Continuing with our celebration of this year’s CALS Awards recipients, we are sharing information about the winners of the Arthur J. and Ellen A. Maurer Extra Mile Award, the Robert R. Spitzer Teaching Excellence Award and the WALSAA Outstanding Advisor Award.

Laura Hernandez

Laura Hernandez, recipient of the Arthur J. and Ellen A. Maurer Extra Mile Award, is a professor in the Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences. Her commitment to mentorship is exceptional, guiding students at all levels. She provides direct guidance to her students, making meaningful connections and helping them set and achieve goals while in her lab. She fosters inclusion and empowers student researchers to pursue projects and contribute to large grants.

Laura also teaches multiple classes related to lactation and reproductive biology to both undergraduate and graduate students and serves on several boards. She actively represents CALS, her department, and women in research at community events, on advising committees, and in the Women in Science and Engineering Learning Community.

Laura consistently motivates lab members with a balance of guidance and encouragement. She demonstrates an unwavering commitment to serving students and all those around her, providing opportunities for their success. She is dedicated to fostering the next generation of scientists and mentors.

Aurelie Rakotondrafara

Aurelie Rakotondrafara, recipient of the Robert R. Spitzer Teaching Excellence Award, is an associate professor in the Department of Plant Pathology. She brings energy, creativity and innovation to her teaching, using modern approaches to build inclusive and engaging learning environments. She was an early adopter of the flipped classroom, obtaining several grants to develop video lectures and interactive online activities for her department’s popular “Plants, Parasites and People” course, saving classroom time for discussion and active learning.

At the start of the Covid pandemic, Aurelie was instrumental in helping many of the colleagues in her department transition to online instruction, offering an impromptu workshop and working one-on-one with instructors. As an active member of the department’s Curriculum Committee, she modernized the department’s student evaluation instrument.

Aurelie mentors teaching assistants, provides guidance to early career faculty members, and serves as Faculty Director of the Women in Science and Engineering program. She shows deep dedication to teaching excellence, innovative practices and mentorship.

Heather Mialik

Heather Mialik, recipient of the WALSAA Outstanding Advisor Award, is the manager of the CALS Honors Program. She coordinates both the Honors in Major program and the Honors in Research program, the latter of which has more than 150 students. This includes facilitating a three-course seminar series, reviewing research project proposals and theses, plus advising and mentoring all students through one-on-one meetings.

With dedication and care, Heather provides tailored advice for each advisee, investing the time needed to make sure each student’s Honors plan fits with their other priorities and obligations. Over the past three years, the incoming cohort has gone from 26 to more than 60 students.

Beyond the Honors program, Heather is a co-instructor for QuickStart, the college’s first-year summer seminar. She also advises the CALS Health and Research Society student organization and helps plan the organization’s annual CALS-specific undergraduate research symposium. Heather is an advisor, but also an instructor, a mentor, a sounding board and an advocate.