K Awards: A Path to Success

Dr. Lerch earned her PhD in Neuroscience at Case Western. She then completed postdoctoral training at the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis at the University of Miami and went to a Research Assistant and then a tenure-track Assistant Professor appointment in the Department of Neuroscience at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. In late 2017, Jessica moved to a science consulting role with Eva Garland Consulting, helping small biotechnology companies and researchers across the world strategize their science to achieve over $37 million in grant funding for their R&D and early-phase clinical trial projects. Jessica started her first company, Significance, Innovation, Impact, in 2018 as a grant-writing consultant. In 2019, Jessica joined with long-time friend and colleague Dr. Sheila Cherry to launch CareerVolt, born of their shared desire to help scientists succeed in their career paths by filling skills gaps and supporting attainment of professional goals.

Dr. Bronson received her PhD in Biomedical Sciences from Washington University in Saint Louis, Missouri, and was a postdoctoral trainee with Oliver Smithies, DPhil at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Sarah spent her entire faculty career at the Penn State College of Medicine where she was a researcher, educator, and administrator. She is now an emeritus associate professor and associate dean. She was the co-director (2010-2020) of the nationally recognized Junior Faculty Development Program where she developed a holistic program that teased out the steps to scholarly project development as well as the path toward a sustainable and rewarding career. She was also a co-director for the Grants Academy, with a more specific focus on grant proposal development. As Director of Research Development (2014-2023) she implemented the internal awards program and the limited submission process.

Sheila M. Cherry, PhD, Co-Founder, CareerVolt. Sheila earned her PhD in Genetics at Case Western. After a postdoctoral fellowship at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, in 2009 she founded Fresh Eyes Editing to provide editing and writing support for scientists around the globe. During its 13 years in operation, Fresh Eyes helped investigators worldwide to secure hundreds of millions in research funding--tallying more than $275 million just in US federal funding. Recognizing some common skills gaps, particularly with respect to writing grant proposals and applying for funding, Sheila began offering workshops, online training, and individual career development programs in 2016. Sheila is a Certified Editor in the Life Sciences as well as a Certified Executive Coach. She is passionate about helping researchers achieve their career goals.

Craig Layman, PhD, Research Leadership and Success Consultant, CareerVolt. Dr. Layman received his PhD at Texas A&M University in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology with a minor in Philosophy. He was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship and was the Donnelley Fellow at Yale University. He is a Senior Fellow in the Andrew Sabin Center for Environment and Sustainability and a Research Professor in the Biology Department at Wake Forest University. He was a Full Professor at North Carolina State University, a Chancellor’s Faculty Excellence Fellow in the Applied Ecology Department, and a founding member of the Global Environmental Change and Human Well-being Cluster. Craig is passionate about academic writing, reflected by his more than 160 scientific publications and over 17,000 citations, his successful grantsmanship, and his mentorship of hundreds of academic colleagues over his career.