The Ward J. MacNeal Educational and Scientific Memorial Trust Distinguished Dissertation Award for University of Michigan Medical School Microbiology and Immunology Graduates was created in 1999 and honors Ward J. MacNeal (A.B. 1901, PhD 1904, MD 1905, Honorary ScD 1939).
Dr. MacNeal was a pathologist who specialized in cancer research and was a noted authority on bacteria and phage. From 1912 until his death in 1946, Dr. MacNeal served as professor of bacteriology and director of the Bacteriology Service at New York Post-Graduate Medical School and Hospital.
This award has been made possible by a gift from the estate of Charlotte Etzold MacNeal (A.B. 1932), the wife of Ward MacNeal's son, Perry S. MacNeal (A.B. 1933, MD 1936, Residency 1940).
This departmental award is given to a PhD graduate trainee from a pool of nominees each academic year.
Nominees are reviewed for:
- Overall scholarly credentials
- Degree of innovation, creativity, and insight
- Scope and importance of the work
- Effectiveness of the writing, including whether it is written in language that is reasonably understandable to readers in a variety of disciplines
The Ward J. MacNeal Educational and Scientific Memorial Trust Distinguished Dissertation Award has been granted to graduates since 1999. View a list of past recipients below.
- 2023: Anna-Lisa Lawrence -- Mentor, Mary O'Riordan
- 2022: Yolanda Rivera-Cuevas -- Mentor, Vern Carruthers
- 2021: Robert Glowacki -- Mentor, Eric Martens
- 2020: Sukhmani Bedi -- Mentor, Akira Ono
- 2019: JT McCrone -- Mentor, Adam Lauring
- 2018: Hayley Warsinske -- Mentor, Denise Kirschner
- 2017: David Collins -- Mentor, Kathleen Collins
- 2016: Mary McCarthy -- Mentor, Jason Weinberg
- 2015: Joseph Zackular -- Mentor, Patrick Schloss
- 2014: Nicole Broekema -- Mentor, Michael Imperiale
- 2013: Jeff Perry -- Mentor, Christiane Wobus
- 2012: Vineela Chukkapalli -- Mentor, Akira Ono
- 2011: Erin C. Garcia -- Mentor, Harry Mobley
- 2010: K.T. Elliott -- Mentor, Victor DiRita
- 2008: Johanna Abend -- Mentor, Michael Imperiale
- 2006: John-Demian Sauer -- Mentor, Michele Swanson
- 2006: Michael J. McConnell -- Mentor, Michael Imperiale
- 2005: Jessica S. Tyler -- Mentor, David Friedman
- 2004: Ari B. Molofsky -- Mentor, Michele Swanson
- 2003: Wenfeng An -- Mentor, Alice Telesnitsky
- 2002: Ping Ye -- Mentor, Denise Kirschner
- 2000: Julie K. Pfeiffer -- Mentor, Alice Telesnitsky
- 1999: Melody Neely -- Mentor, David Friedman
