A doctoral candidate in the University of Florida’s J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering has been recognized for his outstanding commitment to mentorship.
Clinton Smith, a Ph.D. candidate in the Lewis Lab, has been selected as one of six recipients of the University of Florida Graduate School’s 2025–26 Graduate School Mentoring Award. The award honors graduate students who demonstrate exceptional dedication to mentoring and supporting others in their academic and professional development.
Smith was selected from a highly competitive pool of applicants, with his nomination recognized as both matching and exceeding UF’s high standards for mentorship.
Under the mentorship of Dr. Jamal Lewis, associate professor and BME graduate coordinator, Smith’s research aims to develop a novel drug delivery platform using the neurotropic fungus Cryptococcus neoformans to transport therapeutics across the brain’s protective barriers.