Woodward Center
Awards
In This Section
Woodward Center
Recognizing Educators
The College of Medicine Award for Excellence in Teaching was established in 2008 to recognize faculty members who make outstanding contributions to education at the Penn State College of Medicine. Faculty members receiving these awards are identified by Department Chairs; Chairs may recognize at least one and as many as 3% of their faculty members for this distinction. In addition, the Vice Dean for Educational Affairs, the Associate Dean forGraduate Studies, and the Director of the Physician Assistant program may each designate 1 faculty member for this award. All departments are encouraged to identify faculty member(s) for this award.
Recognizing that departmental teaching activities vary greatly across our institution, each department will establish its own process for identifying award recipients. For Departments with existing annual teaching awards, this providesan opportunity for institutional recognition of their best teachers.
Consideration should be given to the following:
Exceptional teachers communicate difficult content to their learners effectively and promote learning by:
Demonstrating an enthusiasm for teaching
Demonstrating respect for learners
Using a variety of teaching strategies
Adjusting teaching to meet the needs of learners
Adapting teaching in response to evaluation of teaching skills
Providing feedback to learners
Mentoring/advising learners
In addition, outstanding teachers may:
Develop assessment techniques. Assessments should be appropriate to the teaching context and should provide specific information regarding the learning that happens in that context.
Develop curricula/courses.
Serve as course leader in the institution or leader of an educational program for their department/the institution.
Serve as the leader of an educational committee in their department or the institution.
Serve on educational committees.
Be the recipient of other awards that recognize their teaching skills.
Awardees will be announced annually in the spring. Recipients will receive an award certificate from the Vice Dean for Education.
The Distinguished Educator Award recognizes exemplary educators among the faculty of Penn State College of Medicine. Award recipients become members of the Society of Distinguished Educators.
To be eligible for a Distinguished Educator Award, faculty members must have held an appointment at Penn State College of Medicine or Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center for a minimum of three years and hold the rank of at least associate professor or equivalent.
In addition to demonstrated excellence as a teacher, nominees will have made exceptional contributions in medical (which could include undergraduate or graduate) education and/or graduate student (which could include postdoctoral) education in one or more of the following ways:
Research in education (e.g., publications or grants)
Innovations in teaching methods or curriculum (e.g., new ways to teach subject matter)
Development of new assessment methods
Mentoring and development of faculty
Leadership in education (e.g., course director, program director, involvement at national level)
Distinguished Educator awardees receive:
The Distinguished Educator title
Membership in the Society of Distinguished Educators
A medallion signifying the wearer as a Distinguished Educator
Recognition on the Distinguished Educator plaque
A $1,500 financial award to be used at the discretion of the Distinguished Educator
Free rental of academic regalia for Commencement
Penn State College of Medicine values the contributions mentors make to enhance and develop the careers of faculty, students and trainees. Generosity of time and spirit; objectivity and honest feedback; and commitment to the personal, professional and career development of mentees are some of the components of superb mentoring.
In order to recognize the contributions of outstanding mentors in the College of Medicine, the Office of Faculty and Professional Development presents four annual Excellence in Career Mentoring Awards.
The awards acknowledge the exceptional effort of faculty who enable and empower students, residents and trainees, junior faculty and peers on their path to achieve their full potential in one or more of the organization’s missions: clinical care, scholarship and research, teaching and/or service.
The Junior Faculty Teaching Award recipients are selected by the Society of Distinguished Educators as a means of recognizing the accomplishments of some of the outstanding junior faculty who are already making an impact on the educational mission. Recipients of this award are program leaders, instructional designers, education scholars and, above all, great teachers.
This award is arguably the most competitive educational award available through the College of Medicine.
The Student Educator Award was established to recognize the teaching impact of graduate and medical student colleagues, who are instrumental in the College of Medicine’s education mission.