Earlier this month, GPS announced the
Notable Alumnae, who will be recognized during a special Reunion Weekend presentation next Friday, October 4. Today, we are thrilled to announce the recipients of two special GPS awards—the Distinguished Alumna Award and the Lupton Award of Excellence.
The Distinguished Alumna Award and the Lupton Award of Excellence recipients are chosen from the Notable Alumnae Awards honorees. The Distinguished Alumna Award is given to the GPS graduate considered to be the most deserving, taking these three criteria into account: service in the home, church, community; professional achievement; and commitment to GPS. Established in 1989, the Margaret Rawlings Lupton Award of Excellence recognizes the outstanding accomplishments of GPS alumnae who have exhibited exceptional citizenship and service to the communities in which they live and beyond, either professionally or in a volunteer capacity.
We are honored to announce Jane Carter '74, MD as this year's Distinguished Alumna and Elizabeth Hamilton Forrester '94, PhD as the Lupton Award of Excellence recipient.
Jane Carter ’74, MD | Distinguished Alumna Award
Following GPS, Dr. Jane Carter earned her undergraduate degree from Wellesley College before attending George Washington University for medical school. She completed her internal medicine residency and pulmonary fellowship at Brown University, where she then became a member of the faculty. At Brown, Jane launched the first international medical exchange program for Brown with Moi University Medical School in Eldoret, Kenya, at a time when Global Health was not a recognized discipline. During the 29 years she led that program, over 100 Kenyan trainees studied at Brown while over 200 Brown trainees studied in Kenya; this exchange became the model for subsequent international educational collaborations at Brown. An interest that developed during her pulmonary residency years before led her to the Rhode Island tuberculosis clinic, where she spent more than two decades. She has served on the Advisory Committee for the Elimination of TB at CDC and led the International Union Against TB and Lung Disease. She has also served on the technical review committees of the Global Fund to Fight HIV, TB, and malaria; of Unitaid, and of TB Reach at the STOP TB Partnership in Geneva. Jane was one of the founding educators to initiate the first pulmonary/critical care training program in Ethiopia, a country of over 120 million people without a single pulmonary physician at the time the fellowship opened in 2012. She was the 2013 recipient of the World Lung Health award from the American Thoracic Society. Retired from clinical pulmonary practice at Brown in 2023, Jane continues as an international TB consultant/educator and as a TB staff physician at the Department of Health in Honolulu, Hawaii. An avid runner (starting at GPS as a requirement of the varsity volleyball team), she has completed 28 marathons, including Boston.
Elizabeth Hamilton Forrester '94, PhD | Lupton Award of Excellence
Dr. Elizabeth Hamilton Forrester is a highly accomplished leader in cancer biology and infectious disease diagnostics, with a deep passion for public health, biomedical research, and science education. She earned her BS in chemistry from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga before pursuing her PhD in cancer biology at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. During her doctoral research, she focused on the molecular mechanisms of tumor progression and therapeutic resistance, significantly contributing to the understanding of the role of growth factors in breast cancer and identifying potential targets for future therapies. Driven by a desire to revolutionize science education, Elizabeth has created and implemented innovative, research-based courses for which she received awards including the NABT Genetics Education Award from the American Society of Human Genetics and the Genetics Society of America, and the Outstanding Biology Teacher of the Year Award for Tennessee from the National Association of Biology Teachers.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Elizabeth spearheaded the transformation of the Baylor School’s Molecular Biology Research Lab into a COVID-19 testing facility for Hamilton County. Under her leadership, the lab processed tens of thousands of tests for local hospitals and clinics, providing timely, reliable results that helped control the spread of the virus. Her efforts earned her wide recognition, including the Hamilton County Good Samaritan Award, the Daughters of the American Revolution Community Service Award in 2022, and the Champions of Healthcare Innovation Award in 2020. In response to the ongoing need for diagnostic services during the pandemic, Elizabeth co-founded Athena Esoterix in 2021, a cutting-edge diagnostic laboratory specializing in cancer and infectious disease testing. Outside of her professional work, she enjoys pilates, traveling, and spending time with her husband, Steven, and their three sons, Jackson (Jack), Walker, and Beau.
We look forward to celebrating Jane and Elizabeth during the Reunion Weekend Alumnae Brunch on Saturday, October 5!
To register for Reunion Weekend, click here.