Brad Fenwick Fellowship for the Advancement of Civic Science to Isako Di Tomassi.
The 2026 Brad Fenwick Fellowship recognizes an early career scientist with a successful record of connecting civic engagement and science. In addition to receiving a financial award, fellows will work with ASM Advocacy staff to develop a deeper understanding of civic engagement and public policy.
Di Tomassi is a Ph.D. candidate at Cornell University in the plant pathology and plant-microbe biology section of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. As an agricultural researcher, she studies the biology and management of late blight disease caused by Phytophthora infestans, an oomycete plant pathogen that impacts potato and tomato crops.
She is a co-organizer of the Scientist Network for Advancing Policy, a nationwide non-partisan science policy coalition for early career researchers, through which she co-led the McClintock Letters-a science communication project sharing the work and personal stories of researchers and advocating for science funding. She accepted a 2026 Research!America award on behalf of the McClintock Letters writers for this work and was an invited keynote session panelist at the 2026 American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting.
Di Tomassi is also working on Stance on Science, nationwide initiative for early career researchers to reach out to candidates ahead of the 2026 midterm elections to discuss science policy topics, and SNAPStart, a program designed to fund and support the establishment of local student science policy groups. She served as the president of the Cornell Advancing Science and Policy Club and currently serves as the external relations chair.
About the Fenwick Fellowship
Bradley W. (Brad) Fenwick, DVM, Ph.D., was a passionate advocate for science and cultivating the public's appreciation of its power to improve society. As an award-winning scientist, veterinarian and leader in science policy, Fenwick championed cross-disciplinary work, including microbial genomics, the role of microbes in agriculture, veterinary science and biodefense, to name a few. After his death in July 2021, his family and ASM decided to honor his memory by creating the Brad Fenwick Fellowship for the Advancement of Civic Science. The fellowship recognizes and supports early career scientists with an interest and aptitude for using policy and advocacy to bridge the world of science with that of broader society.
This award is made possible by funding from Debbie Nuss, the Rita Allen Foundation and other supporters of Fenwick's legacy of engagement.
