The “Excellence in Service to the Quantitative Biology Institute and the Program in Physics, Engineering, and Biology” was established in 2024 to recognize trainees affiliated with the QBio Institute and / or the PEB who have contributed significantly to improving the PEB/QBio community.
Excellence in Service Award
Left to right: Sara, Charles, and Gustavo, the 2024 Excellence in Service to QBio and PEB awardees
2024 Awardees
Sara Siwiecki | Charles Lomba | Gustavo Maderia Santana
Sara Siwiecki
Sara is recognized for her work during PEB education and outreach events for middle, high school, and undergraduate students. She has given several lab tours, which is a highlight for the students. In 2023, Sara asked how she could give back to our PEB Summer Undergraduate Research Program, which she participated in as an undergraduate in 2017. She created a “What’s next? MD/PhD, PhD, Postbac” Panel in 2023, and served on the same panel in 2024. This panel has been highly rated by summer students and helped them think through what they might do after complete their undergraduate education. Sara is also recognized for her work to strengthen the PEB/QBio community. She led the re-establishment of PEB happy hours during the 2023-2024 academic year to bring the community together, has volunteered taught a workshop in effective communication to her peers during the PEB Methods and Logic course, and helped to build the PEB/QBio community by recruiting on behalf of PEB at the NIH graduate and professional recruitment fair.
Charles Lomba
Charles is recognized for his work building community within the QBio institute and his dedication to education and outreach. Charles has organized the weekly QBio chalk talks for several years and has organized QBio social events to bring together the community, including summer barbecues and winter holiday parties. These events have been critical to facilitate collaboration and interaction among members of the QBio Institute. Charles has also helped to build the PEB/QBio community by recruiting on behalf of PEB at the 2023 SACNAS NDiSTEM conference. Charles is also an integral volunteer during PEB/QBio education and outreach events. He has also led efforts to create new hands-on outreach demos and interactive lab tours for visiting middle and high school students and undergraduates. He was also a member of the group of PEB PhD students who created the Python Bootcamp for the PEB Summer Undergraduate Research Program in 2022, and has continued to help refine the curriculum.
Gustavo Madeira Santana
Gustavo is recognized for the numerous contributions he has made to inspire and support the next generation of scientists. During PEB education and outreach events for middle, high school, and undergraduate students, Gustavo has given lab tours that include showing students the how to sex flies, which is always a highlight for the students. Gustavo is also committed to helping build the PEB/QBio community and has recruited on behalf of PEB at several events in 2022 and 2023 – the most out of any trainee. He has gone above and beyond to speak individually with prospective students and answer their questions about the program and give advice about how to write a competitive application. Gustavo is also very engaged with the PEB Summer Undergraduate Research programming. He was a member of the group of PEB PhD students who created the Python Bootcamp for the PEB Summer Undergraduate Research Program in 2022, and has continued to help refine the curriculum in 2023 and 2024. He has also served as an informal mentor for undergraduates in the program, providing them advice about pursuing graduate school and a research career.