CLSI Announces Recipients of 2024 Excellence Awards to Recognize Expert Volunteer and Member Achievements

Malvern, Pennsylvania, USA—The Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2024 Excellence Awards. The Excellence Awards recognize the achievements of CLSI volunteers and organizational members who are committed to CLSI’s mission and have helped improve the quality of medical care worldwide. Recipients are recognized for dedicating significant time and effort to the development, implementation, and promotion of CLSI standards.

Russell J. Eilers Memorial Award

This year’s recipient of CLSI’s highest honor, the Russell J. Eilers Memorial Award, is Melvin P. Weinstein, MD. The Russell J. Eilers Memorial Award recipient is selected by the CLSI president as a volunteer who has made exceptional contributions to CLSI’s success over extended periods of time.

Dr. Weinstein joined the faculty at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (RWJMS) in 1977 and holds the rank of emeritus professor of medicine and pathology & laboratory medicine. At RWJMS, he was the chief of the division of infectious diseases, allergy, and immunology in the Department of Medicine from 2001-2019. He also holds an appointment as professor of pharmacology and clinical pharmacy at the Rutgers University College of Pharmacy.

Dr. Weinstein is a fellow of the Infectious Disease Society of America, the American Academy of Microbiology, and the American College of Physicians. He was the chair of the CLSI Subcommittee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing from 2017-2020 and was vice-chair of the Committee from 2015-2017 and 2021-2023. Prior to 2015, he was a voting member of the Subcommittee, and he currently continues to serve as a voting member. Dr. Weinstein also served on the CLSI Area Committee on Microbiology.

Dr. Victor Waddell, CLSI’s immediate past-president, nominated Dr. Weinstein for the award.

“Dr. Mel Weinstein absolutely deserves this award for his amazing contributions as a volunteer with CLSI for more than 30 years," Dr. Waddell said. “Mel has served on many working groups and has served as chair and vice-chair of the Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing Subcommittee. He is an exceptional CLSI volunteer, and we are honored to give him the highest CLSI award. We thank Mel for all his contributions throughout the years." 

John V. Bergen Excellence Award

The John V. Bergen Excellence Award is presented annually to an outstanding volunteer or group of volunteers in recognition of advances in CLSI organizational directives and objectives, through unique and significant contributions.

The 2024 John V. Bergen Excellence Award recipient is Romney M. Humphries, PhD, D(ABMM), FIDSA. Dr. Humphries is a professor in the Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where she is the director of infectious diseases laboratories and the director of the division of laboratory medicine.

She is the author of more than150 peer-reviewed articles, numerous book chapters, and has lectured globally on the topics of antimicrobial resistance and diagnostic microbiology. She is a member of CLSI’s Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing  Subcommittee, the College of American Pathologists (CAP) Microbiology Committee, the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Professional Practices Committee, and vice-chair of the Infectious Diseases Society of America Diagnostics Committee.

“Dr. Humphries’ contributions to CLSI have been not only significant insofar as the sheer amount of work and time she has devoted to this organization, but her contributions have also been unique in that she has strengthened CLSI’s place amongst similar organizations as a true leader in international antimicrobial susceptibility testing,” Dr. Audrey Schuetz noted.

Excellence in Standards Development Award

This year CLSI has presented the Excellence in Standards Development Award to two volunteers who have made significant contributions to the development and/or management of CLSI standards and guidelines: Audrey N. Schuetz, MD, MPH, D(ABMM) and Donald J. Bade, BS.

Dr. Schuetz is professor of laboratory medicine and pathology at the Mayo Clinic School of Medicine and Science in Rochester, Minnesota.

She is a member of CLSI’s Expert Panel on Microbiology and a voting member of the CLSI Subcommittees on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing and Antifungal Testing. Her professional interests include antimicrobial susceptibility testing of aerobes and anaerobes, anaerobic bacteriology, and infectious diseases pathology.

Mr. Bade began his professional journey as a microbiologist at Colorado Animal Research Enterprises, Inc. (CARE). He went on to become the laboratory director in 1992 and was subsequently promoted to vice president in 1994. He was appointed general manager of CARE in 1997. In 2003, Mr. Bade founded Microbial Research Inc. (MRI), where he assumed the dual roles of owner and president. Under his leadership, MRI thrived as a reputable contract research organization. Since 1994, he has been an active member of CLSI’s Veterinary Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing Subcommittee, serving as a corresponding member and advisor since 1996.

Excellence in Member Organization Leadership Award

This year, the Awards Committee is proud to give this honor to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC is a highly respected ally to CLSI and a health system government member organization. The partnership between CDC and CLSI dates back to 1997. Their health system membership began in 2017. As of today, CDC has 77 active volunteers across 167 CLSI committees.

As the nation’s preeminent public health protection agency, the CDC plays an important role in influencing the general public and the health and medical community. In service to its mission “to increase the health security of the nation,” the CDC is committed to helping enhance laboratory standards and science and actively promotes collaboration with aligned organizations like CLSI. CLSI is grateful for the CDC’s support and partnership and wishes to recognize CDC as a member organization whose scientific leadership, commitment, and collaboration elevate our work and reach.

For a list of past award winners, visit the CLSI website here. For more on the awards or the nomination and selection process, visit the CLSI website here.