August 07, 2024
Media Contact:
Jason Papagan
Manager of Communications
Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society
jpapagan@sigmaxi.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. – Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society is pleased to announce that Adriana Bankston, PhD, has been named the 2024 recipient of the Linda H. Mantel Next Generation Women’s Leadership Award. Established in 2022, the award recognizes outstanding early-career women who demonstrate exceptional service and leadership potential in the research enterprise.
For nearly a decade, Bankston has worked to nurture U.S. competitiveness in science and technology through several roles with universities, non-profits and scientific societies. She will begin a new role this fall as the inaugural congressional policy fellow sponsored by the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (ASGCT) as part of the prestigious American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science & Technology Policy Fellowships Program (STPF). Over the past year, she contributed to policy entrepreneurship with the Federation of American Scientists to make the work of policymakers more impactful and help realize the potential of landmark legislation by assisting the federal government in fostering innovation and U.S. competitiveness. In 2023, she served as Sigma Xi’s senior fellow in civic science & public policy, where she facilitated engagement of scientists in policymaking.
Bankston previously worked as a principal legislative analyst with University of California Federal Governmental Relations, where she advocated for the university’s research priorities with Congress, the administration and federal agencies. During this time, she drafted a STEM pipeline amendment which was included in the CHIPS and Science Act that was signed into law by President Joe Biden in August 2022. Bankston holds a PhD in Biochemistry, Cell, and Developmental Biology from Emory University.
"I am honored to be recognized by Sigma Xi for service and leadership contributions that benefit the scientific community,” said Bankston. “My work as an advocate for scientific research and innovation, highlighting the role that research plays in enhancing U.S. competitiveness in science and technology, aligns strongly with Sigma Xi’s mission to foster a robust scientific enterprise.”
This award celebrates Linda Mantel’s legacy of service, generosity, and leadership within Sigma Xi and the research enterprise. Notably, Mantel served as president of the multi-institutional Columbia-Willamette Chapter of Sigma Xi and as director of Sigma Xi’s Northwest Region, where she created a valuable resource for students through a partnership between the AAAS Pacific Division and the Northwest and Southwest regions of Sigma Xi. Mantel continues to exemplify leadership through the establishment of this award, and her ongoing support of Sigma Xi.
The award will be presented in November at Sigma Xi’s International Forum on Research Excellence (IFoRE) conference. Her presentation, “Advancing U.S. Innovation and Competitiveness through Scientific Research,” will be one of the keynote sessions at the conference. Learn more at experienceIFoRE.org/speakers.