Two mentees of UConn’s Dr. Cato T. Laurencin — Carol Morris, MD, MS and Erica D. Taylor, MD, MBA — were recognized at the J. Robert Gladden Orthopaedic Society’s (JRGOS) Annual Awards Luncheon at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) 2025 Annual Meeting.

The meeting was held on March 13 in San Diego, CA. Laurencin is active in mentoring, especially those underrepresented in science, engineering, and medicine.

Carol Morris, MD, MS was honored with the JRGOS Claudia L. Thomas, MD Award in recognition of her exemplification of Dr. Claudia Thomas’ resilience, tenacity, and leadership in Orthopaedic Surgery. Morris was Laurencin’s first graduate student at his MIT lab when it was first established.

“Dr. Laurencin’s mentorship and influence have been tremendous in my career. His impact on my professional trajectory has been significant and sustaining for decades,” said Morris.

Morris is an internationally recognized leader in orthopedic oncology with clinical expertise in primary bone cancer, metastatic cancer to bone, soft tissue sarcoma, and neurofibromatosis. She is the chair of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York.

Taylor was the recipient of the 2025 Alvin H. Crawford, MD, Mentorship Award in recognition of her remarkable contributions to orthopaedic surgery. Taylor is a leader in orthopaedic surgery and an ardent advocate for health equity and inclusion. She completed her residency under Laurencin and is the vice president of Health Equity for Duke Health, and vice chair of Equity & Inclusion for Duke University’s Department of Orthopaedics.

“I met Dr. Laurencin as a medical student, and he has been a constant source of inspiration and a role model for excellence ever since. His sincere investment in my growth and his encouragement across every phase of my professional journey have made an enduring impact,” said Taylor.

Professor Sir Cato T. Laurencin is the University Professor and Albert and Wilda Van Dusen Distinguished Endowed Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, professor of Chemical Engineering, professor of Materials Science and Engineering, and professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Connecticut. He is the Chief Executive Officer of The Cato T. Laurencin Institute for Regenerative Engineering, a cross-university institute named in his honor at UConn. He is the first individual to receive the American Association for Advancement of Science (AAAS) Mentor Award, the Beckman Award for Mentoring, and the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Math, and Engineering Mentoring bestowed by President Obama. At UConn alone, he created and established the UConn Young Innovative Investigator Program, the UConn ASPIRE Program, (A Scientific Program in Regenerative Engineering) funded by the Department of Education, the UConn M-1 Mentorship Program, the UConn Pre-K K Award Application Training Program, the UConn Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation REM and REU Programs funded by NSF, and the UConn Graduate Training Program in Regenerative Engineering funded by an NIH T32 Institutional Training Grant.  Nationally, the Society for Biomaterials established the Cato T. Laurencin, M.D., Ph.D. Travelling Fellow Award Program for undergraduates in his honor.