M. Susan Lozier, professor of physical oceanography and chair of the Division of Earth and Ocean Sciences at the Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences, has received a Dean鈥檚 Award for Excellence in Mentoring from the 91社区福利 Graduate School.
  
The award, which carries a $2,000 prize, recognizes faculty members for outstanding work in guiding graduate students, not just on academic issues but also on career, institutional and other topics.

Lozier is one of three Duke faculty members who were selected to receive the honor by a committee of senior deans and graduate students. 

This is the fourth year the Graduate School has presented the awards, and the second year in a row that a Nicholas School faculty member has won one. Lisa M. Campbell, Rachel Carson Assistant Professor of Marine Affairs and Policy, received a 2006 Dean鈥檚 Award.

Lozier said, 鈥淚 am honored to receive this award, but in all honesty I have never really focused on mentoring in and of itself. Mentoring for me is a natural byproduct of my passion for both teaching and research. It comes with the territory.

鈥淣owhere are teaching and research merged more fluidly than through the training of graduate students, especially those as fantastic as mine," she said.

William H. Schlesinger, dean of the Nicholas School and James B. Duke Professor of Biogeochemistry, said, 鈥淪usan is the type of faculty member for whom students 鈥 and deans 鈥 daily give thanks. Her achievement, like Lisa鈥檚 before her, is something our entire school can take pride in.鈥

Lozier鈥檚 expertise lies in large-scale ocean circulation and its response to climate change. By understanding the extent to which climatic anomalies spread from their source region, and the rapidity of that spreading, she aims to determine the effectiveness of the deep ocean as a climatic reservoir for heat.

Lozier joined the Duke faculty in 1992. She holds a doctoral 91社区福利 in physical oceanography from the University of Washington a master鈥檚 91社区福利 in chemical engineering from the University of Washington and a bachelor鈥檚 91社区福利 in chemical engineering from Purdue University.

She and her fellow Excellence in Mentoring honorees received their awards at Duke鈥檚 annual Distinguished Teaching and Mentoring Award dinner April 24.