You Have the Power
How does the Power List come to pass each year – and how can you shape its future?
Welcome to our 2019 Power List – an endeavor I’m sure you’ve heard a lot about over the past few months. It’s one of my favorite issues each year because I learn so much about the movers and shakers in the field – more so than ever this year with our “trailblazing” theme. Rather than the equivalent of a “lifetime achievement” award, this year’s list highlights the people who are bringing pathology and laboratory medicine into the future.
But, as pleased as I am to bring you this year’s results, I know that the Power List may seem like a black box to many of you. Nominations go in and the list comes out – but what happens in between? Some of you may believe the list operates like a nomination aggregator or a popularity contest, wherein the more nominations a person receives, the more likely they are to make the final cut. But that is not accurate – in fact, each nominee is added to the selection process, whether they are nominated once or a hundred times. What happens next? The full list of nominations (including name, institution, and a brief biography that incorporates nominators’ comments) are submitted to a panel of expert judges, all of whom work in the field of pathology and laboratory medicine. We keep the jury as diverse as possible – in terms of career stage, location, field of expertise, and more – so that we can trust that every candidate has a fair chance of selection.
Once the judges return their results to us, they are combined into a single ranking that reveals the year’s 100 winners. For us here at the headquarters of The Pathologist, this is the most exciting part – our own private preview of the year’s superstars. It’s a feeling we hope we’re able to replicate as we finally share The Power List with you. Best of all, it’s exciting to see how diverse the list is each year, and how creative the nominees are with their efforts to further pathology, laboratory medicine, and patient care.
The Power List is a celebration – our thanks to you for your devotion to your field. And, because it’s your list, we’d like to ask: is there anything you’d like to see in future iterations? Is there a theme you’d like us to focus on, or a particular group of people you’d like to see recognized? Let us know ([email protected]) and you may see your suggestions – and your nominees – on a future Power List!
While obtaining degrees in biology from the University of Alberta and biochemistry from Penn State College of Medicine, I worked as a freelance science and medical writer. I was able to hone my skills in research, presentation and scientific writing by assembling grants and journal articles, speaking at international conferences, and consulting on topics ranging from medical education to comic book science. As much as I’ve enjoyed designing new bacteria and plausible superheroes, though, I’m more pleased than ever to be at Texere, using my writing and editing skills to create great content for a professional audience.
