Jennifer Blackford, PhD, has been a longtime supporter of Nebraska Women in STEM and a frequent conference attendee.
At an award ceremony later this month, Dr. Blackford will be recognized with the organization’s top honor — Outstanding Woman in STEM.
Dr. Blackford, who also is being honored by UNMC this fall with the Research Leadership Award, is the associate dean and director of research at the Munroe-Meyer Institute.
Receiving the award — and knowing her team thought highly enough to nominate her — is an honor, she said.
“You can just check the boxes, but we always try to go above and beyond to gain skills, create meaning and do things that have an impact on others,” Dr. Blackford said. “This award reflects to me that those things matter.”
The Nebraska Women in STEM awards are a partnership between Nebraska Cures and Bio Nebraska
The Outstanding Woman in STEM award is the event’s top honor, said Amanda McGill Johnson, director of Nebraska Women in STEM.
“Dr. Blackford has certainly exhibited impact not only in research and leadership, but she’s been a mentor to other women scientists,” McGill Johnson said.
Dr. Blackford’s research aims to identify and characterize the neurobiological bias of anxiety across the lifespan. The current focus of that research is understanding the role of anxiety in individuals with alcohol use disorder.
She’s also passionate about training the next generation of scientists, helping to provide mentorship to more than 50 trainees.
Dr. Blackford is a great leader and that shows in the way she’s grown MMI’s research portfolio, said Nikki Zabik, PhD, who works in Dr. Blackford’s MMI Lab. It was the obvious choice, Dr. Zabik said, to nominate Dr. Blackford for the Nebraska Women in STEM award.
“She’s really great at getting other people curious and motivated about science,” Dr. Zabik said. “She’s really big on helping the next generation of scientists. She’s here to be a leader and to advocate for science.”
Mentorship matters at the institute, Dr. Blackford said, and it’s a space that values women in leadership. She’s drawn inspiration from other females in her life, including her mother, a graduate school mentor and research collaborators.
“Pathways are opening up, but there are still barriers,” Dr. Blackford said. “Having one person who can validate your experience and give you support can help a talented person persevere and be successful.”