Dr. Dean H. Hamer
Dr. Dean H. Hamer, chief of the gene structure and regulation
section of the Laboratory of Biochemistry, NCI, was presented
with the Alumni Achievement Award by Trinity College at reunion
ceremonies recently. The award is given each year to a graduate
who has recently achieved distinction. Hamer has been at the
forefront of genetic research. He graduated from Trinity College
in 1972 as class salutatorian with honors in biology, and earned
his Ph.D. from Harvard Medical School in 1977.
Dr. Alan Leshner
President Clinton recently presented Dr. Alan Leshner, director of
the National Institute on Drug Abuse, a 1996 Distinguished
Executive Rank Award, the highest commendation available to
members of the Senior Executive Service. The award recognizes
Leshner's national leadership achievements spanning his career.
He has worked to bridge what he terms "the great disconnect," or
the gap that exists between the public's perception of drug abuse
and addiction and the scientific facts. Leshner is one of two
recipients in HHS to receive this award, which was presented to
63 SES members government-wide.
NIH Officer Tops Training Class
NIH Police Officer John Laurito recently won the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center's Highest Academic Average Award after completing 81/2 weeks at the center's Glynco, Ga., facility.
A former member of the U.S. Coast Guard who joined NIH in January, Laurito trained with federal officers from several other agencies including the Bureau of Engraving, U.S. Mint, the Department of Defense and the U.S. Postal Service, rising to the top of his 48-member class with a 99.66 overall academic average. "The hardest part was probably the legal aspect of the written exam," he said, explaining details of the intense training required of all federal police officers. "It's also tough being away from home that long, but other than that and the long days, the training is enjoyable."
Bill Leonard
Bill Leonard, a producer at the National Library of Medicine's
Audiovisual Program Development Branch, has received CINE's
Golden Eagle Award for his film, The Visible Humans - A Step
Toward Tomorrow. He worked for NBC for 27 years before
joining the library staff in 1980. His prizewinning film examines
the dazzling applications of NLM's Visible Human Project, which
created fully computerized images of both a male and a female
cadaver. The CINE Golden Eagle awards, given for excellence to
professional works, are recognized internationally as symbols of
the highest production standards in film-making and videography.
Dr. Terrie Wetle
Dr. Terrie Wetle, deputy director of the National Institute on
Aging, recently received two awards for outstanding contributions
to the field of gerontology: the President's Award from the
American Society on Aging, and the Key Award from the
gerontological health section of the American Public Health
Association (APHA). At APHA's 124th annual meeting, she
discussed the problems of diminishing resources in science today
and the important relationship between scientific research and
continuing progress in gerontology. She "hopes to continue to
make contributions toward improving the quality of life of older
people."
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