A Modernized Goal
The Academy of Health and Science Educators is an HDEIT-supported community whose goal is to promote education and scholarship in a community of practice model within the department, BCM and its affiliates, and externally.
Transition from the Academy of Distinguished Educators
The rebranding of the Academy of Distinguished Educators into the Academy of Health and Science Educators helps to fulfill the original mission of the Academy and strengthen its role in the Huffington Department of Education, Innovation and Technology (HDEIT). That is, to promote and develop education as a discipline at Baylor College of Medicine.
Academy Activities
Academy roles and activities will include:
- Serving as an advisory committee to HDEIT leadership
- Administration and leadership of the Community of Practice
- Assisting with general planning committee duties with a focus on:
- Showcase of Educational Scholarship
- TEACH-S meeting and activities (rotated every 4-5 years)
- Other activities as assigned by the Chair
2026 Showcase of Educational Scholarship
The BCM Huffington Department of Education, Innovation, and Technology invites submissions to the 2nd Annual Showcase of Educational Scholarship. We welcome all forms of educational scholarship, including program descriptions and educational research. We seek both complete projects and works in progress (WIPs).
Who Should Attend
All health and science educators in the BCM community and its affiliates, including faculty, residents, fellows, postdocs, students and staff. The goal of the Showcase is to share educational work from across BCM that focuses on any learner population or educational topic.
Date
Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, from 1–4 p.m.
Location
Duncan Neurological Research Institute (1250 Moursund St., Houston, TX 77030) and Teams.
Call for Scholarship
Everyone who submits work that meets the submission criteria (education-related, BCM-authored, and placed in the template found in the submission link) will be accepted to present a mini-poster at the Showcase. This approach is designed to encourage feedback and conversation with others engaged in educational scholarship. This is the default submission category.
Authors may also choose to have their work peer reviewed in the Competitive category. This optional category provides an opportunity to present either a poster or a Pecha Kucha presentation based on peer reviews.
- Top-Rated Poster Presentations: Highly rated submissions will be featured in a traditional poster session, providing an opportunity to present and discuss their work with others.
- Best of Showcase Pecha Kucha Presentations: The top five submissions will be invited to give a 7-minute Pecha Kucha presentation to close the Showcase.
For more information about the submission process and to submit your work, see our 2026 Showcase of Educational Scholarship Submission Form.
Registration is free. Check back soon for registration information.
- Open for submissions: July 15, 2026
- Submission deadline: Aug. 15, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Central Time
- Notification of acceptance: Sept. 1, 2026
Previous Showcases
The Huffington Department of Education, Innovation, and Technology (HDEIT) hosted the inaugural Fall Showcase of Educational Scholarship. The Showcase featured a keynote address from Dr. Michael Coburn, Professor and Chair of the Russell and Mary Hugh Scott Department of Urology. As one of the founding members of the Academy of Distinguished Educators, his presentation, titled “The History of the Academy of Distinguished Educators,” laid the foundation for the transition of the Academy to the reimagined Academy of Health and Science Educators under HDEIT.
The Showcase also featured 26 works of educational scholarship representing a range of disciplines, learner groups, and affiliates in the BCM community, shared in a digital networking session. The four presentations below were highlighted as “Best in Showcase”:
- “Advanced Research Skill Development Through Structured Interprofessional Feedback in the Medical Student Research Presentation (MSRP)” - Matthew Darmadi; Mabel Perez-Oquendo, Ph.D.
- “Evaluating Tolerance for Ambiguity and Reflective Capacity in Medical Students and Residents” - Andrew Childress, Ph.D.; Samuel Frison, B.S.; Nisa Ilsin, B.A.; Rachael Johnson, B.A.; Shreya Tamma, M.S.; Larry Laufman, Ed.D.; Alana D. Newell, Ph.D., M.Ed.
- “Rethinking Expertise: Patients as Educators in Communication” - Elisha Acosta, M.D.; Peter Boedeker, Ph.D.; Vrunda Vithalani, M.D.; K. Jordan Kemere, M.D., M.S.
- “Transition to Residency Reality Check: Support and Strategies for Navigating Professionalism Challenges" - Uma S. Ayyala, M.D.; Kelley Arredondo, Ph.D.; Mark Harbott, M.D.; Ellen M. Friedman, M.D.; Stacey R. Rose, M.D.
Finally, we gratefully acknowledge the speakers, facilitators, planning team, and contributors whose energy and care made the Fall Showcase a true celebration of innovation and connection:
- Dr. Nancy Moreno
- Dr. Tyson Pillow
- Dr. Michael Coburn
- Dr. Jennifer Benjamin
- Dr. Peter Boedeker
- Dr. Margaret Conner
- Dr. Sandra Haudek
- Dr. Sarah-Ann Keyes
- Dr. Sherita Love
- Dr. Matthew McMillon
- Dr. Alana Newell
- Dr. Susan Raine
- Dr. David Young
- Marina Blum
- Julian Dorado
- Travis Kelleher
- Raffy Macapinlac
- Tiona Matthews
- Michelle Moore
- Ethan Pascual
The inaugural Showcase has underscored HDEIT’s commitment to excellence in health and science education across the BCM community and set the stage for continued collaboration and innovation in educational scholarship.
