Paula Nurius, professor and Grace Beals-Ferguson Scholar, was selected to receive the 2019 Lewayne Gilchrist Doctoral Mentor Award, which recognizes faculty members who have dedicated their careers to the promise and success of their students.
“I’m honored to have been selected for this distinguished award,” said Paula, “but I am also grateful that our doctoral program and its commitment to a strong and innovative early-career scientific workforce have also been recognized. The value and readiness of our emerging scholars is critical in today’s social work arena, with collaborative research careers spanning academic, government, nonprofit and policy sectors.”
Letters submitted by former students as part of the nomination process captured key reasons for Paula’s selection. One former student wrote: “Paula has actively supported multiple dimensions of my professional development. As a student in her classroom, Paula prioritized my individual learning needs, consistently providing constructive yet supportive feedback.” Another student commented on Paula’s commitment to her student’s success in both the short and long term: “She never lets go of the vision of what is to come after doctoral studies end.”
A third student recalled Paula’s unflagging support, encouragement and commitment to rigor. “Not only did Dr. Nurius support me in the successful completion of my PhD degree at the University of Washington, she helped mentor me through my job search process to secure a highly competitive academic position following graduation. Those first few years in a tenure track role can be challenging. I managed those challenges more effectively because Dr. Nurius was always ready for me to call on her for a word of advice as well as for encouragement and support.”
Paula has been with the School of Social Work since 1984. She served as director of the doctoral program and/or NIH training program from 1995–2014 and associate dean of transdisciplinary scholarship since 2015. In that year, she was recognized as one of the top 25 women scholars in social work. She is an elected fellow of the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare as well as the Society of Social Work and Research, and was the inaugural recipient of the GADE National Leadership in Doctoral Education Award.
The doctoral mentor award is named for Lewayne Gilchrist, professor emeritus, who was known for her commitment to student mentorship and teaching. Gilchrist was affiliated with the School from 1988, when she was its inaugural associate dean for research, until her death in 2018.
The Gilchrist award will be conferred June 13 at the School's graduation celebration.