College of Medicine event honors 2019’s exceptional teachers
Penn State College of Medicine leadership recognized the 12 faculty members featured as 2019’s Exceptional Moments in Teaching award recipients during a luncheon Jan. 30, 2020.
College of Medicine Interim Dean Kevin Black, MD, said in an email, “These individuals were commended by students for the way they created meaningful learning experiences. For some students, that meant an environment where it felt safe to ask questions, admit when they didn’t understand a concept, or share a different perspective. Other students were grateful for teachers who demonstrated the best in patient-centered care, who took the time to get to know them, who explained complex topics in memorable ways, or who went above and beyond to ensure that what students learned in a lab connected to caring for someone in a clinical setting.”
The Exceptional Moments in Teaching program is administered through the college’s Office for a Respectful Learning Environment. The program began in 2017 to recognize faculty whose contributions to education have been exceptional in the eyes of our learners and, in the fall of 2019, was expanded to also highlight one resident or fellow each month.
The program welcomes submissions describing excellent teachers. In 2019, the program received 623 narratives that celebrated faculty, residents, fellows, nurses, graduate students, practice site managers and an environmental health services staff member as exceptional teachers. All narratives are shared with the recipients and their leadership.
The 2019 Exceptional Moments in Teaching faculty honorees were:
- Dr. Bettina Aprile, Family and Community Medicine
- Dr. James Ballard, Humanities
- Dr. Alfredo Bellon, Psychiatry and Behavioral Health
- Dr. Anthony Dambro, Family and Community Medicine
- Dr. Dennis Gingrich, Family and Community Medicine
- Dr. Jed Gonzalo, Medicine
- Dr. Vitaly Gordin, Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine
- Dr. Eileen Hennrikus, Medicine
- Dr. Brian Saunders, Surgery
- Dr. Lisa Shantz, Cellular and Molecular Physiology
- Dr. Heather Stuckey-Peyrot, Medicine
- Dr. Alawia Suliman, Pediatrics
Learn more about the program and nominate an exceptional teacher here
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