Sara Francis, a graduate student in the laboratory of Dr. Dawn Quelle, has received the Sandra H. Barkan Outstanding Graduate Student Mentor Award. This award, named for former Associate Dean of the Graduate College Sandra H. Barkan, recognizes graduate students who show exceptional mentorship of undergraduates and junior graduate students in their assistantships. The award is made in conjunction with the Graduate Student Recognition Week and The James F. Jakobsen Graduate Conference in spring of each year. Sara received the award at a ceremony for the James F. Jakobsen Graduate Student Conference. According to Dr. Quelle, "Sara has an impressive ability to successfully teach basic science techniques and concepts to individuals with no prior lab training, and she does so in a fun, enjoyable way. Several reasons for her success in mentoring are that she is extremely bright, organized, prepared to teach, patient with people of all skill levels, has a positive attitude and easy-going demeanor, and most of all enjoys the process of teaching others and seeing them develop. In addition, she effectively relates their specific experiments back to the overall goals and significance of the study, which helps young trainees appreciate the importance of their work." The Department of Pharmacology is proud to congratulate Sara for this achievement.