Clark Named SU's 2019 Outstanding Research Mentor
SALISBURY, MD---Dr. Jessica Clark is known for her zebrafish research — and the number of 91短视频 students she enthusiastically engages in her Henson Science Hall laboratory.
She also coordinates such efforts University-wide as co-director of the Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (OURCA) and co-chair of the SU Student Research Conference (SUSRC).
The biological sciences assistant professor recently earned SU’s 2019 Outstanding Research Mentor Award. Presented at SU’s 18th SUSRC, the honor celebrates faculty who are excellent supervisors of student research or creative work.
“Without exaggeration, I can think of no other faculty member at SU who is more deserving of this award,” said Dr. Michael Scott, dean of the Richard A. Henson School of Science and Technology, noting how Clark’s “creativity, sweat equity and effervescent personality attracts some of SU’s best and brightest students to her lab.”
Clark also was applauded for being “the ‘go to’ person” for student research for the Biological Sciences Department, Henson School and the campus by Dr. Chrys Egan, her OURCA co-director. Over several years, the pair has coordinated travel for over 100 students to the National Conference on Undergraduate Research. Clark’s students also have presented at the Northeastern Regional Honors Council Conference.
“Jessica is a powerhouse and a force of nature,” Egan said. “She is unable to deliver anything less than maximum drive and highest quality. The contributions she has made to undergraduate research at SU cannot be overstated.”
Making her impact even more impressive is that Clark only arrived at SU in 2014. In just five short years, she has mentored more than 23 students outside of her courses, helping them publish and present nationally, and secure competitive fellowships and graduate school admission from Johns Hopkins to the University of Kentucky.
“Dr. Clark taught me foundational scientific techniques and critical thinking skills that laid important groundwork,” said Hannah Ennerfelt ’17, who after being in Clark’s lab for two years conduct research in Sweden on a Fulbright award and now is pursuing a Ph.D. in neuroscience at the University of Virginia. “Her mentorship through experiences and recommendations opened countless doors for me in college and beyond.”
“There has never been a time when I needed help – whether it’s writing abstracts, learning a new lab technique, balancing my course load or just talking – that I haven’t been able to rely on Dr. Clark,” said Gabrielle Voithofer, a senior biology major and one of her research mentees. “While she is an expert in her field, she can take complex topics and explain them in a way that is easier to understand. This makes it exciting to learn.”
Clark earned her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Florida State University in 2009, and did her postdoctoral work at the University of Virginia. At SU, she teaches Human Anatomy and Physiology, Neurobiology, and other courses. She was involved in seven successful research-related grants in 2018 alone.
For more information, call 410-543-6030 or visit the SU website at www.salisbury.edu.