Elizabeth Fitzgerald Sporar Endowment for
Distinguished Initiatives in Addiction ResearchEndowments

sporar2In 2005, Dr. Kathryn A. Cunningham, the Chauncey Leake Distinguished Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), made a $50,000 commitment to establish and endow the Elizabeth Fitzgerald Sporar Endowment for distinguished research and educational initiatives in unlocking the mysteries of chronic diseases, such as addiction, mental illness and cardiovascular disease. For Dr. Cunningham, this was a way for her aunt’s legacy to live on, to inspire and reward important research and educational advances in chronic disease that limit human life.

Elizabeth Fitzgerald Sporar was a vital presence in the Southeast Texas region’s technological progress. For more than three decades, she devoted her professional life to Monsanto, eventually culminating with her tenure at the helm of the company’s Patent Department. It’s no surprise that she was active in many professional organizations, including the American Chemical Society. But those achievements are only a fraction of the measure this remarkable woman. Elizabeth Fitzgerald Sporar was many things throughout her 88years: a dedicated servant to her community, a steward of her religious faith and a beloved family member.

The Elizabeth Fitzgerald Sporar Endowment will be awarded:

  • To commemorate the distinguished contributions and commitment of Elizabeth Fitzgerald Sporar to excellence in science, distinction in education and the developments and protection of intellectual capital.
  • To honor and celebrate an individual or a team of individuals for achievement in unlocking the mysteries of chronic diseases, including addiction, mental illness and cardiovascular disease, and advancing health.
  • To honor and recognize individuals or a team of individuals who have spurred the interest of students in understanding, preventing and treating chronic disease through enlightening educational experiences; and
  • To increase national and international awareness of the need for research advances in the mechanisms underlying chronic diseases and their implications for prevention and treatment.

Recipients:

2010Dr. Cindy Wigg, Faculty Award
2013Dr. Peter Kalivas, Distinguished Lectureship
2013UTMB-Galveston, Event “Reel Science”
2013Dr. Marina Wolfe, T32 Distinguished Lecturer
2014Dr. John Crabbe, T32 Distinguished Lecturer
2014Dr. Debra Cooper, Community Outreach and Engagement Award
2014Dr. James Kasper, Career Development Award for Outstanding Progress
2014Brionna Davis-Reyes, Sporar Travel Award
2015Dr. Carrie McAllister, Sporar Distinguished Initiatives Travel Award
2015Dr. Harshini Neelkantan, Sporar Distinguished Initiatives Travel Award
2015Dr. James Kasper, Sporar Prize for Distinguished Initiatives Travel Award
2015Dr. Christopher Krebs, Sporar Distinguished Initiatives Travel Award
2017Dr. James Kasper, Sporar Prize for Distinguished Initiatives in Addiction Research
2017Michelle Land, Sporar Travel Award
2017Dennis Sholler, Sporar Travel Award
2019Dr. Irma Cisneros, Sporar Travel Award
2019Dr. Kelly Dineley, Sporar Achievement Award
2019Dennis Sholler, Sporar Travel Award
2019Dr. James Kasper, Sporar Prize for Distinguished Initiatives Travel Award
2020Michelle Land, Sporar Dissertation Award
2021Eric Wold, Sporar Drug Discovery Dissertation Award
2021Catherine Sampson, Sporar Translational Dissertation Award
2021Dr. John Allen, Sporar Leader in Medication Development for SUDs
2021Dr. Kamil Khanipov, Sporar Leader in Bid Data for SUDs
2021Dr. Andrew Routh, Sporar Leader in NeuroID in SUDs
2021

Dr. George Golovko, Sporar Leader in Next Gen Steps for SUDs

2022
Dr. Fernanda Laezza, Sporar Leader in Neurotherapeutics Award
2022
Dr. Jun-Ho La, Sporar Leader in Non-Opioid Pain Medication Award
2022Dr. Eliseo Eugenin, Sporar Leader in NeuroID Sciences Award
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