Vrana recognized for Exceptional Moments in Teaching

Kent Vrana, PhD, Elliot S. Vesell Professor and chair of the Department of Pharmacology at Penn State College of Medicine, is featured for April in the “Exceptional Moments in Teaching” program.

“Dr. Vrana’s lectures were outstanding,” a current student wrote. “He was clear, concise and deliberate with the material he shared with students. He was exceptionally professional in his lecture materials (outstanding quality and presentation) and was quick to field complex questions in team settings. I am very excited to be his pupil in future blocks and learn more from him as my career at Penn State College of Medicine progresses. Thank you, Dr. Vrana!”

Vrana received Bachelor of Science in biochemistry with honors from the University of Iowa and his PhD in biochemistry, with a pharmacology minor, from Louisiana State University Medical Center in New Orleans. He completed his postdoctoral fellowship training in embryology and molecular biology at the Carnegie Institution of Washington, Baltimore, on the Johns Hopkins University campus.

Prior to his appointment at the College of Medicine, Vrana held faculty positions at West Virginia University and Wake Forest University. In 2009, he was named an honorary professor of the Peruvian University of Applied Science School of Medicine in Lima, Peru, and was inducted into the Society of Distinguished Educators at Penn State College of Medicine. In 2015, he was elected a fellow of the American Association for Advancement of Science.

Penn State College of Medicine’s Office for a Respectful Learning Environment recognizes exceptional faculty, residents and fellows with the monthly “Exceptional Moments in Teaching” program. Each month, one faculty member and one resident/fellow are highlighted for their contributions. College of Medicine students are invited to submit narratives about faculty members, residents, nurses or any other educators who challenge them and provide an exceptional learning experience using the online nomination form.

The Office for a Respectful Learning Environment fosters an educational community at Penn State College of Medicine in which all learners and educators feel supported, challenged, valued and respected. It serves all learners at the College of Medicine: medical students, graduate students, physician assistant students, residents and fellows.

See previous faculty and resident/fellow honorees here.

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