November 25, 2025
Pictured from left to right: Fangtao Chi, Emma Dawson, Amy Lee, and Richard Van.
Congratulations to the winners of the 2025 Peter Karches Mentorship Prize: Fangtao Chi, Emma Dawson, Amy Lee, and Richard Van.
The Peter Karches Mentorship Prize is awarded annually to up to four Koch Institute postdocs, graduate students or research technicians who demonstrate exemplary mentorship of undergraduate researchers or high school students in their labs. The prize allows the Koch Institute community to celebrate and recognize the critical role that mentors play, both personally and professionally, in the early stages of a scientist’s career.
Meet the 2025 Karches Prize Awardees:
Fangtao Chi - Chi’s many nominators describe him as someone who brings both clarity and warmth to the lab. One colleague shared that “he was generous with context—explaining how our project fit into broader ISC biology and cancer metabolism questions—so that I could see beyond a single experiment to the scientific arc.” Others highlighted his wonderful sense of humor and sincere interest in those around him, qualities that create a strong sense of camaraderie within the group. His PI, Omer Yilmaz, notes that Chi “is skilled at explaining complex concepts in an accessible way and creates a supportive environment that builds both technical confidence and intellectual independence.”
Emma Dawson - Dawson's longtime undergraduate mentee, Punya Gupta, credits her with teaching “critical wet lab and analytical skills” and guiding her through “technically challenging procedures, including pancreatic surgeries in mice,” that were instrumental to advancing her thesis project. Her PI, Tyler Jacks, notes that Dawson is selfless in her focus on her mentees’ development as young scientists, encouraging and assisting them in their growth and serving as a role model through her own passion for science, dedication, and hard work.
Amy Lee - Lee was nominated by her UROP and Technical Associate mentees, who praised “her ability to balance autonomy with insightful guidance, her infectious enthusiasm for scientific discussion, and her authentic compassion.” They shared that her mentorship emphasizes fostering true scientific independence. Her PI, Ana Jaklenec, agrees, describing Lee as “an exceptional scientist and mentor with an amazing attitude that elevates the people around her.”
Richard Van - One of Van's nominators thanked him in these words: “I am aware that many people in this world cannot show their full potential because they lack the guidance and support they need. I have been incredibly lucky to have you as my mentor because you helped me in many ways to show my potential that I did not even know I had.” His PI, Stefani Spranger, emphasizes that “I have never been approached by so many members of my group asking that I nominate one of their peers for an award—a fact that speaks for itself and emphasizes Richard’s extraordinary dedication as a mentor.”