Gary J. Hunter Excellence in Mentoring Award

Gregory A. Caputo, professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, is deeply invested in student and faculty success. Since he joined Rowan nearly two decades ago, he has mentored more than 165 students, preparing them for a range of academic and professional career paths. According to a colleague, more than 31 percent of his undergraduates entered graduate programs and 21 percent continued to medical school or other health profession schools. Thirty-eight undergraduates from his lab have presented their work at national or regional conferences, and 44 have co-authored peer-reviewed publications.

He also advises graduate students pursuing careers in pharmaceuticals or doctoral studies. Advancing the STEM pipeline, Caputo mentors high school students through demonstration days at local K-12 schools, science fairs and the Governor’s School of New Jersey workshops. He was the founding principal investigator of an American Chemical Society Project SEED award in 2015, which supports high school students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Caputo’s mentorship has paid dividends, evidenced by students’ feedback and their overwhelming success after leaving the University, the colleague says.