Littlejohn Presented Thomas V. Getchell Memorial Award
LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 25, 2015) – The inaugural Thomas V. Getchell, Ph.D., Memorial Award has been presented to Erica Littlejohn, a doctoral candidate and graduate student at University of Kentucky.
Getchell was a professor in the Department of Physiology and a member of the UK Sanders-Brown Center on Aging and served as Associate Dean for Research and Basic Science for the College of Medicine from 1989 to 1998.
The award was created to honor Getchell, who died July 20, 2013, and to support an annual travel stipend for a student participating in the Grant Writing Workshop. Getchell founded the Grant Writing Workshop in 2005 with a vision to provide proactive, individualized mentoring to graduate students, MD/PhD students and postdoctoral trainees to further their training in grantsmanship, increase their success rate in obtaining fellowship grants and enhance their research careers.
“The award was established to honor Tom's enduring commitment to and talent for mentoring post-doctoral and graduate students in the skills needed to become successful scientists, and to honor his achievements as a scientific researcher and teacher during a long and productive career," Dr. Marilyn Getchell, wife of Getchell, said.
Littlejohn participated in Getchell’s Grant Writing Workshop in 2012. Her areas of study as a graduate student focus on traumatic brain injury and neurogenesis. In addition to publishing scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals, Littlejohn has been the recipient of numerous travel awards to present her research at national conferences.
“It’s not enough to strive for excellence in science and research, I believe a person’s legacy is measured in the lives they touch, and Tom Getchell exemplifies this narrative,” Littlejohn said. “I hope to support others with my commitment to increasing diversity in health sciences and through mentorship.”
Littlejohn received her bachelors of science degree in microbiology from the University of Iowa. She is currently president of the University of Kentucky Black Graduate and Professional Student Association (BGPSA) and serves as a student mentor in the UK-EKU Bridge to Doctorate Program, which aims to increase participation of underrepresented students in science disciplines.
She has served as an undergraduate mentor at GEM Consortium events to help recruit students from underrepresented populations to pursue graduate degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Getchell continually challenged students to do excellent and meaningful work. He infused his workshops with humor through the retelling of his own personal anecdotes and treated students with the utmost respect, exemplified by his signature weekly communiqués which all began “Dear Colleagues…”.
To date, workshop trainees have earned more than $2.4 million in fellowship funding as a result of Getchell’s efforts.
MEDIA CONTACT: Allison Perry, (859) 323-2399 or allison.perry@uky.edu