Honors and Awards

Deadline for completed submissions extended to Friday – November 17, 2023.

Clinical Excellence Awards (2 awards available)

The Annual College of Medicine – Tucson Clinical Excellence Award recognizes physician faculty members at the Assistant or Associate Professor level for outstanding clinical care.
Nominations of physician faculty are welcome from all members of the College of Medicine – Tucson community: faculty, staff, residents, administrators and students.

The selection of the person receiving this award will be based on the following criteria:

• Delivers consistently outstanding clinical care
• Has an approximate clinical effort of .50 or higher FTE
• Is readily available for consultation with other faculty, demonstrating an outstanding ability to assist and share expertise with colleagues
• Encourages medical students and residents to ask questions and express their ideas or opinions
• Uses innovative methods to assure a positive clinical outcome
• Is humanistic in his/her approach to patient care and interaction with colleagues and other healthcare professionals
• Demonstrates a sincere commitment to patient care and patient access to care

To be considered for the award, please submit the following information:

1. Personal statement/philosophy of clinical care (no more than one single-spaced page)
2. A biosketch (CV or NIH Biosketch are acceptable)
3. Letters of support from patients/students/trainees/colleagues/division chief/department head (minimum of 2, no more than 5)

Please Submit All Materials Here

Submissions will be reviewed and awardees selected by a committee made up of COM-T and health system leadership.

Deadline for completed submissions extended to Friday – November 17, 2023.

Research Excellence Awards

These awards recognize faculty investigators at the Assistant or Associate Professor level who have demonstrated outstanding research efforts and advancement of science.

1. Clinical Investigator Award:

This award recognizes an investigator who writes, designs, and runs clinical trials or clinical research studies at the College of Medicine – Tucson. The recipient is involved on a national stage for their disease/area of focus and demonstrates success in moving the field forward based on their work.
The selection of the person receiving this award will be based on the following criteria:

• Actively engaged in clinical trials or clinical research, serving as site and/or national PI
• Consistently accrues open clinical trials to support COM-T’s clinical research efforts
• Is readily available to research personnel and research participants to answer questions, manage queries, and sign-off on required documentation
• Designs and runs investigator-initiated trials
• Publishes research results in high-impact journals
• Is recognized on the national or international level as a clinical research thought leader in his/her area of expertise

2. Basic and Translational Investigator Award:

This award recognizes an investigator who conducts research aimed at basic science and translational research discoveries or the development of patents, technology, or devices.

The selection of the person receiving this award will be based on the following criteria:

• Actively engaged in basic research supported by externally peer-reviewed funding OR serves as a liaison between basic researcher and the clinic to translate scientific discoveries into clinical research
• Consistently contributing to the basic or translational research mission of the COM-T
• Makes additional contributions to COM-T research mission through service or mentoring of trainees at any level
• Publishes research results in high-impact journals
• Recognized on the national or international level as a basic/translational research thought leader

To be considered for these awards, please submit the following information:

1. Personal statement and description of the impact of your work in your field (no more than one single-spaced page)
2. A biosketch (please only submit a biosketch - do not submit CV)
3. Letters of support from colleagues/division chief/department head (minimum of 1, no more than 3)

Please Submit All Materials Here

Submissions will be reviewed by a committee selected by the Office of Research. Reviewers will consider the nominee’s rank as Assistant or Associate Professor and evaluate according to expectations of that rank. Final awards approval will be made by the Vice Dean of Research and Graduate Studies and Associate Dean of Clinical and Translational Research.
 

Deadline for completed submissions extended to Friday – November 17, 2023.

DEI Excellence Awards

1. Individual (2 awards available)

The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award honors the cumulative contributions of a faculty member to advance diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) at UACOMT. Contributions can include, but are not limited to, the mentoring of diverse students, residents/fellows, and faculty; advising students or student organizations; curriculum development, academic teaching, research, or service.

• Candidate demonstrates a sustained record of serving as an advocate for DEI.
• Candidate must have contributed in significant ways to strengthen the overall climate of inclusion at UACOMT.
• Candidate advances inclusion and equity with contributions that have resulted in a positive campus outcome.

