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DebBurman received the 2024 Biology Division Faculty Mentor Award (Advanced Career) from the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR).

“This prestigious award recognizes Dr. DebBurman’s exceptional commitment to undergraduate research mentorship and his transformative impact on students’ scientific careers,” said Chair, CUR Biology Division Mentor Awards Committee Jessica Clark, PhD. 

Over the past 26 years, DebBurman has trained 106 undergraduates in his D-Lab, with a particular emphasis on supporting students from underrepresented and marginalized backgrounds. His mentees have received numerous undergraduate fellowships and grants, and regularly present at national and regional meetings.

“His commitment continues long after students graduate, providing ongoing support and guidance as they navigate their careers.”

The impact of “Dr. D’s” mentorship is evident in the career trajectories of his former students: over 90 percent of his trainees have pursued graduate studies and now hold positions in academia, research, and healthcare across the country. His commitment continues long after students graduate, providing ongoing support and guidance as they navigate their careers, alumni and colleagues said.

“We are so proud and privileged to have such committed faculty who serve as role models to so many of our students and the College community,” Krebs Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dean of the Faculty Tara Natarajan said. “The mentorship and outcomes for students is what we consider the best of our institution’s commitment to instill lifelong learning, social mobility, and outcomes such as those that Professor DebBurman has helped countless students achieve.” 

Students look on as Dr. DebBurman (left) offers instruction to neuroscience and education double-major Charles Alvarado ’16, M ’17 during his time at the College.

Beyond individual mentorship, DebBurman has been a catalyst for institutional change. He has implemented innovative programs to expand research opportunities, including course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) and the creation of an undergraduate peer-reviewed life sciences journal. His efforts have extended to developing new interdisciplinary majors, establishing dual-degree pathways, and creating support systems to ensure academic success for diverse student populations.

Additionally, he has fostered research training relationships with R01 institutions, providing early research experiences to over 220 undergraduates, with more than 40 percent from diverse backgrounds. His outreach extends to K-12 students, particularly those in high-need school districts, further expanding the pipeline for future scientists.

“I’ve had the fortune of witnessing Dr. D’s unwavering commitment to his students over several years now,” said Charles Alvarado ’16, M ’17, who is now a doctoral candidate in the Educational Psychology Program at The Pennsylvania State University. “His consistent dedication during and after their time at Lake Forest College is truly uplifting and emblematic of the meaningful relationships made possible by a college professor who chooses to be actively present. While I believe he doesn’t seek recognition, it brings me immense joy to see such a deserving individual, educator, and mentor receive this award.” 

Carris Borland ’21 (above), a PhD candidate in neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania, majored in biochemistry and molecular and minored in neuroscience at the College and was a member of the D-Lab. She noted DebBurman has high standards for his lab students, which inspired her to push herself academically.  

“I think he makes the lab intense to allow students to become competitive,” she said. “In hindsight, he pushes his students a little bit more because he wants to see them succeed or be as competitive—or even more competitive—than students from other colleges to increase their chances at whatever they want to go into, whether it’s medical school or a PhD program.”

DebBurman also inspires camaraderie and a family-like bond among his students that they can carry with them throughout their career. 

“It’s intense but there were a lot of moments of fun,” Borland said. Lunches out and gatherings at his home with his family stick out in her mind. “He tries to develop that family environment.”

Professor of Biology and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Karen Kirk was on the College search committee that hired DebBurman and has served as his mentor throughout the years.

“Shubhik’s courses are renowned for their rigor and the intense dedication they demand from students,” she said. “While undergraduates often find his classes to be some of the most challenging and time-consuming of their academic careers, they consistently report years later that his teaching had the most profound and lasting impact on their education and personal growth.”

DebBurman also “maintains relationships with his students for decades after they graduate, continuing to mentor and support them long into their professional lives,” she continued. “It is therefore not surprising that alums felt they wanted to honor Shubhik with the CUR Faculty Mentor Award.”

Upon learning he received this national recognition, DebBurman said he finds it “incredibly personal and humbling” that students he previously taught, trained, and mentored over the span of his career nominated him for this honor.

“The work we do with students to develop them as scholars is absolutely central to the mission of a small college professor,” DebBurman said. “It drives the purpose with which we pursue our teaching, scholarship, and citizenry. I am so fortunate to be at Lake Forest College, where I am surrounded by like-minded faculty across disciplines that share this passion, and where motivated students from all backgrounds come to be educated and then head to strong STEM careers.”

This is not the first faculty mentorship award for DebBurman. In fall 2023, he received the Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience (FUN) Distinguished Mentor Award at the 2023 national Society for Neuroscience (SfN) meeting in Washington DC.