As the director of Faculty Advancement, Janina Lewis, Ph.D., assists faculty in rising in their careers and highlighting their achievements. It seems only fitting that she herself was honored with a Professional Achievement Award at the WISDM Awards last week.

WISDM stands for Women in Science, Dentistry and Medicine and is a faculty organization that honors and assists the professional goals and achievements of women faculty within Virginia Commonwealth University. The WISDM Professional Achievement Award honors female faculty members who go above and beyond in their field. They are honored at the annual Leadership Conference, which took place in the Larrick Student Center.

Lewis received the honor this year after nominations from Iain Morgan, Ph.D., and Harmeet Chiang, D.D.S., M.S.

“Dr. Lewis is an outstanding faculty member who works tirelessly to contribute to the success of the school, including her scholarly work and her dedication to helping faculty with their promotion and careers.” Morgan said.

Lewis has been a part of the VCU community since 1994, when she arrived as a graduate student in microbiology and immunology. She received her Ph.D. in 1997 and began working at VCU School of Medicine. Since then, she has risen through the ranks and is now a professor and researcher at the School of Dentistry.

One of her favorite aspects of her research career is teaching others and fostering their own passion.

“I work with our trainees and students very closely,” Lewis said. “To see them get involved and take initiative while growing and learning is very rewarding.”

Lewis’s research focuses on molecular mechanisms of host pathogen interaction in the oral cavity. Her passion for microbiology research has been lifelong. 

“I love the freedom that academia and research gives me,” Lewis said. “There’s something new to explore every day and so many different avenues to pursue.”

In addition to her research and teaching responsibilities, Lewis is the director of Faculty Advancement. She oversees the promotions, tenure and evaluation of faculty. She also manages faculty awards and scholarships, a process that she describes as “rewarding”.

“I get to see firsthand the incredible accomplishments of our faculty,” Dr. Lewis said. “For them to determine that I was a worthy recipient of this award was a very great honor.”

The annual leadership conference and award ceremony took place on April 26. A large contingent of female faculty members from the School of Dentistry attended to show support for Lewis. Attendees listened to presentations about their roles as women in the fields of medicine, dentistry and science and had the opportunity to mingle with like minded professionals. 

Ellen Byrne, D.D.S., Ph.D., senior associate dean for Academic Affairs, presented the Professional Achievement Award to Lewis on behalf of Lyndon Cooper, D.D.S., Ph.D., dean of VCU School of Dentistry.

“I would like to extend my congratulations to Dr. Janina Lewis's receipt of this significant award.” Cooper said. “Dr. Lewis is an outstanding member of the faculty and a valuable contributor to the school’s success. She exemplifies the qualities of caring and professionalism embedded in the culture in the School of Dentistry.”

During her acceptance speech, Lewis emphasized her gratitude towards her own mentors. 

“I wouldn’t be where I am today without everyone who helped and taught me valuable lessons not only about the field, but in life,” Lewis said.