The Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center (PRC) is delighted to announce that Sarah Chilenski, Penn State research professor of health and human development, has been named the 2026 recipient of the Friend of ECPN Award by the Society for Prevention Research, the leading international organization for prevention scientists.

The Friend of ECPN (Early Career Preventionist Network) Award recognizes mid-career prevention scientists who have made sustained, exceptional contributions to mentoring and supporting early-career professionals. Chilenski has exemplified this commitment early in her own career and has never stopped.

“Sarah’s commitment to mentorship has been an enduring priority since the beginning of her own career, pursued consistently, across institutions, and often without formal recognition or obligation. The field of prevention science has benefited tremendously from her efforts,” said Janet Welsh, a research professor at the PRC who has worked with Chilenski for more than 25 years.

A member of the PRC since 2010, Chilenski has individually mentored more than 20 early-career prevention scientists and many community-based prevention providers — all while supporting 100% of her own salary through external funding. She routinely secures training and funding opportunities for mentees, connects them to collaborative projects, and ensures their visibility in the field: six of her recent publications and more than 65 of her professional presentations have been co-led by early-career professionals.

Chilenski’s contributions extend beyond Penn State. Since 2015, she has led the Coalition Research Group (CRG), an interdisciplinary cross-university space for mentorship and collaboration. From 2014 to 2019, Chilenski co-chaired the Society for Prevention Research-sponsored Training Needs Assessment Survey Task Force and has served on the ECPN Steering Committee — including as an elected future chair.

Roughly one quarter of the early-career scientists Chilenski has mentored come from historically underrepresented groups in prevention. She is especially attentive to the structural barriers these mentees face and has catalyzed their leadership in community-engaged, equity-focused research through her involvement with the CRG and with the Leaders in Equitable Evaluation and Diversity Scholars program, supported by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

Currently, Chilenski serves as a senior faculty mentor for Penn State Educational Equity. In this role, she assists junior faculty in developing externally funded research programs and building collaborations across units. She also serves as the point of contact for early-career faculty who may face barriers to full participation and success in the academic community.

In 2020, Chilenski co-founded the Group to Reduce Inequities in Prevention with PRC Assistant Research Professor Jochebed Gayles, which they continue to co-lead. One of the group’s priorities is to address the barriers faced by early-career prevention professionals.

Gayles spoke highly of Chilenski’s mentorship style.

“This award could not go to a more deserving person and is an honor that speaks directly to the kind of scholar and human being Dr. Chilenski is,” she said. “Sarah has played an integral role in my growth as a prevention scientist, offering mentorship, friendship, and allyship that goes well beyond the professional. She is the kind of person who invests in you, not because it is expected, but because she genuinely cares about people and the field. Her commitment is reflected not only in the wisdom she shares but in the way she shows up, with encouragement, honesty, and an unwavering belief in the work.”