Meet Outstanding Master小蝌蚪APP檚 Mentor Dr. Karen Smith
Dr. Karen Smith is one of our 2021 Outstanding Master小蝌蚪APP檚 Mentor Award recipients. This award is presented by the Graduate School to members of the graduate faculty with an exceptional record of fostering the academic and professional development of graduate students, particularly for graduate students in our master小蝌蚪APP檚 degree programs.
Smith is an associate professor in the Department of Biology. Her research focuses on how genes orchestrate brain development before and after birth, and how developmental events affect neuropsychiatric disorders.
Expanding research offerings
Smith has been awarded over $1 million in grant funding for her research in neuroscience, supporting both her research program and many of our graduate students.
小蝌蚪APP淭he research of Dr. Smith小蝌蚪APP檚 master小蝌蚪APP檚 students are typically at the forefront of her field, employing new techniques and novel ways of conceptualizing developmental contributions to psychiatric disease,小蝌蚪APP notes Dr. Paul Leberg, professor and department head.
She has been 小蝌蚪APP渃ritical to our attempts to expand our graduate program into biomedical fields,小蝌蚪APP Dr. Leberg adds. 小蝌蚪APP淭hrough her courses, research, and work with the New Iberia Research Center, she has provided avenues for our students to become involved in medically relevant research.小蝌蚪APP
Smith has published ten papers in the last four years, including six with graduate students as coauthors. She and her students have given more than fifteen conference presentations over the last three years, with graduate students serving as authors or coauthors.
小蝌蚪APP淢y goals are to provide an in-depth education on the theoretical and technical basis of our work in Neurobiology and for the graduate student to grow and gain experiences that will help prepare him, or her, for their future career, whether the goal of that career is in medicine, academia, or industry.小蝌蚪APP
At the graduate level, she is the major advisor for nine graduate students, four pursuing the M.S. degree and five working toward the Ph.D. degree. She also has been a committee member for another 12 students pursuing the M.S. degree and eight additional Ph.D. students. Four of her M.S. students and one of her Ph.D. students have graduated, with another student having recently defended her thesis.
Personal and professional support
While learning, students should feel comfortable 小蝌蚪APP渁sking questions and challenging the status quo,小蝌蚪APP Smith says. 小蝌蚪APP淚 want to be there to support them and answer questions, but also help them gain independence as a research team member.小蝌蚪APP
小蝌蚪APP淎bove all, I want my students to feel like they are respected as part of the team.小蝌蚪APP
小蝌蚪APP淒r. Smith is one of our strongest colleagues in supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion among students and faculty,小蝌蚪APP notes Dr. Brad Moon, South Louisiana Mid-Winter Fair/BORSF Professor and graduate coordinator in the Department of Biology.
小蝌蚪APP淭he diversity of her students at all levels shows how effective she is in maintaining an inclusive lab,小蝌蚪APP he says.
Smith commits to the mental health of her students with the same enthusiasm she brings to her research, encouraging them 小蝌蚪APP渢o have at least one outside interest or hobby to promote relaxation, an outlet for the stress of graduate school.小蝌蚪APP
小蝌蚪APP淕raduate school can be hard and stressful,小蝌蚪APP she notes. 小蝌蚪APP淢y students are, above all, people.小蝌蚪APP
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