Tara Schmidlen ’06M received the National Society of Genetic Counselors’ 2019 Strategic Leader Award at the organization’s annual conference in Salt Lake City, Utah. The award is presented annually to a genetic counselor who promotes the profession as an integral part of health care delivery through education, research, and public policy. 

Schmidlen is a genetic counselor and clinical investigator with Geisinger Health System, helping individuals understand, adapt to, and act on genetic risk information for disease. She was nominated and recognized for her innovative use of technology as a genetic counselor, as well as for her ambitious outlook toward improving health care for patients.