Stephanie Harshman is the 2017 recipient of the Stanley N. Gershoff, Simon J. Simonian and Arpi A. Simonian Prize for Research Excellence in Nutrition Science and Policy at the Friedman School.
Harshman, a Biochemical and Molecular Nutrition PhD candidate, entered the Friedman School in 2012. For her doctoral thesis, Harshman’s research focuses on the characterization of vitamin K in food and its national intake. Her findings indicate a decrease in national vitamin K consumption among men and an increase among women. In addition, she has served as a teaching assistant for graduate level biochemistry and nutritional biochemistry courses and has provided nutrition assessments and counseling for patients as a clinical dietetics student at Tufts Medical Center’s Frances Stern Nutrition Center. Currently, Harshman is a doctoral fellow and manages research projects at the National Institute of Health and National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
The Gershoff-Simonian Prize was created in honor of Dr. Stanley Gershoff, founding dean of the Friedman School. It is awarded annually to a masters or doctoral student who has excelled in their chosen field of study and exemplifies the same creativity and dedication to the discipline of nutrition as Dr. Gershoff, demonstrating a commitment to the intersection of nutrition science and policy through their work.
Past recipients are Emily Finnan, 2016; Alison G. Brown, 2015; Samantha E. Berger, 2014; Adela M. Hruby, 2013; Maria C. Dao, 2012; Lorien E. Urban, 2011; June Leung, 2010; Natalie A. Valpiani, 2009; Alison Tovar, 2008; and Cheryl H. Gilhooly, 2007.
Pictured: Stephanie Harshman, the 2017 recipient of the Stanley N. Gershoff, Simon J. Simonian and Arpi A. Simonian Prize for Research Excellence in Nutrition Science and Policy, with Dean Dariush Mozaffarian and faculty member Sarah Booth, Acting Director of the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Center on Aging, her academic adviser, who was recognized for her teaching and mentorship.