Discover the Behind-the-Scenes Work that Contributes to ASCP Awards Selection

Anyone who has ever received an award from ASCP is keenly aware of how meaningful it is to be recognized by one’s peers. Yet few know about the enormous amount of time, care, and attention that goes into the selection process.  

Anne Walsh-Feeks, MS, MASCP, PA(ASCP)^CM, and Stephanie Whitehead, MBA, MPH, MLS(ASCP)^CM, both past honorees and current chairs, respectively, of the ASCP Annual Awards and ASCP 40 Under Forty selection committees, share a glimpse into the process.   

“Receiving an award is a career-defining moment. I was so incredibly honored, some years ago, to receive an Annual Award for Excellence in Management and a Mastership,” says Ms. Walsh-Feeks, now in her third year as chair of the ASCP Annual Awards Selection Committee.   

Her goal is to encourage more people to apply for the awards and to appreciate the impact they can have on an honoree’s career. She notes some honorees say they feel awkward asking a mentor to nominate them for an award. After some discussion, her committee successfully sought permission from ASCP’s leaders to allow individuals to nominate themselves for an award.  

“This option allows individuals to nominate themselves. They have to include a CV and a letter of nomination from another individual. We began that last year, and the number of submissions rose dramatically,” Ms. Walsh-Feeks says. 

To boost awareness that self-nomination is now an option, she promoted the concept at the spring ASCP Leadership Forum, a gathering of ASCP volunteer leaders and senior staff. 

“During breakout sessions, I met with each of the commissions, membership, residents, education, and I talked in depth about the self-nomination process,” she explains. “I also invited the chairs of each of the ASCP commissions to join the award selection committee in order to increase representation of the different constituent groups. It definitely made a difference!”    

Her counterpart, Ms. Whitehead, feels similarly about the value of the 40 Under Forty recognition program. Ms. Whitehead notes that “ASCP goes out of its way” to ensure that the honorees’ employers know of an individuals’ recognition, which is deeply meaningful to the honoree.   

“As a person who has received the 40 Under Forty recognition, I know that it shines a spotlight on the next generation of changemakers in the field,” she says, adding, “It actually strengthened my career.” 

Ms. Whitehead assumed the position as chair of the 40 Under Forty Selection Committee this year, after completing her term as chair of the Council of Laboratory Professionals.   

“Our committee has a rubric that is as concise, equitable, and objective as possible,” she explains. “There is a strong commitment to ensuring inclusion and representation of professionals from academia, rural, and urban environments, and all the various specialties and subspecialties within pathology and laboratory medicine. Representation of all our members from across the spectrum matters. We hope to ensure our future generation of laboratory professionals can see themselves represented in this group of honorees.”   

From a practical standpoint, both women are aware of the time constraints of reading all of the nominations. They are both very deliberate in taking only a handful of nominations to read per day. They encourage their fellow committee members to do the same.  

After narrowing down the initial lists, robust discussion becomes part of the decision-making process. The important thing for all nominees to know is that, if they are not selected one year, they can certainly apply again the following year. Ms. Walsh-Feeks’ committee retains the applications of individuals who were not selected and they will be automatically considered for selection next year.   

Learn more about the ASCP Annual Awards here, and the ASCP 40 Under Forty recognition program here.