The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences is pleased to congratulate Graduate Teaching Scholar member Anne Brown on being awarded the Virginia Tech Graduate School Graduate Student Service Excellence Award. This award recognizes a graduate student that has demonstrated innovation and creativity and has worked in service to others by promoting the public good.

A doctoral student in Biochemistry, Anne is studying the molecular mechanisms of Alzheimer’s disease. She has been a member of the CALS GTS program since 2013. Through the program Anne has had many opportunities to enhance her teaching skills, conduct educational research, and through the citizen scholar course required for the GTS program, she found her passion for engaging others.

Anne serves as the director for the Graduate Undergraduate Mentorship Program, is a mentor for fifteen undergraduate students working on research projects, and worked to develop the Visiting Kits project which partners Virginia Tech students with elderly community members that reside in Warm Hearth Village.

Anne encourages others to seek out their passion and engage with serving others. She states that “It is absolutely crucial that when you research out to start a project like mine that you are fulfilling a need in the community and listen to the communities perspectives and desires”. She also encourages other students to seek out funding opportunities through Virginia Tech or other avenues. Being able to serve others has made a significant impact on her academic career at Virginia Tech as well as on the lives of those she has reached out to in service.

When asked how she felt about winning the award, she reports that “Winning [the award] is a huge honor and I am thrilled to have been able to have been a part of the Visiting Kits project.” She has received much positive feedback from both students and members of Warm Hearth. She says that being able to make a difference is an invaluable experience. In the future, Anne plans to finish her Ph. D. in 2016, continuing on to a career in academia and continuing to work with and mentor undergraduate researchers.