2025 Kayla Bell Citizen Award Winner
The Pulmonary Center is happy to announce Kara Vasilew as the winner of the 2025 Kayla Bell Pulmonary Center Citizenship Award!
Kara Vasilew
PhD Student
The Kayla Bell Pulmonary Center Citizenship Award was established to celebrate and commemorate Kayla’s time at the Pulmonary Center, and to encourage others to follow in her footsteps. It is awarded annually to a member of the Pulmonary Center who best embodies Kayla’s kind and helpful nature.
Kara was selected as this year’s recipient of the award for her exceptional contributions to our community. Her kindness, helpfulness, and dedication to serving others embodies the spirit of Kayla Bell, in whose honor the award was established. Kara has been a valuable resource for everyone in the Center, gladly providing help or guidance. Her positivity and willingness to go above and beyond are impactful and appreciated!
The Kayla Bell Pulmonary Center Citizenship Award was presented to Kara Vasilew during the 2025 Kayla Bell Memorial Lecture on April 4.
“an instrumental member of the Pulmonary Center”
“I most admire how active she has been in the BU community advocating formally and informally to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion”
“She is a true team player, working to ensure the smooth running of multiple aspects of the research lab. Always willing to lend a hand, she goes above and beyond to support her colleagues”
“a talented scientist and an aspiring immunologist”
“Kara achieves all of this while navigating the challenges of being a deaf student in STEM. She skillfully utilizes hearing aids, lip reading, and interpreter assistance to excel in her work, setting an inspiring example of resilience and perseverance. Deaf individuals remain an underrepresented minority in higher education, with only a small percentage obtaining advanced degrees. Kara’s success and leadership break barriers, making her an invaluable advocate for accessibility in academia”
Congratulations to Kara on this well-deserved honor!