Honoring a MLA Visionary: 2025 Marcia C. Noyes Award Recipient Susan Lessick, AHIP, FMLA
The Marcia C. Noyes Award is the Medical Library Association’s (MLA) highest professional honor, established in 1947 in memory of founding member Marcia C. Noyes (1869–1946). This distinguished award honors individuals whose careers have been defined by lasting and exceptional contributions to medical librarianship. It recognizes sustained achievement and leadership that have profoundly shaped the work of MLA and strengthened the health sciences library profession as a whole.
MLA is proud to recognize Susan Lessick, AHIP, FMLA, for her extraordinary contributions to the field of health sciences librarianship. From her early days at San Jose Hospital to her distinguished tenure as Head of the Grunigen Medical Library at the University of California, Irvine, Susan has exemplified leadership, innovation, and mentorship. Her career has been marked by a deep commitment to advancing research, technology, and professional development within the MLA community.
Among her most transformative accomplishments is her role as the founding director of the MLA Research Training Institute (RTI). Since 2017, Susan has led the RTI with vision and determination, securing grant funding, designing a robust curriculum, and fostering a culture of mentorship. The RTI has trained over 130 library professionals, equipping them with advanced research skills and empowering them to contribute to the evidence base of medical librarianship. In 2024, her efforts culminated in the establishment of the RTI Fellowship (RTIF), recognizing graduates who publish peer-reviewed research as first authors.
Susan’s influence extends beyond research. She pioneered the Top Technology Trends panel at MLA annual meetings and launched the Virtual Projects Section in the Journal of the Medical Library Association, both of which have become cornerstones of MLA’s engagement with emerging technologies. Her ability to identify and nurture talent has inspired a generation of librarian leaders and researchers, many of whom credit her mentorship as pivotal to their careers.
Her service to MLA spans decades and includes leadership roles in numerous sections, task forces, and editorial boards. She has been honored as an MLA Fellow, received multiple President’s Awards, and continues to serve as a tireless advocate for inclusive, evidence-based practice. As colleagues and mentees attest, Susan’s passion, generosity, and strategic vision have left an indelible mark on the profession.
Susan Lessick’s nomination for the Marcia C. Noyes Award is a celebration of a career defined by lasting, outstanding contributions to medical librarianship. Her legacy lives on in the programs she built, the professionals she mentored, and the research she championed. We are honored to recognize her achievements and the profound impact she continues to have on the field.