CRF is pleased to announce two former members of the Graduate Student Grant Writing Program and current student awardees, Mélise Edwards, & Jasmine Dixon were chosen by faculty on the Departmental PBS Diversity Committee as the recipients of this year’s Wendy Helmer Graduate Student Award, based on peer nominations. Mélise’s & Jasmine’s fellow graduate students recognized their important contributions in Psychological and Brain Sciences (PBS) and in the broader community. They have been strong advocates for racial justice, and have worked tirelessly to address inequities in our community.

The Wendy Helmer Graduate Student Award is a peer-nominated award that is given annually to PBS graduate students who work to improve the quality of life in the department and/or their program. This award recognizes passionate individuals who, like Wendy, have actively contributed to an environment that embraces inclusion, community, collaboration, mentorship, and social justice. It is given in honor of Wendy Helmer who was a beloved staff member in PBS who died suddenly in 2015.