WVU School of Medicine names distinguished teachers
Faculty and staff also recognized for years of service and Dean’s Awards
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University School of Medicine Dean Arthur J. Ross III, M.D., M.B.A., recognized faculty and staff for their years of service, named Distinguished Teachers, and presented the Dean’s Awards for Excellence on Tuesday (Oct. 21) at the WVU Erickson Alumni Center in Morgantown.
“You cannot thank people often enough, and this is our small way of recognizing some very special individuals in the School of Medicine. We are here for West Virginians, and our solemn promise to them is that we will improve their health and wellness,” Dr. Ross said.
“We do that by educating the next generation of healthcare providers, discovering translatable knowledge, providing them with the highest quality and safest possible care, and serving their communities in any and every way we can. Each of tonight’s awardees has distinguished him or herself in doing just this, and we are so proud of them.”
Distinguished Teacher Awards are given yearly and recognize exceptional teaching and/or innovation in teaching methods, course and curriculum design and instructional tools. Recipients included:
- Professional program/junior level – Amanda Accord-Vira, M.O.T./L., Department of Occupational Therapy
- Professional program/senior level – Michelle Costas, M.H.S., P.A., Department of Pathology
- M.D. degree program/junior level – Kelly Gannon, M.D., Department of Medicine
- M.D. degree program/senior level – James Berry, D.O., Department of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry
More than 60 individuals were recognized for their years of service in the categories of 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, and 45 years. Stanley Kandzari, M.D., WVU Department of Surgery, and Michael G. Mawhinney, Ph.D., departments of Surgery and Physiology and Pharmacology, were honored as 45-year employees with the School of Medicine.
The Dean’s Excellence Awards are the result of a peer nomination process. Award winners exemplify the WVU School of Medicine’s values and demonstrate excellence. Their influence stretches beyond their home department.
Jeffery Hogg, M.D., professor in the Department of Radiology, was recognized with the Award for Excellence in Medical Education Innovation.
The Award for Excellence in Research went to James W. Simpkins, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology and director of the Center for Basic and Translational Stroke Research.
Recognized for Excellence in Service to the Community were Susannah Poe, Ed.D., associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics, and the Department of Family Medicine, Eastern Division.
P. Rocco LaSala, M.D., associate professor in the Department of Pathology and director of the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, took home the award for Excellence in Clinical Service.
The award for Excellence in Service to the School went to Stephen M. Davis, M.P.A., M.S.W., director of clinical research in the Department of Emergency Medicine.
“In the eyes of so many, including me, there is nothing more meaningful than to be recognized by those who are your peers,” Dr. Ross said. “These individuals are ‘doctors’ doctors,’ ‘researcher’s researchers’, ‘teacher’s teachers’; those that we look upon as being representative of our best.”
Photo caption: Awards went to distinguished faculty who are recognized for exceptional teaching and/or innovation in teaching methods, course and curriculum design, and instructional tools. Dr. Ross presents Kelly Gannon, M.D., Department of Medicine, with a Distinguished Teacher Award. Michael Mueller (right), fourth-year medical student, nominated Dr. Gannon for the award.