2. Departmental (1 award available)

This award honors a department that has had a demonstrable impact in shaping and driving the DEI agenda at UACOMT; and demonstrates the sustained value it has added to the institution. Nominations should indicate how the nominee meets one or more of the following criteria:

Engaged in an initiative that is considered a best practice that impacts DEI within the department, institution, and/or community”.
Implemented successful initiatives that have involved or led to real changes in “the way we do things around here.”
Implemented steps toward fostering diversity in the workplace with programs that maximize the potential of all people.

Nomination Process:
A nominator may choose to complete and submit a nomination for an individual or department. Final submission requires:

1. Completed nomination form - Click Here to Download Form
2. Two letters of support (no more than 500 words each) for the nominee (individual or department) on how they significantly promoted diversity, equity, and inclusion among UACOMT faculty, staff, students, and residents/fellows.
3. CV or biosketch for Individual Award nominations

Please Submit All Materials Here

Submissions will be reviewed and awardees selected by the Faculty Diversity Advisory Committee.

Deadline for completed submissions extended to Friday – November 17, 2023.

Excellence in Graduate Medical Education (GME) (2 awards available)

The Award for Excellence in Graduate Medical Education (GME) is open to any faculty member who, in the past year, has demonstrated outstanding effort in advancing the educational quality of Residents and/or Fellows. Innovative teaching methods, implementation of best practices, and outstanding curricular development are some examples.

Selection will be based on the impact the faculty member’s work has had with regard to:

• Optimizing the quality of education in their program]
• Enhancing GME at COM-T
• Contributing to GME in their specialty at the national level
• Having an impact on the advancement of GME beyond their program/specialty

In order to be considered for this award, please submit the following:

• Personal statement and description of your work and the impact it has made (no more than one single-spaced page).
• A biosketch (CV or NIH Biosketch are acceptable)
• Letter of support from department head or Designee
• (optional) Letters of support from no more than 2 additional colleagues

Letters of support should illustrate how the nominee’s work has had a significant positive impact in GME and what characteristics have made them unusually effective.

Please Submit All Materials Here

Nominations will be reviewed and awardees will be selected by a group of GME education leaders.

2024 College of Medicine – Tucson Mentoring Awards

Deadline for completed submissions is Thursday – November 9, 2023.

We invite all COM-T faculty to nominate a senior faculty or peer mentor who has contributed to their professional development and advancement. Nominations will be reviewed and awardees selected by the Dean’s Council on Faculty Affairs.

These faculty mentors will be recognized at a COM-T Awards Ceremony on February 28, 2024.

Please use the link provided to submit required materials.

Incomplete submissions will not be considered.

Is there a faculty member who has contributed to your success, fostered your development or opened doors for you?

If so, please give your mentor the opportunity to be recognized with a COM-T Faculty Mentoring Award!

We invite all COM-T faculty to nominate a senior faculty or peer mentor who has contributed to their professional development and advancement. Nominations will be reviewed and awardees selected by the Dean’s Council on Faculty Affairs. These faculty mentors will be recognized at a COM-T Awards Ceremony on February 28, 2024.

Nominations should be no more than one page and should address how your mentor has demonstrated excellence across the following areas:

1. Sharing of time and accessibility to mentees
2. Supporting the mentee’s development with concrete evidence of successful achievement of goals or project completion
3. Fostering a positive and inclusive culture
4. Expanding mentee’s network and professional connections
5. Serving as a role model for colleagues by maintaining high standards for excellence in their own discipline and across the institution

Specific eligibility:

• Previous winners are eligible for nomination two years from their previous win.
• Three-time winners will be awarded a lifetime mentoring award and are no longer eligible for future nominations.
  • View previous winners here. 
• Both nominator and nominee must be current faculty members of the College of Medicine – Tucson.

The deadline for receipt of nominations is November 9, 2023.

