The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill named UNC Lineberger’s Angela Smith, MD, MS, FACS, as one of four recipients of the Phillip and Ruth Hettleman Prize for Artistic and Scholarly Achievement, which is awarded to faculty members who exemplify groundbreaking and innovative research along with future career promise.
The late Phillip Hettleman, a member of the Carolina class of 1921, and his wife Ruth established the prestigious award in 1986 to recognize the achievements of outstanding junior faculty. This year’s winners each received a $5,000 prize and will deliver a virtual presentation on their research on Oct. 19, 3 p.m., during University Research Week.
Smith, director of urologic oncology at the UNC Lineberger and an associate professor and vice chair for academic affairs in the UNC School of Medicine’s Department of Urology, is an internationally recognized expert in bladder cancer, stakeholder engagement, patient-reported outcomes in urology, and mobile health (mHealth) interventions. She has published more than 75 peer-reviewed research papers and has been the principal investigator co-principal investigator on a number of grant-funded studies.
In addition to her clinical and research work, Smith is the assistant secretary of the American Urological Association and a member of the Scientific Advisory Board for the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network, Journal of Urology Editorial Board, and chair of the Urology Care Foundation Bladder Health Committee.
“Dr. Smith is far and away the most inspired and inspiring surgeon-scientist I have ever had the privilege of working with, and it is my strong belief that her work is nothing short of groundbreaking, in multiple dimensions,” said Matthew Nielsen, MD, interim chair and professor in the urology department and UNC Lineberger member.
In addition to Smith, the other Hettleman Prize awardees this year are Mohit Bansal, PhD, the John R. & Louise S. Parker Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science; Andrea Bohlman, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Music; and William Sturkey, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of History.