Award for Education in Neuroscience Presented to Julio Ramirez

For immediate release.

AWARD FOR EDUCATION IN NEUROSCIENCE PRESENTED TO JULIO RAMIREZ

Washington — The Society for Neuroscience (SfN) presented the Award for Education in Neuroscience to Julio J. Ramirez, PhD, during Neuroscience 2011, SfN’s annual meeting and the world’s largest source of emerging news about brain science and health. The prize, which includes $5,000, recognizes individuals with a distinguished career who have made outstanding contributions to neuroscience research and education.

“Dr. Ramirez is an exceptional advocate for undergraduate neuroscience educators and their students,” said Susan G. Amara, PhD, president of SfN. “We are honored to recognize his extraordinary efforts and his unwavering commitment to the field.”

Ramirez has made a tremendous impact on neuroscience education and mentoring throughout his impressive career spanning more than 25 years. His efforts to promote undergraduate education have resulted in the creation of several programs designed to assist neuroscience educators, as well as their students. Dr. Ramirez co-founded Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience (FUN) to facilitate the intellectual growth of teachers and provide aid to students wishing to present their research at SfN's annual meeting. Additionally, he was a key player in the creation of the Journal of Undergraduate Neuroscience Education, FUN's flagship journal, which publishes peer-reviewed reports of innovations in undergraduate neuroscience education. Dr. Ramirez was also instrumental in creating Support of Mentors and their Students (SOMAS), a national faculty/student mentorship program, and is a founding member of the Council on Undergraduate Research’s (CUR) Psychology Division.

Dr. Ramirez’s dedication to promoting undergraduate teaching and mentorship have earned widespread recognition throughout the community, particularly the 2004 Director’s Award for Distinguished Teaching Scholars from the National Science Foundation and the 2009 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring. His research focuses on brain injury and Alzheimer's disease, and he is currently a professor in the psychology department at Davidson College.

The Society for Neuroscience is an organization of more than 41,000 researchers and clinicians who study the brain and nervous system.