FELLOW OF THE YEAR, 2011-2012
Dr. Crystal Patil
Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology
Every year the Honors College asks students to nominate a Fellow of the Year. We are honored to present the 2011-2012 title to Crystal Patil.
Crystal Patil is Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. She received her PhD from the Ohio State University and has been teaching and mentoring UIC students since 2007. She teaches introductory and advanced courses on medical anthropology, including courses on World Cultures, Nutritional Anthropology, Women's Health, Culture, Medicine & Society and Violence. Her scholarship, funded by numerous funding agencies, focuses on global health initiatives aimed at improving health in Eastern and South Africa (Tanzania, Uganda, Malawi and South Africa) and in the United States. Dr. Patil is also the coordinator of the Anthropology and Global Health (AGH) Program.
Professor Patil was nominated as Fellow of the Year by four of her advisees. Biology major and Anthropology minor, Dylon Busser, describes her as dedicated to helping him make the most of his academic career and an incredible mentor who goes above and beyond. In his words, "She has taken me under her wing and challenged me to think critically about my future in conversations I will never forget."
Rebekah Ciribassi, who was in the Anthropology and Global Health program, explains that if it were not for Dr. Patil's one-on-one rapport, Rebekah could not have considered a future in the field. As part of a team Dr. Patil founded to study Sickle Cell disease at the UIC hospital, Rebekah received a unique and indispensible experience with collaborative, urban health research. Rebekah notes, "I have never heard her say 'no' to any student or colleague when asked for help, and I hope that the Honors College Fellow of the Year Award will be a small way to show our deep gratitude for her support and mentorship."