Congratulations to Dr. Erin Kent who received the Graduate Studies Outstanding Program Coordinator Award for 2022! She received the award at a recent Graduate Studies conference. Erin is the Graduate Program Coordinator for the Integrative Pathobiology Graduate Group, as well as the coordinator for the Veterinary Scientist Training Program for DVM-PhD students. Erin completed her PhD in Cell and Developmental Biology at UC Davis, an experience which deeply informs her vocation.

Erin states in her advising philosophy, “As I have learned from my previous mentors, an open-door policy, a safe space, and a supportive community is what gets you through graduate school!”

She meets with students individually at critical junctures in their progress, helps them build mentorship networks, and teaches them how to evaluate effective mentorship. Faculty praise her advocacy for student wellness, her antiracism and outreach to achieve better representation, and her partnership with other programs.

Students describe her proactive approaches, her empathy, her concern, and her advocacy for students. She has been called a guardian angel. As one of her students says: “Erin isn’t a superhero; she is much more incredible and important than that. Erin is the person who reminds us every day that we are valued, we are cared for, and that we can do this, regardless of the circumstances we find ourselves in.”

Congratulations, Erin!