In honor of Dr. Linda Brubaker’s leadership, contributions, and dedication as Urogynecology’s Editor-in-Chief, as well as her contributions to AUGS and to the field or urogynecology, AUGS has established the “Linda Brubaker Prize Paper Award.” This award will reflect the highest quality science paper published in Urogynecology within the academic year (July 1 through June 30).
Dr. Brubaker has not only been an integral part of AUGS' history, serving as President from 2002-2003 and Editor-in-Chief of the journal from 2016-2023, but also in the establishment of the subspecialty. In December 1993, she joined an elite group of AUGS and SGS leaders at an ABOG meeting in Dallas to discuss formalized training programs in urogynecology. These preliminary discussions were critical to the establishment of the subspeciality a few years later. Dr. Brubaker has also served as a mentor to many trainees and colleagues.
As Editor-in-Chief she has transformed the journal. Dr. Brubaker steadily grew the readership and submission numbers, and transitioned the journal from a bimonthly to a monthly publication. Following the latest publishing trends, she helped remodel the journal from a print to an online-only publication, mentored a diverse and strategic Editorial Board, introduced a Social Media Editor, and led new initiatives including the "At the Scrub Sink" feature and the Peer Reviewer Academy. Dr. Brubaker also initiated society journal partnerships with 4 international societies (AIUG, ALAPP, EUGA, MIPS) and now expanded that partnership to include an Allied Health Journal Partner (APTA Pelvic Heath). These partnerships not only expand the reach of the journal but also provide unique collaborative opportunities to advance the subspecialty.
The Brubaker Prize Paper Award should reflect the highest quality science paper published within the academic year (July 1 through June 30). The award will be presented annually at PFD week and also announced in the Journal.
Criteria
The annual prize paper is based on the following criteria:
- Scientific merit
- Methodological rigor
- Importance to the specialty
Process
- The Editor in Chief and Associate Editors will each independently nominate two articles (a primary choice and an alternative in case there are duplicates) from all those published during the academic year such that a minimum of five articles are nominated for consideration.
- Articles must be original research
- AUGS publications are excluded from consideration
- The Editor in Chief will select a panel of six current and/or former editorial board members to review and rank the nominated articles based on scientific merit, methodological rigor, and importance to the specialty. A single prize paper will be selected.
- The prize paper will be awarded at the Annual Meeting and also announced in the Journal.