The Association of Biomolecular Research Facilities (ABRF) and the Core Technologies for Life Sciences (CTLS) announced that the inaugural Spencer Shorte Legacy Award (SSLA) will be presented to Kevin Eliceiri, Ph.D., Director of the Center for Quantitative Cell Imaging, Professor of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Investigator at the Morgridge Institute for Research.
The SSLA Committee will present the Award at the ABRF Annual Meeting, March 31, 2026, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The Award to Prof. Eliceiri will support the establishment of the Illuminating People Program (IPP), a mentoring matchmaking platform, to recognize the bi-directional intellectual spark that good mentoring has on both the mentor and mentee. This platform will match experienced and early-career researchers, particularly when the candidate-mentee has no relationship with a potential mentor.
Spencer Shorte, for whom the award is named, was a gifted scientist and an accomplished individual investigator who merged multidisciplinary technologies to advance capability and discovery across decades, countries, and continents. Spenser was not only widely recognized for his exceptional scientific contributions, but also his extraordinary character and humility.
The SSLA honors the awardee’s accomplishments, humanity, and core values. These attributes were highlighted throughout Prof. Eliceiri’s letters of support, noting:
“Kevin honors Spencer Shorte’s legacy through his exceptional dedication to building community. By understanding the varied needs of different scientific sectors, he creates vital connections across disciplines. Beyond his scientific expertise, Kevin is exceptionally kind, attentive, and generous with his time. His deeply human-centered leadership is an exceptional and inspiring trait in a highly competitive field.”
“[Kevin] embodies the legacy and impact of Dr. Shorte in so many ways. [He] has clearly demonstrated scientific excellence with broad, multidisciplinary impact.
Prof. Eliceiri will receive the SSLA on March 31st, at 3:15 pm in Pittsburg, PA.