Graduate student Dory DeWeese recognized as recipient of 2023 Gerald J. Lieberman Fellowship

About Lieberman Fellow Dory DeWeese

Dory DeWeese (she/her) is a fifth-year graduate student in the Department of Chemistry. As a member of the Solomon lab, she harnesses the magnetic properties of iron-containing metalloenzymes to investigate their mechanism of molecular oxygen activation by spectroscopically defining their geometric and electronic structure. This structural and mechanistic characterization lends insight into how these enzymes perform their biological function, inspires the design of bio-mimetic catalysts, and provides fundamental insight into the diverse ways that Nature performs its chemistry. 

Further, during her time at Stanford, she also has been involved extensively in building educational experiences and programming to promote equitable and accessible chemical education for all students, especially in the general chemistry series. She co-founded STEMentors, a peer mentoring program to support frosh in the general chemistry series (sponsored by CTL LIT fellowship, Leland Scholars Program, Department of Chemistry and the Graduate School of Education) and worked as a part of the IDEAL pedagogy program through CTL to analyze student performance across the general chemistry course, identity common challenges that these students face, and works to build course content and instructional supports to address students' challenges and needs. Further, she led the Chemistry Department TA Training program and serves as a Chemistry WINGS representative. 

About the Fellowship

Gerald J. Lieberman fellowships are for doctoral students in the later stages of their programs. Each year, twelve fellowships are awarded across schools, and distributed in proportion to the doctoral student population. Faculty nominate outstanding students in their first five years of graduate study for the one-year award.

The award honors Gerald J. Lieberman, who served Stanford as provost or acting provost during the tenures of three Stanford presidents. Lieberman was vice provost and dean of graduate studies and research from 1977-1985. In 1985 he was presented the Kenneth M. Cuthbertson Award for exceptional service to Stanford. He was cited, among other accomplishments, for his "tireless efforts on behalf of Stanford's graduate students." He joined the Stanford faculty in 1953 in statistics and industrial engineering. At the time of his death in 1999, he was professor emeritus of operations research and statistics.

The Lieberman Fellowships are intended to support outstanding graduate students who embody these ideals and values, and who will become the next generation of academic leaders. Students who are honored as Lieberman Fellows have already demonstrated outstanding accomplishments, as well as the potential for leadership roles within the academic community and promising careers in university teaching and research.