Christine Holmes Receives NPA 2025 Distinguished Service Award

April 21, 2025

By Katya Hrichak

In recognition of her contributions to the improvement of the postdoctoral experience, Cornell’s Director of Postdoctoral Studies, Christine Holmes, was awarded the 2025 Distinguished Service Award by the National Postdoc Association (NPA) at their annual conference in March.

The Distinguished Service Award recognizes a member of the postdoctoral community who has contributed to the improvement of the postdoctoral experience.

Holmes became the first director of Cornell’s Office of Postdoctoral Studies in 2005, a role in which she supports approximately 800 postdocs across the Ithaca, Geneva, and Cornell Tech campuses by organizing professional development opportunities, providing career advising, and advocating for the community with both Graduate School and Cornell leadership. Holmes also creates and supports new initiatives, including the establishment of the Postdoc Achievement Awards in 2018 and the Postdoctoral Association, which formed in 2023.

“It means everything to be recognized at the national level. I’ve been attending these meetings for 20 years and have greatly admired those who have received this award before me and the work they’ve done for the postdoc community,” said Holmes. “This award recognizes more than just me, though, as the work that I do is not done in a vacuum: What I do is made possible by the Graduate School and the support of my colleagues across campus, as well as all of the wonderful postdocs that I have had the privilege of working with over the past 20 years.”

In collaboration with Graduate School partners, Holmes co-leads the Postdoc Leadership Program, Academic Job Search Series, Future Professors Institute, and Edward A. Bouchet Graduate Honor Society. The Office of Postdoctoral Studies also partners with organizations across campus, including the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation, Cornell Career Services, the Center for Teaching Innovation, and the English Language Support Office to support postdocs and offer avenues for professional growth.

“Long before there was a team of folks thinking about career and professional development support for early-career researchers at Cornell’s Graduate School, there was Christine,” said Colleen McLinn, associate dean for professional development and coordinator for Holmes’s nomination. “She has been an unstoppable, unmatched, and frequently unsung force for good ever since.”

The NPA serves as the voice of the postdoctoral community, comprising over 70,000 scholars across 300 research institutions.