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Faculty Teaching Awards show no time like present to celebrate medical educators

March 16, 2026
David Mogollon, Communications Manager, Department of Medicine

The festivities were famously upbeat as usual as the College of Medicine – Tucson honored its own with excellence, teaching and mentoring awards. A dozen DOM faculty were among the winners. See who won, a mini-photo gallery and more.

[Gathering for a group photo after the Faculty Teaching Awards, a few of the Department of Medicine winners, friends and family including: Class of 2027 medical student Noah Linskey, Anthony Witten, MD, Dalia Mikael, MD, Robert Kim, MD, Kevin F. Moynahan, MD, Eric Brucks, MD, Monica Hinestroza Jordan, MD, Amy Sussman, MD, Vijay Chandiramani, MD, and Dr. Hinestroza’s husband.]

Gathering for a group photo after the Faculty Teaching Awards, a few of the Department of Medicine winners, friends and family including: Class of 2027 medical student Noah Linskey; Anthony Witten, MD; Dalia Mikael, MD; Robert Kim, MD; Kevin F. Moynahan, MD; Eric Brucks, MD; Monica Hinestroza Jordan, MD; Amy Sussman, MD; Vijay Chandiramani, MD; and Dr. Hinestroza’s husband. See what they won or how they participated below.

David Mogollon, Department of Medicine

Kudos to all Department of Medicine faculty and affiliated faculty — whether helping train medical students, residents and fellows at Banner – University Medical Center Tucson, the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System (SAVAHCS) or Tucson Medical Center — who were recognized at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson 2026 Faculty Teaching Awards ceremony.

[DOM associate administrator Cynthia Campas (right) with Department of Dermatology chair Clara Curiel-Lewandrowski, MD, at the COM-T Faculty Teaching Awards ceremony March 10 at the HSIB Forum.]

DOM associate administrator Cynthia Campas (right) with Department of Dermatology Chair Clara Curiel-Lewandrowski, MD, at the College of Medicine – Tucson Faculty Teaching Awards ceremony March 10 at the HSIB Forum.

David Mogollon, Dept. of Medicine

Hosted March 10 in the Health Science Innovation Building’s HSIB Forum, the event drew a variety of DOM faculty to cheer on their colleagues as well. See a mini-photo gallery below and links to more photos as well as prior year awardees below.

Amy Sussman, MD, DOM vice chair of education, IM Clerkship director and fellowship program director in the Division of Nephrology, put the event into perspective.

“It was a wonderful evening seeing our Medicine faculty recognized for their teaching excellence. Thank you to all of our faculty for their consistent investment, mentorship and role modeling, which helps shape our students into the next generation of great physicians,” she said. 

Dr. Sussman accepted awards on behalf of all faculty serving as instructors in the Internal Medicine Clerkship Program as well as for her own role as a specialty adviser, for which the Division of General Internal Medicine, Geriatrics & Palliative Medicine’s Kris Abbate, MD, also was among the 12 awardees in that category. 

[From left, College of Medicine – Tucson Dean Michael M.I. Abecassis, MD, MBA; Division of Cardiology chief and Sarver Heart Center director Hesham Sadek, MD, PhD, Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine director Stephen Dahmer, MD; Department of Cellular & Molecular Medicine chair Sakthi Sadayappan, MD, PhD; and Humberto Lopez, head of HSL Properties and president of the H.S. Lopez Family Foundation.]

From left, College of Medicine – Tucson Dean Michael M.I. Abecassis, MD, MBA; Division of Cardiology chief and Sarver Heart Center director Hesham Sadek, MD, PhD; Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine director Stephen Dahmer, MD; Department of Cellular & Molecular Medicine chair Sakthi Sadayappan, MD, PhD; and Humberto Lopez, head of HSL Properties and H.S. Lopez Family Foundation president .

David Mogollon, Dept. of Medicine

The DOM’s Eric Brucks, MD, MSc, an associate program director in the Internal Medicine Residency Program – Tucson, and Robert Kim, MD, were this year’s the two picks for Outstanding Clinical Instructor at the VA, i.e., the Tucson VA Medical Center and SAVAHCS.

