Society of Sciences Honors K Professor

Regina Stevens-Truss, Kalamazoo College’s Dorothy H. Heyl Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, is the receiver of the 2023 American Culture for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) Award for Exemplary Contributions to Training.

The ASBMB is a qualified firm of science, a single of the greatest of its type in the environment. The award, instituted in 2005, credits an individual who encourages an powerful educating and finding out of biochemistry and molecular biology although demonstrating a commitment to pedagogical engagement and educating innovation. As one particular of 14 experts from all over the globe becoming honored by the ASBMB, Stevens-Truss will give a presentation about her training and finding out trajectory at the society’s 2023 once-a-year assembly, Find BMB, in March in Seattle.

“Being selected for this honor surfaces all of my humble bones,” Stevens-Truss explained. “Never in my wildest dreams did I foresee becoming nominated and even much less currently being chosen for this award. My imposter syndrome persona is in full bloom suitable now, and I can listen to all of the voices that inform me routinely ‘accept a compliment, Regina.’ This award means the entire world to me, I am honored and humbled, and cannot believe the list of pioneers that my name will be stated with.”

Stevens-Truss served on the Minority Affairs Committee (MAC), now identified as the Maximizing Entry Committee, as very well as on the Education and learning and Specialist Progress (EPD) Committee of the ASBMB, wherever she was component of the steering committee that produced the concept-driven teaching tactics that laid the basis for the organization’s certification examination. She also was the principal investigator in 2012 of a National Science Basis grant that supported a STEM K-12 outreach initiative by the modern society referred to as Fingers-on Outreach to Encourage Engagement in Science (HOPES – see pages 37-38 at this connection).

Considering that signing up for the school at K in January 2000, Stevens-Truss has been educating Chemical Reactivity, Biochemistry, Medicinal Chemistry and Infection: World Wellbeing and Social Justice. Recent investigation in her lab focuses on screening a assortment of compounds (peptides and little molecules) for antimicrobial exercise. She is also the College’s director of the Howard Hughes Healthcare Institute Inclusive Excellence grant, which was awarded to K’s science division in 2018. In 2016, she acquired K’s best training honor, the Florence J. Lucasse Lectureship for Excellence in Instructing.

Stevens-Truss earned a bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University and a Ph.D. in medicinal chemistry from the College of Toledo. She held two fellowships at the University of Michigan in between 1993 and 1999, a person of which was a lectureship in medicinal chemistry.

“I joined the faculty at K in a section with the Best crew of educators and learners that I could have requested for,” she said. “From working day just one, my chemistry and biochemistry division colleagues have supported each individual hair-brained notion I have appear up with. They make me believe challenging about educating by normally maintaining our pupils front-and-center in our conversations on this subject matter. My pupils have pushed me to be greater, to treatment far more, to manual them by means of their journey of studying and progress.  And, without the need of all of these people, this award would not have took place. This award is not just for me, but for all who have been in my lifetime in the previous 20-as well as a long time. You know who you are!”