The purpose of the Inspirational Educator Award is to recognize faculty who inspire their learners and motivate them to work hard and achieve more than they thought possible on their own. This prestigious award acknowledges the time and dedication faculty take to be exceptional teachers. Honorees are consistently noted for their teaching effectiveness, commitment to learning and passion for biomedical education. Long after their experience with faculty members of this caliber, learners still recall the impact that they had on their own education, and passion for medicine and/or research. These awards allow Indiana University School of Medicine to honor and celebrate the valuable efforts of educators who motivate and inspire others.
Nominate a candidate
Nominations will open May 1st are due June 10th. Winners will be announced at the Fall All School Meeting.
Current Winners
Award Recognition
Up to two recipients will be selected per year. One award will be presented to a faculty member who has been teaching for 10 years or longer, and the other to one who has been teaching for fewer than 10 years. Each award recipient will be honored with a monetary award in the amount of $1,500 and highlighted on the Indiana University School of Medicine Faculty Affairs and Professional Development website.
Criteria
The awards are designed to honor educators in the IU School of Medicine community who exemplify truly extraordinary teaching. Candidates are assessed on the growth and development of learners as well as the ways in which they model positive attributes of biomedical professionals.
The Inspirational Educator Award will be given to faculty members who consistently:
- Provide learners opportunity for personal growth
- Provide learners opportunity for professional growth
- Provide learners opportunity for growth in the discipline/specialty
- Inspire leaners to work hard and be highly engaged in their education
- Model professionalism
- Model humanism in medicine
- Serve as an inspiration for other educators
Eligibility for Nomination
- Any full, part-time or volunteer faculty member who has taught in the IU School of Medicine for at least three years is eligible.
- Past years' winners of the award are not eligible.
- Self-nominations are not permitted.
Any faculty member, administrator or learner (student, resident, fellow or postdoc) can submit a nomination. In most cases, a learner would nominate a faculty member. However, fellow faculty members who admire the teaching of their colleagues may drive the nomination process and solicit letters from the candidate’s learners.
An award may be conferred only once to a faculty member, and nominations will remain active for a three-year period. Candidates are encouraged to update their nomination materials yearly but are not required to do so.
Nomination Packet and Procedure
There will be an open call for nominations in newsletters, electronic listservs and the FAPD website. Nominations should be submitted via the button below.
The nomination packet must include:
- A typed nomination letter of no more than two pages
- The letter should include a testimonial of how the nominee has inspired and shaped the careers of their learners. (Review the criteria above as a guide.)
- Two or three letters of support
- At least one from a former or current learner
- One from the candidate’s chair or center/division director
- The letters should provide examples of how the candidate has excelled at teaching and the impact their teaching has had on the career development and success of learners.
- A photo of the candidate in JPG format, which will be added to the FAPD website
Selection Committee
Nominations will be reviewed and selected by the IU School of Medicine Teaching Awards Committee members.
Timeline
Nominations are due June 10 via the online nomination form.
Award winners will be announced at the Fall All School Meeting.
Past Winners
| 2023 Winner (over 10 years) |
Valerie D. O'Loughlin, PhD, Director of Undergraduate Medical Education at IU School of Medicine—Bloomington, Professor of Anatomy, Cell Biology & Physiology |
|
2023 Winner |
Rick F. Nelson, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Otolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery |
| 2022 Winner (over 10 years) |
Frederick J. Rescorla, MD, Professor Emeritus of Surgery |
| 2022 Winner (under 10 years) |
Kyra D. Reed, MD, Assistant Professor of Clinical Emergency Medicine |
| 2021 Winner (over 10 years) |
Matthew Holley, PhD, Assistant Professor of Clinical Family Medicine |
| 2021 Winner (under 10 years) |
Nicole P. Scott, MD, Assistant Professor of Clinical Obstetrics & Gynecology |
| 2020 Winner (over 10 years) |
Joanne M. Wojcieszek, MD, Associate Professor of Clinical Neurology |
| 2020 Winner (under 10 years) |
Luke C. Schafer, MD, Assistant Professor of Clinical Emergency Medicine |
| 2019 Winner (over 10 years) |
Nasser H. Hanna, MD, Tom and Julie Wood Family Foundation Professor of Lung Cancer Clinical Research and Professor of Medicine. |
| 2019 Winner (under 10 years) |
Leslie A. Hoffman, MD, Assistant Professor of Anatomy, Cell Biology & Physiology |
| 2018 Winner (over 10 years) |
Michael G. House, MD, Associate Professor of Surgery |
| 2018 Winner (under 10 years) |
William Graham Carlos, MD, Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine |
| 2017 Winner | Mark F. Seifert, PhD, Professor of Anatomy & Cell Biology |
| 2016 Winner |
Stephen Dlouhy, PhD, Associate Research Professor, Department of Medical & Molecular Genetics |
| 2015 Winner |
Kevin Rodgers, MD, Emergency Medicine |
| 2014 Winner |
Richard B. Gunderman, MD, PhD, IUPUI Chancellor’s Professor, John A. Campbell Professor of Radiology, Professor of Radiology & Imaging Sciences, Professor of Pediatrics, Professor of Medical Education, Professor of Philosophy, School of Liberal Arts, Professor of Medical Humanities & Health Studies, School of Liberal Arts |