Christina Hernández named George “Gera” Pavlovich Panteleyev Award Recipient
The George “Gera” Pavlovich Panteleyev Award is conferred annually on the MIT-WHOI or WHOI Graduate Student in the graduating class for that academic year who best exemplifies the commitment to improving the graduate education experience and graduate student life at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
Christina “Chrissy” Hernández was named the award recipient at the 2021 Joint Program graduation ceremony.
Christina received her doctoral degree in Biological Oceanography in February 2021 under the supervision of Dr. Joel Llopiz. Her thesis title is: Distribution, Growth, and Transport of Larval Fishes and Implications for Population Dynamics
Some excerpts from nominations:
- Nearly all nominators commented on the recipient’s significant contributions towards making WHOI a more inclusive environment. For example, Chrissy organized a widely attended CommnuiTea, served on the WHOI Workplace Climate Committee for several years and, as most succinctly stated by nominators “I can’t think of a DE&I committee or movement that Chrissy wasn’t involved in”, and “Chrissy’s activism and advocacy has left a huge mark on the Joint Program”.
- Many noted that Chrissy’s community service and leadership extended well beyond WHOI and the JP. For example, Chrissy was a student rep for the Oceanography Society and was a founding member and President of the Society for Women in Marine Science, now a non-profit with many chapters. Within the JP and beyond, Chrissy always used their voice to raise awareness and lift up others.