2022 American Society for Microbiology Awards Program: Clinical Microbiology Honorees
The Journal of Clinical Microbiology collectively pauses to recognize the efforts and achievements of three microbiologists who have recently earned distinction among their peers.
Abstract
While cognizant of the continuing SARS-CoV-2 infection pandemic and the impact it has rendered on the health care community (1, 2), including laboratorians, the Journal of Clinical Microbiology collectively pauses to recognize the efforts and achievements of three microbiologists who have recently earned distinction among their peers. The American Academy of Microbiology (AAM) is an honorific leadership group within the American Society for Microbiology (ASM); its mission is not only to provide expertise in the service of science and the public, but also to recognize microbiologists for outstanding contributions to the microbial sciences. As such, the Academy is responsible for management of the ASM Awards and Prize Program. Some of the now 17 ASM Awards (the ASM Microbiome Data Prize is a new addition for 2022) have dated back to 1968. A complete listing of past recipients of ASM Awards, in addition to ASM Lecturer Awardees, can be found with the following link: https://asm.org/ASM/media/Awards/Past -ASM-Awardees-for-Current-ASM-Awards-8-16-21_1.pdf. The ASM Scherago-Rubin Award for Clinical Microbiology, first awarded in 1987 and now sponsored by the ASM Corporate Council, recognizes an outstanding bench-level clinical microbiologist involved in routine diagnostic work who has distinguished heror himself by excellent performance. The award was established by the late Dr. Sally Jo Rubin in honor of her grandfather, Professor Morris Scherago. The ASM Award for Service, first awarded in 2019 and sponsored by the ASM Corporate Council, recognizes outstanding contributions through service to the microbiological community. Honorees provide such service on a strictly volunteer basis, without having held office as an ASM officer, chairperson of a Clinical Practice Committee Board, or the chairperson of the American Academy of Microbiology. The ASM Award for Research and Leadership in Clinical Microbiology, also sponsored by the ASM Corporate Council, recognizes an outstanding scientist/clinical microbiologist with distinguished research achievements and a record of innovation and advancement of the clinical microbiology profession. This honor represents the 2019 merger of the bioMérieux Sonnenwirth Award for Leadership in Clinical Microbiology with the BD Award for Research in Clinical Microbiology, each of which were established more than 35 years ago. The recipient of the 2022 ASM Scherago-Rubin Award for Clinical Microbiology is Joy L. Graff, MSOL, MT(ASCP). Ms. Graff currently serves as the Microbiology and Molecular Biology Supervisor at St. Elizabeth Healthcare, Preferred Laboratory Partners, LLC based in Edgewood, KY. Preferred Laboratory Partners, LLC is a laboratory joint venture created in 2018 between the TriHealth unified health care system in the Cincinnati, Ohio, area and the multihospital St. Elizabeth Healthcare system of northern Kentucky and southeastern Indiana. Ms. Graff was employed for 29 years at TriHealth laboratory in bench technologist, lead technologist, and first shift microbiology supervisor roles prior to the merger of the two laboratory systems. She received her baccalaureate degree in medical technology (with honors) from the University of Cincinnati, completing cooperative experiences at two Cincinnati hospitals, and subsequently earned American Society for Clinical Pathology certification. She furthered her education in Editor Alexander J. McAdam, Boston Children's Hospital Copyright © 2022 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved. Address correspondence to Erik Munson, [email protected]. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of the journal or of ASM. Published 18 May 2022