The 2023 College of Medicine Faculty Mentoring Awards recognized the following faculty for their mentorship contributions:

Mindy Fain, MD
Medicine

Indu Partha, MD
Medicine

Jarrod Mosier, MD
Emergency Medicine

Louis Magnotti, MD
Surgery

Ralph Fregosi, PhD
Physiology

Sarah Tariq, MD
Medicine

Tejo Vemulapalli, MD
Medicine

The mission of the AMES is to mentor and support outstanding educators, and to promote excellence in teaching and educational scholarship at all College of Medicine teaching sites. The Academy of Medical Education Scholars recognizes the College’s most outstanding educators and provides a forum for teaching faculty to work together to enhance educational programs.

Outstanding teaching is an integral part of the College of Medicine’s mission and is deserving of significant recognition. These awards recognize faculty members for teaching excellence and their ability to encourage intellectual excitement, inspire the discovery of knowledge, and foster critical inquiry in the classroom or lab.

Vernon and Virginia Furrow Awards

• Gayatri Vedantam, PhD, School of Animal & Comparative Biomedical Sciences, CALS: Excellence in Basic Science Teaching, Undergraduate Medical Curriculum
• Micah Etter, MD, Neurology: Excellence in Clinical Science Teaching, Undergraduate Medical Curriculum
• Richard Amini, MD, Emergency Medicine: Excellence in Graduate Medical Education
• Rebecca Thiede, MD, Medicine: Excellence in Innovation in Medical Education

AMES Awards

• James Proffitt, PhD, Cellular and Molecular Medicine: Excellence in Basic Science Teaching
• Salma Patel, MD, MPH Medicine: Excellence in Clinical Science Teaching of Medical Students and or Residents

Faculty Teaching Awards

CUP Award for Outstanding Service and Dedication to the CUP Clinics & Community Engagement

• Patricia Lebensohn, MD, Family and Community Medicine

CUP Faculty Teaching Award

• Eric Brucks, MD, Medicine

Rural Health Professions Program (RHPP) Faculty Teaching Awards

• Cristian Laguillo, MD (Douglas), Family and Community Medicine
• Janelle Lee, MD (Safford), Family and Community Medicine
• Donald Smith, MD (Green Valley), Family and Community Medicine
• Sean Smithson, MD (Show Low), Family and Community Medicine

Outstanding Teacher in a Block/Course

• Erika Bracamonte, MD, Pathology

Outstanding Achievement in Teaching by a Block/Course

• Cardio, Renal, and Pulmonary Block

Outstanding Use of Educational Technology (Pre-clerkship)

• Dale Woolridge, MD, PhD, Emergency Medicine

Outstanding Administrative Support Staff (Pre-clerkship)

• Selma Ajanovic, MBA, Student Affairs

Recognizing Excellence in Professionalism

• Basic Sciences Faculty: James Proffitt, PhD, Cellular and Molecular Medicine
• Medical Student, Class of 2024: Oluwatobi Odeneye
• Medical Student, Class of 2025: Davina Dobbins
• Staff (Pre-clerkship): Justin Rade, Curricular Affairs
• Recognizing Excellence in Professionalism, Staff (Clerkship): Selma Ajanovic, MBA, Student Affairs
• Clinical Instructor, Resident or Fellow Educator: Amy Sussman, MD, Medicine, and Dawn Martin-Herring, MD, MPH, Obstetrics and Gynecology

Outstanding Clinical Instructor in a Clerkship

• Kareem Shehab, MD, Pediatrics
• Amy Sussman, MD, Medicine

Outstanding Achievement in Teaching by a Clerkship

• Department of Medicine

Resident/Fellow Educator of the Year

• Meredith Whittaker, MD, Surgery
• Muhammad Makkieh, DO, Neurology

Commitment to Quality Feedback

• Amy Sussman, MD, Medicine

Outstanding Administrative Support Staff (Clerkship)

• Julie Tary, Obstetrics and Gynecology

Excellence in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award:

Individual Awards:

• Noshene Ranjbar, MD
• Wendy Parent-Johnson, PhD

Departmental Awards:

• The Sonoran Center for Excellence in Disabilities

Clinical Excellence Award:

• Vijay Chandiramani, MD
• Stephanie Schock, MD

Graduate Medical Education Excellence Award:

• Bujji Ainapurapu, MD
• Olivia Hung, MD, PhD

Clinical Investigator Award:

• Alicia Allen, PhD

Basic and Translational Investigator Award:

