Abel Wins Distinguished Mentor Award

Dr. Dale Abel, Chair and DEO of Internal Medicine and Director of the Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center, has received a 2017 Distinguished Mentor Award from the Iowa Center for Research by Undergraduates (ICRU). This award recognizes outstanding mentorship of undergraduate students in research and creative projects and entitles recipients to funding for an ICRU Research Fellowship for a student in the upcoming academic year.

Dr. Abel was nominated by two students, Nicholas McCarty and Paul Taufalele, who have worked in his lab for nearly four years. Their nomination letter praises Dr. Abel’s ability to “always make himself available to assist students with their research, grant proposals, and applications” despite his many responsibilities. Instead, they say, he makes identifying opportunities to instruct and encourage his students toward greatness “a daily ritual.” Even when an experiment did not produce the desired results, McCarty said, Dr. Abel made clear his pride in the students’ hard-won ability to move through the scientific process with greater understanding. “By investing in us his confidence, time, and resources,” their letter concludes, “he offers us a world-class education which transcends lessons from the classroom.”

The award will be presented at the annual UI Discovery and Innovation Awards Ceremony, hosted by the Office for the Vice President for Research and Economic Development on April 24. Congratulations on this well-deserved award, Dr. Abel!