The Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute announced the recipients of its 2022 Excellence Awards.
“These awards celebrate the achievements of CLSI volunteers who have helped improve the quality of medical care worldwide,” CLSI said.
CLSI presented the Russell J. Eilers Memorial Award to Nancy L. Anderson, MMSc, MT(ASCP). “Anderson’s sustained and meaningful contributions to CLSI standards development span more than 20 years.” CLSI said. “Through her tenure at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), she has been a steady guiding advocate for the full breadth of laboratory best practices. Anderson has held positions at the CDC Division of Laboratory Systems, CLIAC, and inter-governmental agencies.”
CLSI presented the John V. Bergen Excellence award to Barbara Zehnbauer, PhD, FACB, FACMG. “Zehnbauer’s clinical laboratory career spans over three decades, most notably in the field of molecular diagnostics testing, oncology, and human genetics and genomics. She has been active with CLSI for over 14 years, playing a significant role in the development of the organization’s molecular diagnostics documents through her involvement with the Expert Panel on Molecular Diagnostics, the former Consensus Committee on Molecular Methods, and various document development committees,” CLSI said.
The Excellence in Standards Development award recipients are Virginia R. Fajt, DVM, PhD, DACVCP, Paula Ladwig, MS, MT(ASCP), and Barbara L. Zimmer, PhD.
In describing Fajt’s achievements CLSI said she “led the multi-year effort to develop the CLSI document VET09, Understanding Susceptibility Test Data as a Component of Antimicrobial Stewardship in Veterinary Settings, 1st Edition.” CLSI said Fajt "recruited a team of veterinarians, pharmacologists, epidemiologists, and microbiologists to contribute to the document. Fajt is a veterinarian and clinical pharmacologist who has been active in CLSI through the Veterinary Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing Subcommittee (VAST) as an observer, advisor, and previous voting member."
Meanwhile, Paula Ludwig served as the Chairholder of the Expert Panel on Evaluation Protocols. Her “strong leadership and organizational skills are apparent as she has been instrumental in helping to manage the completion of evaluation protocol documents. In addition, she has expressed the need for and taken action to mentor new volunteers in this area. Recently, on her recommendation, the Consensus Council approved expansion of this important committee to enable more efficient management of the document library,” CLSI said.
The third recipient, Barbara Zimmer, “has served as an appointed voting member and an appointed advisor to the CLSI AST Subcommittee representing industry and has participated in many working groups. In addition, Barbara was appointed by CLSI to serve as a delegate to the CEN/ISO/TC WG 212-4 for Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing and remained on this committee from 2004–2012. She participated in ISO 20776-1 and 20776-2 Working Groups, and also served as Chair of the Writing Group for Standardization of Mueller-Hinton Medium, ISO/CD 16782.” CLSI said.
In addition to the individual awards, CLSI awarded the Excellence in Member Organization Leadership award to University of Washington Medical Center and Mayo Clinic Health System.
