Assistant Professor of Biology William “Billy” Mills, Ph.D., MBA‘25, recently accepted the Society for Neuroscience (SfN) Chapter of the Year Award as president of the organization’s Washington, D.C. Metro Area Chapter (DCMA). He traveled to San Diego in November of 2025 to receive the award at the SfN annual meeting, where his chapter was recognized for its work in advancing neuroscience education and outreach in the DMV community.
“It was an honor to accept the award on behalf of our chapter as it recognizes countless people and more than a decade of work building the chapter into the vibrant community that it is today,” Mills said.
The D.C. chapter of SfN folds local neuroscientists, policymakers and community members into a supportive professional network with the goal of making neuroscience accessible for people at different stages of their careers and education.
The chapter organizes various events throughout the year including professional development workshops, career panels, science advocacy days, networking events, socials and an annual science meeting, where speakers from across the DCMA and greater region come together to talk about their neuroscience-related work.
SfN President John H. Morrison praised the impact of the 2025 Education and Outreach Award recipients, including Mills’ chapter, noting, “The Society is honored to recognize these compassionate and creative neuroscientists who are helping to serve underrepresented communities and educate the public. Their work expands access to neuroscience education for populations that historically lacked such opportunities, engages all ages with programming and books for lay audiences, promotes awareness of people with visual disabilities, and encourages the next generation of neuroscientists.”
The Chapter of the Year Award, which includes a $1,000 prize, will support SfN DCMA’s ongoing professional development and outreach efforts, including hands-on science activities for future events. The chapter plans to host more professional development opportunities, such as a workshop on building LinkedIn profiles.
“I’ve loved being a part of the D.C. chapter to connect with local scientists interested in the same topics, but with unique perspectives on research, policy, education, and outreach,” Mills said.
A native of Frederick, Maryland, Mills earned his undergraduate degree in biochemistry from the University of Virginia and his Ph.D. in biological chemistry from Johns Hopkins University. He joined the Mount in 2023, completed his MBA at the Mount in 2025, and has been an active SfN DCMA member since 2019, serving as secretary from 2020 to2023, president from 2023 to2025, and now professional development co-chair.