Baylor College of Medicine faculty members were recognized as outstanding educators for 2009. They were honored at an awards ceremony April 16 in Cullen Auditorium.
Steven Abrams, M.D., professor of pediatrics; Carl E. Fasser, P.A.-C, professor of allied health sciences; Nancy Moreno, Ph.D., senior associate director in the Center for Educational Outreach; and Shelley Sazer, Ph.D., associate professor of biochemistry and of molecular and cellular biology received the Barbara and Corbin J. Robertson Jr. Presidential Award for Excellence in Education.
Robertson Presidential awards, established in 1999, recognize faculty members who have made long-standing, consistent and highly valued contributions to the educational mission of the college. Recipients become members of the Baylor Society of Presidential Educators and receive a crystal award and $10,000.
The John P. McGovern Outstanding Teaching Awards were presented to Ashok Balasubramanyam, M.D, professor of medicine and molecular and cellular biology, in the preclinical sciences and James Owens, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of pediatrics and neurology, in the clinical sciences.
Established in 1986, the McGovern Awards are determined by second-, third- and fourth-year medical students and are based on outstanding teaching of clinical and pre-clinical medical school curriculum. Final approval of the nominees is made by the Faculty Awards Committee.
Additional faculty members received the Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. Faculty Excellence Award for outstanding work in a specialty area. The full list follows.
Those recognized for teaching and evaluation included Neena Abraham, M.D., assistant professor of medicine; Kimberly Arlinghaus, M.D., associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and physical medicine and rehabilitation; Venkata Bandi, M.D., associate professor of medicine; Austin Cooney, Ph.D., associate professor of molecular and cellular biology; Jorge Coss Bu, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics; Geeta Singhal Das, M.D., assistant professor of pediatrics; Suzanne Fuqua, Ph.D., professor in the Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center; Jeanine Graf, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics; Joseph Huh, M.D., assistant professor of surgery; George Hutton, M.D., assistant professor of neurology; Tae Kim, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics; Martin Lorin, M.D., professor of pediatrics; Mona McPherson, M.D., M.P.H., assistant professor of pediatrics; Amy McGuire, Ph.D., J.D., assistant professor of medicine and medical ethics; Uma Munnur, M.D., associate professor of anesthesiology; Bert O'Malley, M.D., professor and chair of molecular and cellular biology; Quisqueya Palacios, M.D., associate professor of anesthesiology; Falguni Patel, M.D., assistant professor of anesthesiology; Richard Sifers; Ph.D., associate professor of pathology; Maya Suresh, M.D., professor and interim chair of anesthesiology; Britta Thompson; Ph.D., assistant professor of pediatrics; Connie Khanh Vu Lan Tran, M.D., assistant professor of anesthesiology; Barbara Trautner, Ph.D., assistant professor of medicine; and Nancy Weigel, Ph.D., professor of molecular and cellular biology.
Faculty who received awards for educational leadership included Prasad Atluri, M.D., associate professor of anesthesiology; Carl Fasser, P.A.-C., professor of allied health sciences; Toi Blakley Harris, M.D., assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences; William Lunn, M.D., assistant professor of medicine; John Marymont, M.D., professor of orthopedic surgery; Amy McGuire, Ph.D., J.D., assistant professor of medicine and medical ethics; Cynthia Peacock, M.D., assistant professor of medicine and pediatrics; Maya Suresh, M.D., professor and interim chair of anesthesiology; Dr. V. Reid Sutton, M.D., professor of molecular and human genetics; and Britta Thompson, Ph.D., assistant professor of pediatrics.
Four faculty members were recognized for development of enduring educational materials. They were Tae Kim, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics; John Marymont, M.D., professor of orthopedic surgery; Heidi Russell, M.D., assistant professor of pediatrics; and Faye Tan, M.D., associate professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation. Britta Thompson, Ph.D., assistant professor of pediatrics, received the award for educational research.
Eric Holmboe, M.D., senior vice president of quality research and academic affairs, American Board of Internal Medicine, presented a lecture at the Outstanding Educator awards titled "Nostalgialitis Imperfecta – If You Only Lead from the Past, It is Hard to Move Forward."