Alumni & Development
About James Holland
Endocrinologist James Holland earned over two dozen teaching and service awards during his 31-year career at IU. Among his many awards, he received the Student Choice Award for Outstanding Faculty, the Herman B Wells Lifetime Achievement Award, Indiana University Faculty Colloquium on Excellence in Teaching Award, the President's Award for Distinguished Teaching, and the Chancellor’s Medallion for his “transcendent service to the Bloomington campus.” Between 1979 and 1998, Professor Holland was also a seven-time recipient of the Senior Class Award for Teaching Excellence in Biology and Dedication to Undergraduates, an award voted on by senior biology majors.
He worked tirelessly to address the needs of minority students on the Bloomington campus. Professor Holland joined forces with Professor Herman Hudson to found the Minority Achievers Program and the Mathematics and Science Scholarship Program. The programs were renamed in 2003 to honor the efforts of these two men: MAP became the Herman C. Hudson Scholars Program, and MASS is now the James P. Holland Scholars Program. Holland worked with other biology staff members to create the Summer Enrichment Program, which was designed to interest Indiana minority high school students in science by bringing them to campus for classes and hands-on laboratory experience. He led the program, which was renamed in his honor in 2000, from its inception. Prior to his death in 1998, a one-time-only minority fellowship was created in Holland’s name. This award was used as the model for the endowed fellowship that exists today.
James Holland Fellowship
Thanks to the generosity of donors like you, the James P. Holland Fellowship generates an estimated annual income of $13,804 (as of August 2009). For the fellowship to be self-supporting, an endowment of $750,000 is required, and we are 31% of the way toward reaching our goal. With your support, we can continue to provide the opportunity for bright, young scientists to receive an advanced education, and pay tribute to the extraordinary contributions of James Holland.
Sheya Martin, 2009-2010 Holland Fellow
Sheya Martin earned a Bachelor's degree in General Studies from Indiana University in 2005, concentrating on Science and Math. She then earned a Master's degree in Microbiology from IU in 2008. Sheya did her Master's research with Richard Hardy, focusing on alphavirus replication using Sindbis virus as a model system. She also did a rotation with Tuli Mukhopadhay.
Upon graduation, Sheya worked as a scientist at the Eli Lilly Corporate Center's Drug Disposition Group. Her work there inspired Sheya to enter IU's Ph.D. program in Microbiology. Sheya's research interests include plant pathogenesis and DNA replication. She has completed lab rotations with Roger Innes and Brian Calvi.
Sheya is now a member of Soni Lacefield's laboratory, where she will conduct research for her dissertation. Sheya has been an associate instructor for Evolution and Diversity, Microbiology Laboratory, Virology, and Biotechnology Lecture. She was a peer tutor with the IU Groups Student Support Services and earned a Group 43 Scholarship from the Groups Alumni Association. Sheya is the recipient of a 2009 summer Graduate School Fellowship.
About the James Holland Fellowship
The fellowship is not open for applications; the award is presented to a first-year Ph.D. student from a group that is under-represented in the life-sciences. Holland was a champion for minority students in science and believed that advanced degrees were crucial to their success. The fellowship provides the tuition, stipend, and health insurance for the selected student. The total package amounts to a minimum of $44,500 per year.
The James P. Holland Graduate Fellowship in Biology was established in honor of one of Indiana University’s most beloved professors. The late James Holland was a mentor and role model for all students throughout his more than 30 years of service to IU.
Read more about the Holland Fellowship requirements »