Judith Pool |
1919-1975
Judith Pool, PhD, was very active in promoting opportunities for women in the field of medicine and science.She was the first co-President of AWIS, formed in 1971, and the founder and first chairwoman of the Professional Women of Stanford Medical School. Dr. Pool was an exceptional scientist, making major contributions in two areas. In the field of physiology, she was the first to measure the membrane potential of single cells. Dr. Pool was highly regarded in hematological circles, both nationally and internationally, for her work on blood coagulation. She published extensively in the field. Contributions included assays of coagulation factors, in vitro synthesis of coagulation factors, studies of the anticoagulant coumadin and antibody inhibitors of factor VIII. Dr. Pool also developed a method to purify factor VIII cheaply and easily from plasma, greatly improving the lives of hemophiliacs. In 1972, Dr. Pool was promoted to professor, making her one of the first two women to attain this position at Stanford Medical School. It was in part her struggle for recognition at Stanford that led her to co-found AWIS. In addition to her significant contributions to science and to women, she also raised three children. Judith Pool died of cancer in 1975, at the age of 56. |
Ellen Weaver |
1925-2011
Ellen Weaver, PhD, had been Past-President of National AWIS. After receiving her BA in Chemistry from Flora Stone Mather College of Western Reserve University, she worked as an analytical chemist for the Manhattan Project, Standard Oil of Ohio, and Stanford Research Institute (SRI) in Menlo Park, CA. She returned to school, earning her MA in Biological Sciences from Stanford and PhD in Genetics from UC Berkeley. Dr. Weaver worked for several years on the genetics and mechanism of photosynthesis before joining the faculty of San Jose State University (SJSU). In addition to her teaching responsibilities, Dr. Weaver had served as Director of the SJSU Foundation and as Interim Executive Vice President. Retiring from teaching in 1991, she served two additional years as Associate Dean for Development in the College of Science. Dr. Weaver had been an officer and director of many professional societies and organizations including Moss Landing Marine Laboratory, Mills College Science Advisory Board, Associated Western Universities, Institute of Marine Resources, the Sea Grant Committee, and the American Society of Plant Physiologists. Dr. Weaver had been a board member and President of the Sempervirens Fund, a conservation organization dedicated to acquiring and preserving natural land and scenic vistas in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Dr. Weaver also served on the board of The Textbook League, which works towards the improvement of secondary texts in science, history, social sciences, geography, and health. Dr. Weaver was an early member of AWIS, serving as membership chair from 1971-75. She was AWIS National’s President from 1992-1993 and was elected an AWIS Fellow in 1996. |
Sherrie Wilkins |
1942-2010
Sherrie earned a BS and MS in Nursing and Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Education, and a PhD in microbiology, from UCSF. Sherrie received a March of Dimes Medical Fellowship to Stanford to study birth defects and genetic disorders in adolescents. She was the first nurse in the U.S. to receive such an award previously given to MD's. Her careers include certified nurse practitioner, scientist, executive, entrepreneur, and consultant in healthcare and biotechnology at Stanford Medical Center, UCSF, Genentech, and Cytokinetics. She served as president and board member of Wilkins and Wilkins International Inc. Sherrie is a former President of the Palo Alto Chapter. She founded these Recognition Awards. The first Judith Pool award to Ellen Weaver, on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the founding of the Palo Alto chapter and secured our first corporate sponsorship from Genentech. She was co-PI on the Sloane Foundation grant to the Palo Alto chapter to initiate a mentoring program and co-chair of the first AWIS-NCC conference “Women in Bioscience: Opportunities in the Nineties” at Stanford and the AWIS-GWIS conference at UC Davis. She lived with breast cancer and was a strong proponent of providing needed support through education and service to women through her affiliations with societies and non-profit organizations. Sherrie volunteered as project leader and developer of outreach programs at Breast Cancer Connections. Before, during, and after her active service for AWIS, Sherrie spent countless hours mentoring, counseling and advising women in science about career possibilities and choices. She shared her experience and insights by speaking extensively on mentoring and leadership for women in STEM. |
Past Awards Recipients
Judith Pool Award
This award recognizes a woman who is in a research function, is well along in her career and takes time to mentor.
