From left, Dr. Pauline Lawrence and Girl Scout Senior Morgan
University of Florida Professor Emeritus Dr. Pauline Lawrence received a lifetime achievement award from Girl Scouts of Gateway Council (GSGC). The award was presented during Gateway Council’s annual Women Who Make a Difference luncheon.
While accepting the award, Dr. Lawrence, a previous Women Who Make a Difference honoree, surprised Gateway Council with a $10,000 donation in honor of her husband, Dr. Carlton Davis. The donation will support the council’s outreach program in Alachua County, providing girls in underserved communities the opportunity to become Girl Scouts.
“Dr. Lawrence’s dedication to helping future female leaders and her impact on our community is inspiring,” said Gateway Council CEO Mary Anne Jacobs. “We appreciate her extraordinary generosity and her remarkable efforts to ensure that every girl has the opportunity to be a Girl Scout.”
A Jamaica, West Indies native, Dr. Lawrence actively participated in her high school’s Girls Guide (Scout) troop, and received the First Class Guide Badge (Gold Award). Dr. Lawrence credits her Girl Scout experiences for strengthening her love for nature and teaching important lessons that have guided her throughout her career.
Dr. Lawrence received a bachelor’s degree (Honors) in zoology from the University of the West Indies, and earned her master’s degree and Ph.D. in entomology from the University of Florida (UF). She joined the UF faculty in 1976 as an Assistant Professor of Zoology and was named a full Professor in 1989. In 1994, Dr. Lawrence was named Professor of Insect Physiology and Biochemistry in the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, serving until her retirement in 2011.
A member of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society, Dr. Lawrence has served in elected and other leadership positions in various professional societies. She has received awards for teaching at UF and has won several national competitive grants for her research. In 2003, she established an endowment to support scholarships for graduate and undergraduate students in Entomology at UF.
Dr. Lawrence was a 1992 Women of Distinction honoree. She has served on Gateway Council’s Advisory Board and catalogued insect species at Girl Scout’s Camp Kateri property. For more than 15 years, Dr. Lawrence has been a Gold Sponsor of the Women Who Make a Difference Luncheon in Gainesville.
From left, back row, Virginia Maurer, Barzella Papa, Kathie Southwick, Dr. Pauline Lawrence and Kim A. Barton. From left, front row, Darian, Girl Scout Senior; Julie, Girl Scout Senior; Rachel, Girl Scout Cadette; Morgan, Girl Scout Senior; and Symone, Girl Scout Ambassador
During the event, Kim A. Barton, Virginia Maurer, Barzella Papa, and Kathie Southwick were also celebrated as 2019 Women Who Make a Difference honorees in recognition of their professional accomplishments, service to others and community impact. During the awards program, each honoree was introduced by a Girl Scout she had recently mentored as part of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, a leadership development program.
To learn more about Girl Scouts of Gateway Council, visit www.girlscouts-gateway.org or contact Chief Development and Brand Officer TriciaRae Stancato at [email protected] or (904) 421-3484.
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