The Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering & Bioscience announced the winners of its annual Interdisciplinary Education and Research "Above and Beyond" awards given annually to staff, a junior faculty member, a senior faculty member, six trainees and staff members.

"We have so many people who contribute to the great bio-community at Georgia Tech," stated Bob Guldberg, executive director of the Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience. "These awards serve as a way to celebrate a few individuals who have gone above and beyond to make a real difference in our community."

Winners included, Julia Babensee, PhD, an associate professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, received the senior faculty award for her dedication in the planning the 2012 Biomedical Engineering Society Meeting and planning of the first workshop on Immunoengineering at Georgia Tech recently.

Christine Payne, PhD, an associate professor in the School of Chemistry, received the junior faculty award for writing a instrumentation grant for a new super resolution fluorescence microscope (Zeiss Elyra PS-1) which will be part of the Petit Institute's microscopy core beginning in 2014 and will be available for all researchers to use.

The trainee awards were given to graduate students, Alex Caulk, Tracy Hookway, Timothy Kassis, Chris Quinto, Torri Rinker, Denise Sullivan for their dedication to the broader community through community service activities as well as volunteering.

Caulk, a doctoral student in Georgia Tech's interdisciplinary bioengineering program was recognized for his leadership and service activities for the Bioengineering Graduate Student Advisory Committee (BGSAC).  Caulk is advised by Rudy Gleason, PhD.

Hookway, a postdoctoral fellow from the lab of Todd McDevitt, PhD, was recognized for her role as the local event organizer for the recent Tissue Engineering Regenerative Medicine International Society annual meeting held in Atlanta, GA in 2013. Hookway brought a new innovative approach to the trainee-lead events for this workshop, introducing the first high school outreach event to the society.

Kassis, a doctoral student in Georgia Tech's bioengineering program and advised by J. Brandon Dixon, PhD, was recognized for his many volunteer and service activities over several years for the Bioengineering and Bioscience Unified Graduate Students (BBUGS) group as well as the BGSAC organization.  

Quinto received his award for his two years of service as Co-Director for the BBUGS student organization which involved management and oversight of numerous volunteer and service activities to the bio-community.  Quinto is a doctoral candidate in the biomedical engineering from the lab of Gang Bao, PhD.

Rinker, a doctoral candidate in biomedical engineering advised by Johnna Temenoff, PhD, was recognized for the dedication and excellent organizational skills she brought to the BBUGS education and outreach committee the last two years as well as helping the New Science Club which services Coretta Scott King Young Women's Leadership Academy and B.E.S.T Academy, two minority-serving public high schools in the City of Atlanta.

Sullivan, a doctoral candidate and National Science Foundation fellow in the lab of Todd McDevitt, PhD, received the award also for her many efforts for the BBUGS education and outreach committee and the New Science Club.

The staff awards were given to Rachel Cochran who serves as grants administrator, and Sandra Powell, accounting manager, for the Petit Institute.

The Interdisciplinary Education and Research "Above and Beyond" awards were started in 2009 to recognize team-based individuals who demonstrate exemplary service to the institute and contribute to its collegial, collaborative environment.