2022 Rivka Sherman-Gold, PhD, MBA, Advisor
2021 Ingrid Oakley-Girvan, PhD, MPH, Medable, Inc.
2020 Tejal Desai, PhD, UC San Francisco
2019 Katherine Ferrara, PhD, Stanford University
2018 Yasmin Chandrasekher, PhD, Allertope
2017 Laura Smoliar, PhD, Berkeley Catalyst Fund
2016 Leilani Miller, PhD, Santa Clara University
2015 Susan W. Lindgren, PhD, Sacramento State University
2014 Deanna Kroetz, PhD, UC San Francisco
2013 Telle Whitney, PhD, Anita Borg Institute
2012 Marlene Rabinovitch, MD, Stanford University
2011 Tonya L. Kuhl, PhD, UC Davis
2010 Patricia R. Burchat, PhD, Stanford University
2009 Helen E. Moore, PhD, Pharsight
2008 Marilyn Winkleby, PhD, MPH, Stanford University
2007 Ann Reisenauer, PhD, San Jose State University
2006 Gail Schechter, PhD, BioIntelligence
2005 Dora Games, PhD, Elan Pharmaceuticals
2004 Elaine S. Yamaguchi, PhD, Chevron Oronite Company
2003 Caroline M. Kane, PhD, UC Berkeley
2002 Sheila McCormick, PhD, USDA-ARS
2001 Paula Jardieu, PhD, Genentech
2000 Paula J. Shadle, PhD, Bayer Corporation
1999 Cherrill M. Spencer, PhD, SLAC
1998 Phyllis Gardner, MD, Alza Corporation
1997 Kathelyn Sue Steimer, PhD, Chiron Corporation
1996 Lynda J. Goff, PhD, UC Santa Cruz
1995 Ellen Weaver, PhD, San Jose State University
Ellen Weaver Award
This award recognizes a woman who is in a research function, is early in her career and takes time to mentor.
2022 Qianni Dong, PhD, Bayer
2021 Violet Votin, Ph.D., Machaon Diagnostics
2020 Andrea Schmidt, Ph.D., Lawrence Livermore National Lab
2019 Kim Williams, Ph.D., Fibrogen, Inc.
2018 Kelly Lee, Ph.D., Senti Biosciences
2017 Fan Yang, Ph.D., Stanford University
2016 Wendy Fantl, Ph.D., Stanford University
2015 Christina D. Smolke, Ph.D., Stanford University
2014 Melissa Cline, Ph.D., UCSC
2013 Becket Feierbach, Ph.D., Genentech Inc.
2012 Amy Herr, Ph.D., UC Berkeley
2011 Angelique Y. Louie, Ph.D., UC Davis
2010 Nadine C. Gassner, Ph.D., UCSC
2009 Juliet V. Spencer, Ph.D., USF
2008 Angela I.M. Barth, Ph.D., Stanford University
2007 Adina Paytan, Ph.D., Stanford University
2006 Wendy B. Levine, Ph.D., Genemed Biotechnologies
2005 Rebecca MacKenzie, M.S., Roche Bioscience
2004 Maureen A. Sharberg, Ph.D., San Jose State University
2003 Katy Kuo Korsmeyer, Ph.D., SCCBEP
2002 Kimberly Tanner, Ph.D., UCSF
2001 Sharron Penn, Ph.D., Aeomica
2000 Kathryn M. Stephens, Ph.D., GeneTrace
1999 Rosario C. Denoga, Bayer Corp.
1998 Aurora Sosa, M.A., Bayer Corp.
1997 Rona G. Giffard, M.D., Ph.D., Stanford University
1996 Deborah Bravo, Ph.D., Bayer Corp.
Sherrie Wilkins Award
This award recognizes a woman using her science away from the bench who is committed to mentoring.
2022 Sara Farahmand, PhD, ParmD, Edgewell Personal Care
2021 Mitra Kashanchi, M.S., Chevron Chemicals
2020 Deborah Ovadia, M.S., Sangamo Therapeutics, Inc.
2019 Manjula Chinnappa, Ph.D., Personalis, Inc.
2018 Janice Zdankus, MBA, Hewlett Packard Enterprise
2017 Olga, Potapova, Ph.D., Cureline, Inc.
2016 Tracy Lin, R.Ph., Johnson and Johnson
2015 Jennifer Saltzman, Ph.D., Stanford University
2014 Bonnie Charpentier, Ph.D., Cytokinetics
2013 Roopa Ramamoorthi, Ph.D., BIO Ventures for Global Health
2012 Michelle Runge, Ph.D., Genentech Inc.
Distinguished Professional Award. This award was renamed for Sherrie Wilkins in 2012
2011 Patricia Chandler Seawell, Ph.D.
2010 Toby Beth Freedman, Ph.D. Author "Career Opportunities in Biotechnology and Drug Development"
2009 Sherrie Fasola Wilkins, Ph.D., Community Breast Health Project
2008 Doris E. Davis, RN, BSN, BABCN
2007 Monica A. Rosoff, Genentech
2006 Audrey S. Erbes
2005 Carol Muller, Ph.D., Mentornet
2004 Susan L. Bernhard, Ph.D., Elan Pharmaceuticals
2003 Krishna Ghosh, Ph.D., Agilent Corp.
2002 Elise Brownell, Ph.D., Bayor Corp.
2001 Coreen Booth, B.Sc., Consultant
2000 Amy E. Ryken, M.P.H., BBEI and Laney College