June 6, 2017

The OHSU School of Medicine came together Saturday morning, June 3 to recognize the striving, accomplishment, teaching and service that defines academic excellence.

The 2017 Undergraduate Medical Education and Graduate Studies Honors and Awards Ceremony drew more than 200 honorees and guests to the Collaborative Life Sciences Building Atrium for brunch and celebration.

"I've always felt that one measure of an institution's integrity and character is in its ability to recognize the outstanding contributions of its members," said Interim Dean John Hunter, M.D., F.A.C.S. "This is not simply reflected in the number of awards an institution bestows – because I think we can all agree from looking at the size of today's program that we give a lot – but it is reflected in the thought and care with which the honorees are chosen."

"Indeed, this group of, all told, well over 100 honorees tells the story of excellence in mentorship, scholarship, teaching, leadership and research that make OHSU the world-class institution that it is." – Interim Dean John Hunter

The M.D. Program awards were presented by Tracy Bumsted, M.D., M.P.H., associate dean for undergraduate medical education. The Graduate Studies awards were presented by Allison Fryer, Ph.D., associate dean for graduate studies.

Congratulations to this year's award winners and honorees. The list below represents just a portion of them. View the event program for the full list.

Faculty Teaching Excellence Awards

Excellence in Teaching – M.D. Program

• Philip F. Copenhaver, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Cell, Developmental and Cancer Biology
• Mark Hankin, Ph.D., Professor, Academic Affairs and Department of Anatomical Services Center
• David J. Mansoor, M.D., Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry
• Ali Olyaei, Pharm.D., Professor, Department of Medicine
• Peter D. Sullivan, M.D., Associate Professor, Department of Medicine

Excellence in Teaching – Graduate Studies Program

• Stefanie Kaech Petri, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Neurology
• Steve Kinder, M.P.A., Division Head, Division of Management
  
• Garet Lahvis, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience
• Amanda McCullough, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences
• Shannon McWeeney, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Medical Informatics and Clinical Epidemiology
• Jim McCormick, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine

Excellence in Education – M.D. Program

• Mark Baskerville, M.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine
• Philippe Thuillier, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Dermatology
• Kerry Rhyne, M.D., Associate Professor, Department of Medicine  
  
• Benjamin Schneider, M.D., Assistant Dean, Student Affairs, and Assistant Professor, Department of Family Medicine

Excellence in Education – Graduate Studies Program

• Miguel Marino, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Family Medicine
• Ujwal Shinde, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Graduate Studies Faculty and Student Achievement Awards

The John A. Resko Outstanding Research Achievement Awards recognize outstanding contributions to biomedical research in the School of Medicine and is presented to a graduate student and a faculty member. The awards are made in honor of John A. Resko, Ph.D., chairman and professor emeritus of the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, for over 30 years of excellence in research, mentoring and dedicated leadership of the basic science graduate studies program.

Madeline Midgett, Ph.D., received the John A. Resko Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Award for her dissertation entitled, "Blood flow modulation of embryonic cardiac remodeling and malformation."

Matt Thayer, Ph.D., professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, received the John A. Resko Faculty Excellence in Research and Mentoring Award.

The Deans' Award for Exemplary Contributions to the Graduate Program went to Kevin Watanabe-Smith, Ph.D., Cancer Biology Graduate Program.

The Outstanding Master's Thesis Award went to Hannah Wear, Environmental and Biomolecular Systems Graduate Program. Her thesis was titled, "Modeling the mammalian ovary: A cell-based computational model of early ovarian development in mice and preliminary data for a model of folliculogenesis in rhesus monkey."

The Graduate Student Organization presented awards for outstanding contributions made by fellow grad students. Sarah Wicher, Physiology and Pharmacology Graduate Program, won the GSO Student Engagement Award. Scott Jones, Behavioral Neuroscience Graduate Program, won the GSO Exemplary Future Scientist Award.

