Laura Lindberg, a professor in the Department of Urban-Global Public Health at the Rutgers School of Public Health, has received the 2025 Mentor Award from the Society of Family Planning.
This national honor recognizes Lindberg’s exceptional commitment to guiding and advancing the careers of emerging clinicians and scholars in the field of family planning.
“My academic journey — and eventually my career — was shaped by mentors who offered guidance and direction,” Lindberg said. “Growing into a mentor myself has been the most fulfilling part of my professional life, and it gives me optimism for the future.”
As a leading researcher in sexual and reproductive health and rights, Lindberg’s work focuses on health equity and reproductive autonomy in the U.S. She studies disparities in sexual and reproductive health, conducts policy-related research on topics such as abortion and contraceptive use, and directs research at Youth Reproductive Equity, a national collaborative of researchers, physicians, advocates, and youth.
“Dr. Laura Lindberg is a dedicated, supportive, and warm mentor who pulls many mentees into her orbit and dreams up ambitious next steps for us,” said Laura Frye, a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) student at the Rutgers School of Public Health. “She listens thoughtfully to our ideas and helps facilitate connections to bring them to fruition.”
Established in 2013, the Mentor Award honors individuals or teams who have demonstrated a sustained dedication to supporting the next generation of family planning professionals.
Lindberg was presented with the award at the Society of Family Planning’s 2025 Annual Meeting held in Pennsylvania in October 2025.
Frye added, “To be at a conference with Dr. Lindberg is to be introduced to her wide network and to be incorporated into new and varying professional circles. When she is surrounded by her peers of many decades, she never hesitates to pull a more junior colleague into the conversation and treat us as thought-partners.”
The Society of Family Planning is a non-profit, professional organization that specializes in abortion and contraception science and is composed of multi-disciplinary experts, including physicians, nurses, and public health practitioners.
“What makes this recognition especially meaningful is that my nomination included input from researchers at more than two dozen institutions,” Lindberg said. “Being a mentor expands my world, letting me engage with new ideas, diverse perspectives, and incredible people.”