“I am incredibly honored to receive this award with Dr. Kim. It was wonderful to see so many dedicated physicians recognized for their contributions, and I am beyond proud to be part of this institution,” Dr. Brucks said of the event. 

The GGP division’s Jennifer Plitt, MD, who also serves as associate program director of the Hospice & Palliative Medicine Fellowship and vice chair of the college’s chapter of the Academy of Medical Education Scholars, or AMES (GGP’s Indu Partha, MD, is chair, but could not attend the ceremony), was among two DOM faculty presenting awards.

Dr. Plitt presented the AMES and Vernon & Virginia Furrow Teaching Awards, which included the Division of Inpatient Medicine’s Vijay Chandiramani, MD, recognized with the Excellence in Graduate Medical Education Award.

“At its core, AMES exists to support and celebrate excellence in medical education. It was truly a joy to celebrate faculty whose dedication to teaching, mentorship and educational innovation has a lasting impact on our learners and on the future physicians they become,” she said.

The other DOM presenters were GGP internist Kevin F. Moynahan, MD, who serves as the college’s vice dean for medical education, and Inpatient Medicine’s Soham Dave, DO, who is director of the college’s Commitment to Underserved Peoples (CUP) Program.

[Department of Medicine vice chair for faculty development & wellness Serena Scott, MD, MBA, and Emergency Medicine’s Noah Tolby, MD, chat before the Faculty Teaching Awards. ]

Department of Medicine vice chair for faculty development & wellness Serena Scott, MD, MBA, and Emergency Medicine’s Noah Tolby, MD, chat before the Faculty Teaching Awards.

David Mogollon, Dept. of Medicine

Other winners included the Division of Infectious Diseases’ Monica Hinestroza Jordan, MD, who pioneered a new overseas rotation in Bolivia for ID fellows and won the Ron & Karen Pust Faculty Global Health Award.

Additional honors went to: Inpatient Medicine’s Anthony Witten, DO, and Dalia Mikhael, MD, and GGP’s Kris Abbate, MD — Excellence in Learner Development Awards; TMC Pulmonology’s Ubair Ahmed, MD — Outstanding Clinical Instructor at TMC Award; and TMC Oncology’s Shamudheen Rafiyath, MD — one of five to receive CUP Faculty Teaching Awards; and Lalitha Madhavan, MD, a GGP-Geriatrics dual appointee with the Department of Neurology, who won the Basic & Translational Investigator Award.

Among DOM cheerleaders who attended to honor their colleagues: GGP’s Joy Bulger Beck, MD; DOM associate administrator Cynthia Campas; Infectious Diseases dual appointee with Neurology’s Anita Koshy, MD; past AWCIM executive director Victoria Maizes, MD; Inpatient Medicine lead admin Kim Neil; Cardiology division chief and Sarver Heart Center director Hesham Sadek, MD, PhD; GGP’s Serena Scott, MD, MBA, DOM faculty development & wellness vice chair; and DOM Ambulatory Clerkship coordinator Tyler Wong.

For prior winners (2022-25) of College of Medicine – Tucson Excellence Awards, Teaching Awards and Mentor Awards, see this link. Forms to nominate others for future honors also can be found at the link.

ALSO SEE: 
“Twelve with DOM among college faculty to receive 66 teaching honors March 10” | Posted Feb. 13, 2026
“Fanfare at 2025 College of Medicine – Tucson Faculty Teaching Awards Rewarding for All” | Posted March 1, 2025
“DOM wins 11 awards at 2024 College of Medicine – Tucson Faculty Awards” | Posted Feb. 28, 2024
“DOM Does Well Again at College Faculty Awards” | Posted March 9, 2023

(Photos courtesy of DOM’s David Mogollon and UAHS BioCommunications’ Mitch Masilun)

For more photos from the 2026 Faculty Teaching Awards Ceremony, see this link.

MINI-PHOTO GALLERY
Click images to enlarge and for captions:

Press Inquiries

David Mogollon
mogollon@arizona.edu
520-626-1137