American Society for Microbiology honors Abigail A. Salyers

The 2009 American Society for Microbiology (ASM) ASM Graduate Microbiology Teaching Award will be presented to Abigail A. Salyers, Ph.D., Professor of Microbiology at the University of Illinois. This award recognizes distinguished teaching of microbiology and mentoring of students at the graduate and postgraduate levels.

Known as a gifted educator and scientist who excites her students about science, Dr. Salyers' impact on students can be seen directly, teaching in the classroom, and indirectly, through her publications. She teaches both undergraduate and graduate students and has directly supervised more than 30 Ph.D. students, numerous master's, postdoctoral students, and visiting scientists, and helped train more than 30 undergraduates. She has co-authored more than 120 manuscripts with them. Dr. Salyers also developed the curriculum and instructional material for the microbiology courses for first- and second-year medical students to ensure they received a comprehensive background in both basic and clinical microbiology. She was the Co-Director of the Microbial Diversity Summer Course at Woods Hole for five years. Her impact on her students and her outstanding teaching has been recognized with many awards.

A Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology, Dr. Salyers received her Ph.D. from the George Washington University, Washington, D.C.

Source: American Society for Microbiology