Evolutionary Biologist Burford Reiskind Receives Faculty Diversity External Mentoring Endowment

Martha Burford Reiskind, a research assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at NC State, is the 2021-22 recipient of the College of Sciences Faculty Diversity External Mentoring Endowment.

Burford Reiskind received the award for her groundbreaking diversity and inclusion work in the Genetics and Genomics Scholars (GGS) program. Under Burford Reiskind’s leadership, the GGS program has seen large numbers of highly qualified applicants, enrollment by increasingly diverse and outstanding students, and high levels of student success and retention. Burford Reiskind has also proposed a new project to address racism in the genetics and genomics field. The award will allow her to expand her work by providing strong professional development opportunities for herself as well as the broader NC State scientific community.

Outside of her formal teaching and administrative duties, Burford Reiskind started the “Being an Ally in Academics” discussion group in 2019, which has continued to expand and now serves as a space for faculty, staff and students to learn about issues related to diversity, equity, justice and inclusion in academia.

Burford Reiskind previously received the NC College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Teacher of Merit award in 2018, as well as the Certificate of Recognition for the 2018 Equity for Women Award. Many constituencies across campus, including the Biological Sciences Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion committee, have also recognized Burford Reiskind’s efforts.

The Faculty Diversity External Mentoring Endowment, previously known as the Faculty Diversity Professional Development Award, was created by a private gift to the college to support professional development opportunities for mid- and early-career faculty members from underrepresented groups, as well as any mid- and early-career faculty who have demonstrated a commitment to promoting diversity among students and fellow faculty members.

Burford Reiskind received her bachelor’s in integrative biology from the University of California Berkeley in 1995, her master’s in marine biology from San Francisco State University in 2001 and her Ph.D in ecology and evolutionary biology from the University of California Santa Cruz in 2007.

This post was originally published in College of Sciences News.