Pharmacy Faculty Named AAAS Fellow

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 15, 2016) — Sylvie Garneau-Tsodikova, associate professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy, has been named a 2017-2018 American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Leshner Public Engagement Fellow at the Leshner Leadership Institute for Public Engagement with Science.

Garneau-Tsodikova and 14 fellow researchers in the field of infectious disease will convene in Washington D.C. for a week of science communication training and public engagement plan development. Skills developed during this training intensive will be used to establish a plan for public engagement throughout the University of Kentucky and the greater pharmaceutical research community.

Garneau-Tsodikova is a leader in the field of pharmaceutics and infectious disease research, having authored or co-authored more than 110 publications, and has long been a champion of STEM education in our community.  In 2014, she created SciCats, a program designed to spark an interest in science in local elementary, middle, and high school students. Garneau-Tsodikova has reached out to more than 200 students to foster their interest in science.  Several of her high school students have gone on to publish the results of their research study and have earned national awards.

“Dr. Garneau-Tsodikova’s selection as an AAAS Fellow is a significant honor for her and brings equally great distinction to the College of Pharmacy and the University of Kentucky,” said Dr. Joe Chappell, professor and chair of the UK College of Pharmacy’s Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences.  “AAAS is the largest science society in the United States and perhaps in the world, and Fellows are selected on the basis of their scientific accomplishments and their vision for how science and technology can be of benefit to society and humankind worldwide. Expectations for AAAS Fellows include their involvement in helping our federal legislatures appreciate the opportunities for technological advancements and crafting governance policies that facilitate such implementations. We are immensely fortunate and proud to have Dr. Garneau-Tsodikova selected to serve in forging the advancement of science for social good.”

To learn more about the Leshner Leadership Institute for Public Engagement with Science, please visit the AAAS website.