The Biophysical Society has selected Holyoke School Committee Chair Dr. Yadilette Rivera-Colón to receive its 2027 Emily M. Gray Distinguished Educator Award. She will be honored in February during the society’s 71st Annual Meeting in Philadelphia.
Dr. Rivera-Colón was selected for the award for her distinguished service to biophysical education through pioneering outreach initiatives, innovative curriculum development, and tireless mentorship that has broadened participation and inspired the next generation of biophysicists, particularly those historically excluded from science, the Biophysical Society said when announcing her award.
Dr. Rivera-Colón is an associate professor of biology and undergraduate science program research coordinator at Bay Path University. She earned her bachelor's degree in natural sciences from the University of Puerto Rico, Cayey in 2008 and her doctorate degree in molecular and cellular biology in 2013 from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. After completing her doctorate, she became an IRACDA Post-doctoral fellow at the PENN-Professional Opportunities for Research and Teaching at the University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Rivera-Colón is a native of Puerto Rico and a first-generation college graduate. She has a passion for connecting with underserved populations, particularly women of color, to share her love of science.
“Yadilette, throughout her career, has provided significant contributions to biophysics education and mentoring,” said BPS President Karen Fleming of Johns Hopkins University. “From her initiative to create the Primarily Undergraduate Institution (PUI) Network to foster a larger, community teaching-intensive scientists within the Biophysical Society, to her endeavors to create STEM educational initiatives within her community and provide mentorship and support for young female and underrepresented students, Yadilette embodies the values of the Emily M. Gray Award. It is an honor to recognize someone striving to make substantive change within the community.”
The Emily M. Gray Distinguished Educator Award honors significant contributions to education and mentoring in biophysics, demonstrated through a distinguished record of excellence in classroom instruction, mentoring scientists at any level, developing novel educational methods or materials, promoting scientific outreach efforts to the public or to youth, attracting new students to the field of biophysics, or fostering an environment exceptionally conducive to education in biophysics.