Award

Craig commended for his ‘remarkable and inspirational’ work with undergrads

RIT professor wins ASBMB education award
Adriana Bankston
April 1, 2018

Paul A. Craig, professor of biochemistry and head of the School of Chemistry and Materials Science at the Rochester Institute of Technology, has won the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Award for Exemplary Contributions to Education for his work promoting hypothesis-driven thinking in the undergraduate biochemistry lab.

“Paul’s work with students is remarkable and inspirational,” Lea Vacca Michel, a Rochester colleague, wrote in Craig’s nomination letter. Vacca noted that she seeks to follow in Craig’s footsteps by taking undergraduates into her group, seeking out those from underrepresented groups and reaching out to struggling students.

It has been my privilege to work with remarkable colleagues and, most notably, outstanding students. I started as a professor in 1993 with some ideas about using computers in biochemistry education, but it has been the efforts of my students, mainly undergraduates, who have embraced these ideas and converted them into resources that others can use. Undergraduate students are capable of MUCH MORE than we imagine.” — Paul A. Craig

Among his many accomplishments, Craig created the Bachelor of Science in biochemistry degree at the Rochester Institute of Technology, upgraded and published on the school’s biochemistry teaching lab, and obtained a National Science Foundation grant for an open-ended project-based biochemistry lab on six campuses, as Robert Bateman detailed in his nomination letter.

Bateman, a longtime friend and professor of biomedical sciences at William Carey University, also noted Craig’s contribution to funding at the Rochester Institute of Technology in the form of NSF and National Institutes of Health grants and travel awards, all of which are related to biochemistry education. Craig also has 31 peer-reviewed publications and has given 38 national or international presentations.

Craig has been an ASBMB member since 1998 and is an active participant in the society. Judith Voet, a professional colleague and emeritus professor in the department of chemistry and biochemistry at Swarthmore, supported Craig’s nomination, calling him a “major guru of biochemistry software development, molecular visualization techniques and bioinformatics education.” Voet specifically noted Craig’s educational software that simulates polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, which was valuable to her laboratory. As part of an ASBMB digital library initiative, Craig created Biomolecules Alive, a website to establish a “peer-review method for software and web applications that would give faculty members journal citations for their work in those areas.” He also contributed bioinformatics exercises for biochemistry textbooks, which are freely available.

Craig earned his Ph.D. at the University of Michigan and then held a postdoctoral position in biophysical chemistry at the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. He worked as an analytical biochemist at BioQuant Inc. in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and was a visiting scholar at the San Diego Supercomputer Center.

Craig will receive his award during the 2018 ASBMB Annual Meeting in San Diego, where he will deliver an award lecture titled “Promoting hypothesis-driven thinking in the undergraduate biochemistry lab.”

The presentation will take place at 2:30 p.m. April 22 in Room 6C in the San Diego Convention Center.

Enjoy reading ASBMB Today?

Become a member to receive the print edition four times a year and the digital edition monthly.

Learn more
Adriana Bankston

Adriana Bankston is a senior fellow in science policy at the Federation of American Scientists. She is also strategic advisor at the Journal of Science Policy and Governance.

Get the latest from ASBMB Today

Enter your email address, and we’ll send you a weekly email with recent articles, interviews and more.

Latest in People

People highlights or most popular articles

Meet Lan Huang
Interview

Meet Lan Huang

May 19, 2025

Molecular & Cellular Proteomics associate editor uses crosslinking mass spec to study protein–protein interactions to find novel therapeutics.

Meet Shannon Reilly
Profile

Meet Shannon Reilly

May 12, 2025

The JLR junior associate editor discusses the role of adipocytes in obesity at Weill Cornell Medical School.

Meet Donita Brady
Interview

Meet Donita Brady

May 8, 2025

Donita Brady is an associate professor of cancer biology and an associate editor of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, who studies metalloallostery in cancer.

Glyco get-together exploring health and disease
Interview

Glyco get-together exploring health and disease

May 7, 2025

Meet the co-chairs of the 2025 ASBMB meeting on O-GlcNAcylation to be held July 10–13, 2025, in Durham, North Carolina. Learn about the latest in the field and meet families affected by diseases associated with this pathway.

ASBMB recognizes 2025 outstanding student chapter
Student Chapters

ASBMB recognizes 2025 outstanding student chapter

May 6, 2025

The Purdue group, led by Orla Hart, developed STEM outreach initiatives for low-income and minority students in Lafayette, Indiana.

ASBMB inducts 2025 honor society members
Student Chapters

ASBMB inducts 2025 honor society members

May 5, 2025

Chi Omega Lambda, which recognizes exceptional juniors and seniors pursuing degrees in the molecular life sciences, has 16 new inductees in 2025.