Maria del Carmen Vitery Graduate Student Award is established by the Department of Physiology in the memory of Maria Vitery, a former graduate student of Cellular & Molecular Physiology in our lab. Maria was born in Peru and immigrated to the U.S. as a teenager. She obtained her BS in Biology from University of Maryland Baltimore County and her MS in Biotechnology from Johns Hopkins University. Maria joined the Qiu Lab in 2016. As a NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service awardee, she made seminal contributions to the physiological role of SWELL1 and PAC chloride channels. Maria also distinguished herself by exemplary service and contribution to the community. She devoted numerous hours as a mentor to children in Baltimore who were struggling in school. Maria was an accomplished ballet dancer and shared her love of this art through performing and teaching. Tragically, a sudden unexplained disease ended her life on January 28, 2019. For her outstanding academic achievements, service, and commitment to diversity, Maria was inducted into the inaugural class of the Edward Alexander Bouchet Graduate Honor Society and awarded a PhD posthumously. This Award honors a current student who, like Maria, excels in research and demonstrates commitment to service and outreach. The winners (Ashley Stewart, 2019; Anna Moyer and James Osei-Owusu, 2020; Dylan Sarver, 2021) are announced at the Annual Physiology Retreat in the fall.