Harold D. West, Ph.D. Distinguished Scientist Award
The West Award honors Harold D. West, Ph.D., the first African-American President of Meharry Medical College and the first President to hold a Ph.D. Dr. West was a distinguished biochemist and researcher in his own right. The award is awarded annually to an alumnus of the School of Graduate Studies who has demonstrated leadership and personal commitment to our service mission through exemplary professional practice in their discipline. Applications are due June 22, 2026.
Past Awardees
| Year | Dr. Harold D. West, Ph.D. Award Recipient |
|---|---|
| 2009 | Eric A. Floyd, Ph.D. '96 |
| 2010 | Irene Stith-Coleman, Ph.D., '80 |
| 2011 | Goldie S. Byrd, Ph.D. '86 |
| 2012 | Richard T. Benson, M.D., Ph.D '94 |
| 2013 | Byron D. Ford, Ph.D. '95 |
| 2014 | Cynthia M. Harris, Ph.D. '85, DABT |
| 2015 | Jabbar R Bennett, Ph.D. '01 |
| 2016 | Eric L. Moore, Ph.D. '92 |
| 2017 | Robert C. Walker Jr., Ph. D. '07 |
| 2018 | Eric James McDuffie, Ph.D., MBA '98 |
| 2019 | Kenneth Wiley, Jr., Ph.D. '04 |
| 2020 | Josiah J. Sampson III, Ph.D. '11 |
| 2021 | Deloris Alexander, Ph.D. '01 |
| 2022 | Natalie M. Williams-Bouyer, Ph.D. '97 |
| 2023 | Cimona Hinton, Ph.D. '05 |
| 2024 | Glenn Simmons, Ph.D. '13 |
| 2025 | Eric Buckles, Ph.D. '01 |