The Graduate Student Senate selected Yehuda Ben-Shahar, professor of biology in Arts & Sciences, as a 2021 Outstanding Faculty and Staff Award (OFSA) winner. Cassondra (Cassie) Vernier, formerly a graduate student in the Ben-Shahar lab and now a postdoctoral research associate in Gene Robinson’s lab at the University of Illinois-Champaign, nominated Ben-Shahar for the award.
Day in May 2019
In response to the news, Ben-Shahar said, "I’m so fortunate to have such a great group of current and former trainees. Mentoring is hard work and it’s not always obvious how effective we are. For most of us, the human legacy we leave behind would have much longer impact on society than any of our published data.”
The award recognizes faculty members who have made significant contributions to graduate students’ quality of life and workplace, scholarly development, and professional development. Staff members are honored for graduate student community development, personal relationship building, and advocacy on behalf of graduate students.
“Yehuda is the type of mentor who puts his students’ needs before his own,” said Vernier, who was eager to share her positive experience in the Ben-Shahar lab.
Recently, Vernier and Ben-Shahar published a paper that caught media attention. “During this process, he insisted that all media speak to either both of us or to just me. He was insistent that the project was mine and that I should be the person that received credit for the scientific story. This support has led to several news stories featuring my voice, including an interview for NPR’s All Things Considered. As a young scientist seeking a career in academia, this visibility in the scientific community is immeasurably beneficial for my career,” explained Vernier.
Vernier was a PhD student in the Evolution, Ecology and Population Biology Program and graduated in 2019. In the Ben-Shahar lab, she studied the evolutionary, genetic, and physiological mechanisms that drive nestmate recognition in social insects.
“He supports all of his students in diverse projects tailored to their interests. I wished to pursue a project in honey bees, and he fully supported me and my work without question or concern,” said Vernier.
The lab largely focuses on fruit flies.
Because of the diversity of student projects, Ben-Shahar tailors his mentoring style to each student, fostering independent scientists who develop projects they can take with them when they leave. Vernier is now studying the role of the gut microbiome in honey bee behavioral maturation.
“His door is always open, and he is always available to work through any problem. He truly supports each of his students, empathizes with their problems, celebrates their successes, and provides support and assistance whenever needed,” explained Vernier.
“His door is always open, and he is always available to work through any problem. He truly supports each of his students, empathizes with their problems, celebrates their successes, and provides support and assistance whenever needed,” explained Vernier.
And he continues to support his former students after they leave the lab.
“He has continued to be a present and active mentor after I left his lab. I wholeheartedly believe that he deserves recognition for this,” said Vernier.
The Graduate Student Senate, which represents and advocates for the interests of graduate students, hosts an annual Outstanding Faculty & Staff Awards ceremony to honor WashU faculty and staff members who positively impact the graduate student experience. This year, the 2021 Outstanding Faculty and Staff ceremony will occur on May 19th from 4-5 pm via Zoom.
