Celestina Barbosa-Leiker

Celestina Barbosa-Leiker will be honored as the recipient of the 2022 Association for Faculty Women (AFW) Sam H. Smith Leadership Award.

Barbosa-Leiker currently serves as executive vice chancellor for research and administration at Washington State University Health Sciences Spokane. She has served as director of the Ph.D. program and associate dean for research.

Barbosa-Leiker has a record of advocating for women faculty, staff, and students and incorporates a passion for the advancement of women into her personal and professional goals.

She serves on the Task Force for Equitable Policy and Practice and chairs the Research Working Group under the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee for the WSU Health Sciences campus. Her research often addresses issues that differentially affect women and people from disadvantaged backgrounds. She has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles and secured over $46 million in funding.

Barbosa-Leiker is regarded as one of the nation’s leading experts in women with substance use disorders. In 2019 she was elected to the Washington State Academy of Sciences and was recognized by YWCA Spokane for her outstanding leadership and commitment to empowering women. Her support and commitment to her mentees is unwavering. As one nominator stated, “She empowers those that she works with to believe in themselves and in their ability, while providing them with all the resources and support they need to achieve any goal.”

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