Congratulations to CHET core faculty member Shemeka Thorpe, PhD, for receiving two national awards recognizing her research and scholarship. Dr. Thorpe was presented with the 2025 Lester A. Kirkendall Outstanding Mentor Award from the Society for Scientific Study of Sexuality, a leading international association for sexuality research. This award is given to a mentor who has provided knowledge, assistance, encouragement, empathy, and respect to a mentee. They often create a supportive environment that fosters networking/collaboration that aids with developing a mentee’s long-term career goals. An excerpt of her nomination letter reads, "Dr. Thorpe embodies the highest qualities of an outstanding mentor. She is approachable, deeply knowledgeable, and wholly committed to her students' success. She fosters a culture of team science, ensuring that every member of her lab grows as a researcher while also supporting one another. She provides constructive feedback while encouraging students to take intellectual risks, expand their thinking, and challenge oppressive, dominant narratives in sex science."
Dr. Thorpe also received the 2025 Outstanding Early Career Professional award from the Sexual and Reproductive Health Section of the American Public Health Association.
