Introduction of the 2015 Recipient of the Clark P. Read Mentor Award

The Clark P. Read award is given to an individual who has demonstrated extraordinary leadership in the training of young scientists. In addition, the individual must have influenced the research and graduate education of a department to increase the number of students completing graduate training in disciplines of parasitology. It is an honor to be here before you all today to introduce the recipient of this year’s Clark P. Read Mentor Award, Sam Loker, from the University of New Mexico. Sam has been an outstanding mentor for me not only during my time in his lab but also currently as I begin my journey mentoring my own students. I find that I often ponder how Sam would handle particular situations; for example, motivating students, tailoring training to their personalities, and engaging students in areas outside of pure scientific curiosity. I cannot think of anyone more deserving of this recognition. As I have begun to embark upon my own journey of mentoring students and trainees, I have come to appreciate how challenging the process of mentorship can be. I have come to realize that I have been incredibly lucky over my academic career, having been exposed to incredible mentorship that has set a high bar for me to strive to achieve. Mentors like Sam make the mentorship process look natural. They possess intrinsic qualities that allow them to understand people, and more importantly, make others know that they are valued and being understood. Of course, mentorship does not simply relate to the ability of a mentor to properly train a mentee in the technical aspects of science. An excellent mentor, one worthy of the Clark P. Read Award, is one that does not simply mentor toward academic scientific careers, but provides mentorship tailored to the individual by nurturing scientific curiosity as well as personal development. Sam is able to draw from his experiences to provide insight on many aspects of life, and often I found Sam serving as a role model as well as a scientific mentor. His ability to demonstrate empathy and relate to his mentees makes Sam an easy individual to listen to and to trust. Empirically, Sam has achieved an incredible level of mentorship success. Sam has advised 12 Ph.D. students, 12 M.S. students, 15 postdoctoral fellows, and he has published more than 147 peerreviewed manuscripts with one or more of those trainees. In addition to this list are the many international students and researchers that Sam has mentored, particularly a large group of researchers from Kenya, where Sam has undertaken many schistosome-related projects. One of these students, Eric Lelo, wrote a letter in support of Sam’s nomination and emphasized in the letter that Sam played an essential role in his training. Also worth noting are the countless undergraduate students that Sam has brought through his lab. These students are often exposed to parasitology research before ever considering graduate school; and in some cases, their experience in Sam’s lab encouraged them to pursue graduate research. As a secondary metric of mentoring success, Sam has mentored more than 14 scientists that now maintain an academic researchfocused appointment, and almost all of these individuals continue to work in parasitology. An additional 5 hold lecturer positions and are undoubtedly encouraging the development of the next generations of scientists. It is important to note that Sam’s mentorship extends well beyond those individuals that train directly within his lab. Two particularly noteworthy undertakings that Sam has spearheaded have and will continue to have a lasting impact on parasitological research at the University of New Mexico. First, Sam is primarily responsible for the creation and maintenance of an incredibly successful collaborative research center at UNM that has recruited exceptional trainees and faculty to UNM under the banner of the Center for Evolutionary and Comparative Immunology (CETI). CETI is funded by the NIH Centers for Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) funding scheme and provides support for trainees in several ways, as well as seed grants for young investigators and state-of-the-art core facilities that can be used by CETI and UNM researchers and trainees. Sam plays a central mentorship role to many students and young faculty that have been recruited to CETI, and CETI has provided a fruitful training environment, through which many of Sam’s trainees have passed. Second, Sam has played a pivotal role in establishing the Parasite Collection at the Museum of Southwest Biology. This collection has served as a parasite resource for numerous researchers, and it will continue to support parasitological research for years to come. In summary, I believe that Sam embodies all of the characteristics of an outstanding mentor. A common theme found in all letters supporting Sam’s nomination for this award focused on his willingness to commit a seemingly endless amount of time to his mentees, support balance in their lives, and display a genuine interest in their activities outside of the lab. His commitment to treating mentees with respect, and as peers, has led to many lasting friendships that can be traced back to Sam’s mentorship approach. Sam’s trainees have come from many countries and cultures. Although many have had the benefit of learning from Sam at UNM, many have also learned under his tutelage in Kenya, Tanzania, Nepal, or elsewhere. It is perhaps this flexibility, Sam’s capacity to connect and understand all sorts of individuals, from all over the world that underscores his talent as a mentor. Please join me in congratulating Sam, the 2015 recipient of the Clark P. Read mentorship award.

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