Recognizing Outstanding Service and Commitment to Community Well-Being
The Building a Better Community Through Service Award is given to a Scholar who demonstrates exceptional dedication to the well-being of their community. This award honors individuals who are committed to social responsibility, investing their time and talent to elevate and inspire others, and ultimately uplift the community as a whole.
The nominees for the 2024 Building a Better Community Through Service Award include Anagha Krishnan & Hannah Dada, Jasmine Mack, Lauren McCormick, Nisita Dutta, Poorva Jain, and Theressa Ewa.
We are pleased to announce that the 2024 Building a Better Community Through Service Award is presented to Anagha Krishnan and Hannah Dada.
While this award traditionally recognizes service to the NIH OxCam community, Anagha and Hannah were honored for their exceptional work with the Science Unlocked Initiative. They have made a profound impact by bringing hands-on science experiences to incarcerated youth in Washington D.C. Their program has grown to include over thirty volunteers, including several OxCam students, who collectively tutor nearly three hundred prison-impacted youth.
Anagha and Hannah have not only expanded their scientific work into meaningful community engagement but have also helped train a diverse next generation of scientists. Their commitment to blending science education with social responsibility embodies the true spirit of this award.
They shared, “Science Unlocked is grateful for this award and recognition. We would like to thank IBRA, those that nominated us, as well as the other nominees. Being leaders and participants in service is such a rewarding task. We share this award with the other nominees and those involved in service. Through Science Unlocked, we have grown as scientists, contributors to society, and most importantly, friends. This journey has been met with challenges but remembering our passion for improving outcomes for the incarcerated population and demystifying science empowers us to push through these challenges. We enjoy the challenge of building a stronger initiative and community even in the face of backlash and adversity. The endurance from serving our community has translated into our day to day as scientists and we are thankful for the lessons and growth through the program. We want to thank the Petey Greene staff and our volunteers for seeing our vision and supporting us. Lastly, and certainly not least, we want to thank the students of the Science Unlocked program for exercising so much grace and tolerance with us as we build this program with them. They have taught us insurmountable patience and humility.”
Congratulations to Anagha Krishnan and Hannah Dada for their outstanding contributions and dedication.