M.D. Program Faculty and Student Achievement Awards

The Edward J. Keenan Teaching Award was created to memorialize Dr. Edward J. Keenan's legacy as a celebrated teacher, scientist, mentor and colleague, and to honor Dr. Keenan's passion for teaching and for teachers. This award is given annually to a member of the School of Medicine faculty for outstanding and sustained contributions to teaching medical students at OHSU. This year the award went to Meg O'Reilly, M.D., M.P.H., associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology.

The Faculty Mentor Award is made by the dean and recognizes a faculty member who demonstrates outstanding skill and dedication to advising and mentoring medical students. This year, the award went to Nicole Deiorio, M.D., assistant dean for student affairs and professor of emergency medicine.

The Community Preceptor Award is made by the dean and recognizes a physician or physician group that has demonstrated outstanding dedication to the education of medical students. This year the award goes to Charles Jenson, M.D., affiliate professor of psychiatry, and Robert L. Wells, M.D., affiliate associate professor of family medicine.

The Preceptorship Award – Foundations of Medicine went to Carol Blenning, M.D., associate professor of family medicine.

The Deans' Award for Exemplary Contributions to the M.D. Program went to Karina Rae Espana and Lucas Meuchel.

The OSAC-Alpha Kappa Kappa Award recognizes medical students chosen by their peers who demonstrate the qualities of a true physician: sound knowledge, integrity, humility, compassion, out-standing dedication and skill in the care of patients. This year, the award went to Amir Abdelli and Sophia Hayes.

The Multicultural Recognition and Service Award honors a student leaders who has made outstanding contributions to the promotion of diversity, equity and inclusion within and through service to the community. This year, the award went to Nicholas Grant Robbins.

More photos on the School of Medicine Facebook page.

The Edward S. Hayes Gold-Headed Cane Award is presented annually to a member of the graduating medical school class selected by his or her peers and teachers. The award recognizes the compassionate devotion and effective service to the sick, with the conviction that its holder will forever epitomize and uphold the traditions of the true physician.

Because of his interest in promoting and preserving the high stature of medical practice and the care of the patients in future physicians, the late Edmund Hayes of Portland made a gift for the purpose of this award in 1966 to the Medical Research Foundation of Oregon in memory of his father, Dr. Edward S. Hayes, a dedicated and respected practitioner of medicine in Eau Claire, Wisc.

The gold-headed cane represents the spirit of service which is based upon the precepts of the Oath of Hippocrates, Prayer of Maimonides, and the Golden Rule. In addition to the cane and a commemorative plaque, a monetary gift is awarded to support the furtherance of the recipient's postgraduate education.

This year this prestigious award went to Ann Oluloro.

The Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Awards are presented to a graduating medical student and to a physician faculty member who are judged by their peers to best exemplify the humanistic qualities of a physician and their consistent expression of compassion, empathy, respect and sensitivity toward their patients and colleagues, while maintaining the highest professional and ethical standards and devoting themselves to the welfare of our citizens who are most vulnerable and in need of their care.

The faculty award was given to Sima S. Desai, M.D., associate professor of medicine, and student Rita Jane Aulie.

George Mejicano, M.D., senior associate dean for education, closed the Honors and Awards Ceremony by acknowledging the contradiction of celebration amid difficult times, referencing the brutal killings May 26 on the MAX train by a self-described white supremacist.

Dr. Mejicano quoted the words of Holocaust diarist Anne Frank, confronting hate to evoke hope – the hope inherent in ceremonies that usher in the brightest of futures: "What is done cannot be undone, but one can prevent it from happening again… How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." 

Pictured (top to bottom): 

• The CLSB Atrium was filled with more than 200 honorees and guests on June 3.
• Drs. John Hunter, Allison Fryer and George Mejicano with John A. Resko Outstanding Research Achievement Awardees  Drs. Matt Thayer and Madeline Midgett (holding frames).
• Dr. Meg O'Reilly receiving the Edward J. Keenan Teaching Award from Dr. Tracy Bumsted.
• GSO Outstanding Journal Article awardee Erica Goddard and Dr. Fryer; medical student awardee for research Leah Mollie Savitsky and Dr. Bumsted.