Biology Professor Tuli Mukhopadhyay has been selected as one of two recipients of this year’s Distinguished Mentor Award in the College of Arts and Sciences at Indiana University Bloomington.
The Distinguished Mentor Award is given to tenure-track or instructional faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences and recognizes a career of distinguished mentoring not already acknowledged in other ways. The College of Arts and Sciences established the Award three years ago to recognize faculty members' outstanding contributions to mentoring students and peers.
Mukhopadhyay said of the honor, “I was really happy when I heard I won the award because I felt like I had passed along to others, or paid forward, the things I learned during my career from my mentors. I am glad people benefited from talking and working with me, and I hope they will help other scientists. It has been nice to see how junior faculty I helped are now promoted and helping others. I enjoy seeing that, and I think that is important in science, especially among women and historically marginalized groups.
“There is not one specific person who taught me how to mentor, but Rebecca Dutch and Mavis Agbandje-McKenna (sadly, she has passed away) are two people I have looked up to and learned from during my career. They are, in my mind, intelligent and creative scientists, forward thinkers who open the doors for others, treat people with respect but are straightforward in their feedback. Their attitudes were the same in their science and non-science worlds, which I really appreciate. I think there are many excellent mentors at IU just as deserving of this award; I just got lucky and got the award.”
Armin Moczek, IU biology professor and department chair, said, “Tuli exemplifies the best of what it means to be an impactful mentor, from junior faculty to trainees, from within the department to beyond its boundaries, and through both her formal commitments but also her countless informal mentoring efforts. It truly cannot be overstated how important such deliberate and informed mentoring is in creating and sustaining a welcoming and supportive work environment.”
The second recipient this year is Jeffrey Holdeman, senior lecturer in the Department of Slavic and East European Languages and Cultures.
Excellent mentoring of students, faculty, and staff is a hallmark of the College of Arts and Sciences, enabling excellence in teaching and research and fostering inclusive environments for all scholars. The College notes that focused and intentional mentoring also increases access to networks, knowledge and resources more equitably.
The College of Arts