Forty High-Achieving Pathologists and Laboratory Professionals Honored for Professional Excellence

ASCP’s 40 Under Forty Program Recognizes a New Generation of Laboratory Leaders

• By Sue Montgomery
• August 9, 2019

Dr. Katie Bennett of Lubbock, Texas is among 40 high-achieving pathologists, pathology residents, and medical laboratory professionals under age 40 who have just been named to the prestigious 2019 ASCP 40 Under Forty list.  
 
ASCP’s 40 Under Forty program shines the spotlight on 40 highly accomplished pathologists, pathology residents and laboratory professionals under age 40 who have already made significant contributions to the profession and stand out as leaders who will help shape the future of pathology and laboratory medicine on behalf of patients. The 40 Under Forty designation has made a powerful impact on its honorees, ranging from recognition by others in their home institutions and in the laboratory professions to media attention.
 
“We are inspired by these engaged and passionate young professionals, who are driven to improve healthcare delivery by doing innovative and creative work for their institutions and beyond,” said ASCP President Melissa P. Upton, MD, FASCP. “ASCP’s 40 Under Forty program is a unique opportunity to recognize these outstanding individuals and to give them the support they need to foster their continuing leadership potential and growth.” 
 

Dr. Katie Bennett is an Associate Professor at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC), in Lubbock, Texas.  She is also the laboratory director for Chromatox Diagnostics, a local clinical toxicology laboratory, and has directed other clinical laboratories over the last eight years.  She holds a B.S. in Biology (West Texas A&M University, 2000) and a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences (TTUHSC, 2009).  She is board certified in Molecular Biology by the ASCP and in Clinical Chemistry by the National Registry of Certified Chemists (NRCC).  As tenured faculty at TTUHSC, she teaches in the Molecular Pathology program, a NAACLS-accredited Diagnostic Molecular Science program. She teaches conceptual and hands-on skills in the molecular pathology laboratory, as well as clinical method design and validation.  By also serving as a laboratory director, she provides direct patient care for the West Texas community.  She has been honored by numerous teaching awards, chosen by the students, as well as the Texas Tech University System Chancellor’s Teaching Award.  She has published peer reviewed scientific articles and a book chapter, and she has served as a grant reviewer for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Small Business Innovation Grants (SBIR/STTR) study section for infectious agent diagnostics.  She has served as a molecular pathology specialty laboratory inspector for the College of American Pathologists (CAP) and on a task force for the Training and Education Committee for the Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP).  She is also a wife and a mother of three girls, who each share her fascination of science and can proudly pronounce “deoxyribonucleic acid”!
 
Later this summer, public voting along with committee selection will identify the top five individuals from the 40 honorees. All 40 honorees will receive discounted registration to the cutting-edge ASCP 2019 Annual Meeting in Phoenix and complimentary enrollment in the essential Lab Management University Core Competencies package, part of a collaborative educational initiative of ASCP and the American Pathology Foundation. The Top Five will each receive free registration to attend ASCP 2019, along with a $1,000 stipend toward airfare and lodging. They will be formally recognized at a Leader’s Celebration luncheon at ASCP 2019.
 
The ASCP 2019 40 Under Forty applicants were each asked to submit a resume and to answer questions abouttheir innovative efforts in health care or within the profession of pathology and laboratory medicine. A committee of ASCP pathologist, laboratory professional and resident members, including three 2018 40 Under Forty honorees, evaluated candidates based on their accomplishments, experience, leadership skills and their dedication to innovation in the field of laboratory medicine and pathology. As the best and brightest of ASCP’s young leaders, this year’s 40 Under Forty cohort will participate in the Career Ambassadors 2.0 or Pathology Ambassadors programs.
 
Visit www.ascp.org/40UnderForty to learn more about the honorees. You can also follow the honorees on Twitter and Instagram with the hashtag #ASCP40UnderForty.
 
About ASCP
Founded in 1922 in Chicago, ASCP is the world’s largest professional membership organization for pathologists and laboratory professionals. ASCP provides excellence in education, certification, and advocacy on behalf of patients, anatomic and clinical pathologists, and medical laboratory professionals. To learn more, visit http://www.ascp.org. Follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ascp_chicago and connect with us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ASCP.Chicago.