last sixteen years. Her publication and fund raising record is remarkable, and especially impressive is her success at mentoring students from groups historically marginalized in STEM fields. She is known as an inspirational teacher who puts the welfare of her students front and center. Particularly relevant to the Janet Andersen Award is the broad range of interdisciplinary courses she has developed and taught. Dr. Chatterjea is known for her transformative leadership in promoting diversity, equity and inclusion throughout the STEM program in Macalester and beyond by example and informal discussions as well as formal workshops and presentations.
Physical Sciences, Mathematics and Computer Science
Dr. Amy Dounay, Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Colorado College
The letter nominating Dr. Dounay for the award emphasized her teaching, research, and service to the larger professional community. According to her nomination letter “in the end one of the main reasons she is skilled and engaged as a teacher is that she really cares”. This compassionate concern appears to characterize all aspects of her work. Before teaching she worked on drug design as a medicinal chemist at a large pharmaceutical company. In her academic research she has focused on the design and synthesis of new medicines for neglected tropical diseases or antibiotic-resistant infections, which many pharmaceutical companies do not find profitable enough to research. This aspect of her work is particularly attractive to both her undergraduate research students and students in her courses. She is known for implementing innovative initiatives in her courses including research-based laboratory projects focused on drug discovery and green chemistry. It is clear from the nomination letter and her CV that she is an exceptional mentor for undergraduate research students, a large proportion of whom go on to graduate school. Her CV has nearly a full page highlighting her diverse record of leadership and service to the chemistry professional community including her service as the Chair of the Gordon Research Seminar in Medicinal Chemistry.