On Wednesday, June 11, students from the Integrated Program in Biochemistry (IPiB) gathered at the annual IPiB Summer Reception where the community celebrated two researchers, both members of the Simcox Lab, being recognized for excellence in mentorship. Learn more about the mentorship awards and this year’s recipients below.
Denton Award for Graduate Student Excellence in Teaching and Mentoring
The Denton Award for Graduate Student Excellence in Teaching and Mentoring went to Gina Wade, a graduate student in the Simcox Lab. The award, made possible by the generosity of Arnold E. and Catherine M. Denton, honors IPiB students who provide exceptional commitment, guidance, and scientific training in mentoring and teaching undergraduate students.
“I am honored to receive this award,” says Wade. “My time in IPiB and in the Simcox Lab has instilled in me the belief that mentorship extends beyond the lab to our friends, family, and community, because no one stops growing. My undergraduate research advisor saw the scientific passion in me and encouraged me to pursue a Ph.D. Now, I have the privilege of seeing the excitement for discovery in the next generation of scientists and helping them achieve their goals.”
Wade, who defended her doctoral work in May, examined the role lipids play in regulating body temperature through energy expenditure and heat production during cold exposure. Wade plans to accept a position as a postdoctoral researcher for the upcoming academic year, and to pursue a career in academia.
Wade began developing an interest in mentorship as an undergraduate student, mentoring younger students in her lab and tutoring on the side. In graduate school, mentorship style matured under the guidance of her advisor, Judith Simcox.
“Judith does such an excellent job teaching us what a mentor should be, starting with an understanding that we all have our own strengths and everyone’s growth will be different,” reflects Wade. “It’s not always about rote teaching. It’s about finding students opportunities, gaging their growth, understanding their strengths. I want to put that back into the academic system to help create good, empathetic, scientists who, in turn, will help the next generation grow.”
Sigrid Leirmo Memorial Award in Biochemistry
Jericha Mill, a postdoctoral researcher in the Simcox Lab, earned this year’s Sigrid Leirmo Memorial Award in Biochemistry, which is awarded annually to a graduate student or postdoc. Awardees exemplify the spirit of Sigrid Leirmo, who received her Ph.D. from the Department of Biochemistry in 1989. Leirmo was widely recognized among her peers and colleagues as a devoted researcher, friend, and mentor.
“It means a lot to me to have been nominated for this award,” says Mill. “I teach mass spectrometry techniques to my lab mates, but it’s especially nice to be recognized for the work and teaching that I do outside of the lab.”
In the Simcox Lab, Mill is working to develop a tool to improve reproducibility for researchers interested in studying metabolic change. She partners with researchers across campus who are investigating the role of metabolites in disease to test and improve on her analytical methods.
In addition to her research, Mill has a lecturer appointment in the Department of Chemistry, where she taught analytical chemistry during the 2024-2025 academic year. In the next academic year, she will teach general chemistry in the same department. Her teaching builds on the mentorship skills and evidence-based teaching practices that she developed through her participation in the Delta Program in Research, Teaching, and Learning while a graduate student in the Department of Chemistry. Mill hopes that her teaching will go beyond the material, helping students to develop good study habits and apply critical thinking skills.
“I’m grateful to have support from Judith to pursue teaching, because it’s something I really love,” says Mill. “Analytical chemistry was the class where I realized that I liked research, so it’s especially fun to teach. And, I failed my first test in that class. So, I try to bring empathy to my teaching. I want to be approachable and inspire students to work hard. But, I also want them to know how to work through the pressure that they feel and to understand that you don’t have to always get a top grade to be successful.”
Written by Renata Solan.