• Torsten Falk, PhD

Clinical Excellence Award:

• Sarah Desoky, MD
• Nathan Price, MD

Graduate Medical Education Excellence Award:

• Tara Carr, MD
• James Knepler, MD

Excellence in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award:
Individual Awards:

• Lawrence Mandarino, PhD
• Michael Johnson, PhD

Departmental Awards:

• The Department of Emergency Medicine
• The Department of Surgery

Clinical Investigator Award:

• Jarrod Mosier, MD

Basic and Translational Investigator Award:

• Steffan Nawrocki, PhD

The 2022 College of Medicine Faculty Mentoring Awards recognized the following faculty for their mentorship contributions:

Ilana Addis, MD
Associate Professor (Clinical Scholar), OBGYN:
"She is an exceptional role model for leadership. Despite how busy she was, she made the time to push me toward my own development as a leader, encouraging and supporting my application to leadership programs both locally and nationally. Dr. Addis has had a tremendous impact on the success of many. She has coached numerous faculty and residents through professional growth and continues to be intentional about creating opportunities for others.”

Maria Czuzak, PhD
Associate Professor (Clinical Scholar), CMM:
“Dr. Czuzak has mastered the tricky balance of providing help when needed, but also trusting mentees to get the job done after setting expectations. She acts as a source of feedback, needed when developing new courses. She also helped me understand the administrative structure of the college, the roles of our different committees, and by introducing me to key faculty and staff who teach in our pre-clerkship curriculum and who work in admissions and curriculum development. Her mentorship has allowed me to thrive as a junior faculty here at Uarizona College of Medicine-Tucson.”

Michael Ditillo, DO
Clinical Assistant Professor (Clinical Series), Surgery:
“Our world needs more mentors like Dr. Ditillo.”

Elizabeth Kyle Meehan, MD
Assistant Professor (Clinical Scholar), FCM:
“She mentors by example, modeling exemplary patient care and has helped me directly navigate more challenging resident advising concerns with grace and kindness. This mentorship has led to great satisfaction with my early career, helping me to avoid burnout and be as successful as possible in my new roles. She helps support my passion and enthusiasm for my work, making it easier to continue through the common struggles of our calling in medicine."

Victoria Murrain, DO
Associate Professor (Clinical Scholar), FCM:
“Her coaching and feedback have been instrumental in the development of my leadership skills, including the art of engaging others, developing networks, and optimizing negotiation. Equally important, she has helped me to overcome imposter syndrome, a critical barrier to career advancement for many academic physicians who are underrepresented in medicine. She is an incredible example of humble yet powerful leadership, always looking for what she can do to promote the advancement of others. I aspire to be the type of mentor that she has been to so many and will consider it a success if I am able to accomplish a fraction of that.”

Arthur Sanders, MD
Professor (Tenured), Emergency Medicine:
“Dr. Sanders is a steadfast advocate for a better medical system, including his work in medical ethics. In addition to the training, coaching, and introducing he has done as a mentor, he is an incredible role model. His support and belief in me have made lasting effects in my career trajectory and life in general.”

Rachna Shroff, MD
Associate Professor (Tenure Eligible), Medicine:
“Upon observing Dr. Shroff’s leadership daily for the past several years, it is apparent that I am not alone in benefiting from her positive influence. Patient, staff, and colleagues alike have commented on the level of professionalism, dedication, and care that she demonstrates daily. While she has many talents, perhaps the most remarkable are her dedication to mentorship and passion for accomplishment through teamwork. Dr. Shroff’s mentorship and leadership style has had a major, positive impact on my career. I am so grateful for the opportunities she has given me and or the important lessons she has taught me.”

Kathy Smith, MD
Associate Professor (Educator Scholar), Psychiatry:
“What’s truly special about the mentorship Dr. Smith has provided to me is not any one individual thing that she has done, it is the sustained duration and dedication of her mentorship and the number of opportunities she has afforded to me. She is a pleasure to work with, she is grounded and able to share in the full range of experience involved in psychiatry, education, mentorship and life. With her humanity, clinical work, professionalism, ethical conduct, educational activity, she is an excellent candidate for this award.”