HSF to honor faculty members with awards
Three faculty members will receive the 2003 Health Science Foundation Teaching Excellence Awards during Fall Convocation on Aug. 26.They are being announced now for the benefit of faculty and students who nominated 37 candidates for the three categories of awards. Chosen from those nominees are Bonnie Martin-Harris, Ph.D., Colleen M. Moran, M.D., and Robert E. Notari, Ph.D.
Bonnie Martin-Harris
Bonnie Martin-Harris, Ph.D., will receive the Educator-Mentor Award
for excellence in mentoring and role modeling.
Dr.
Bonnie Martin-Harris
Martin-Harris is an associate professor in the Department of Otolaryngology and adjunct professor in the Communication and Sciences and Disorders Program in the College of Health Professions. A speech language pathologist, she also directs MUSC’s Evelyn Trammel Institute for Voice and Swallowing. She teaches graduate courses and provides clinical education to master’s students in her own discipline while also mentoring their research activities and those of medical students, residents and a pre-doctoral fellow from the University of Pittsburgh.
Her contributions to education go beyond these campus activities. She is an editorial consultant for four major journals and the developer of a CD-ROM on radiographic interpretation of swallowing disorders. As the chair of the Inaugural Board for Recognized Specialists and Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders, she is developing a national specialist-training program for master and doctorate level trained speech-language pathologists to measure advance competence in the swallowing disorders. A sought after presenter, she received an ASHA Award for Continuing Education and an oral presentation award from the Dysphagia Research Society. Both a mentor and mentee, she begins an NIH K23 career development award this year.
Martin-Harris indicates in her own philosophy statement that she views “teaching as an extreme privilege and tremendous responsibility.” That sentiment is clearly felt by the students and colleagues who supported her nomination. Rachel Burns, Christa Price and Carrie Ford, speech-language pathology students, spoke of her ability to bring the excitement of clinical practice into the classroom, preparing them for their clinical education and eventual practice.
As Ford described, “She is a brilliant woman, a compassionate clinician, and a truly great mentor and teacher.” Jennifer Horner, Ph.D., director of the CSD Program, echoes the praise her students give Martin-Harris and indicates how fortunate the program is to have someone of her caliber teaching and providing clinical education to the students.
As is clear in all her support letters, Martin-Harris is an outstanding research mentor and highly valued faculty member in her department. Martin Brodsky, a pre-doctoral fellow working with Martin-Harris, speaks to her vital role in his career and research. Describing her as “bright, resourceful, creative, driven and tenacious,” he says what makes her an incredible mentor is “the balance she has achieved between her visions for success, outstanding interpersonal skills, and her very broad knowledge and understanding of what it takes to thrive professionally, academically and personally.” M. Boyd Gillespie, M.D., describes her as “a teaching, clinical, and research force” in her department, providing “a critical bridge between physicians and health professionals” while integrating the department’s clinical and research efforts.
Her chairman, Paul R. Lambert, M.D., describes her as the top teacher in the department. Lambert sums up the reason for her selection well: “Whether in the clinic setting, classroom, or at one of our national conferences, she is absolutely superb.”
Colleen M. Moran
Colleen M. Moran, M.D., will receive the 2003 Developing Teacher Award
for teaching excellence by a junior faculty member with fewer than four
years teaching experience.
Dr.
Colleen M. Moran
Moran is an assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics and medical director of the Pediatric Primary Care clinic. She is involved in both the didactic and clinical education of medical students and the clinical education of pediatric residents and other health professionals.
She is active in the development of teaching materials and has published and made presentations on educational issues in pediatrics.
In Moran’s own words, “Making time for and being committed to learners, being enthusiastic about pediatrics and teaching, showing excitement for learning, and having fun are key to my teaching philosophy. Most importantly, I must be a model —or be what I teach as a physician, teacher, and person.” Her approach won the support of the all the current pediatric residents in their petition for her selection. Describing her as an “exemplary educator” and “dedicated mentor, role model and teacher” they credit her for revitalizing the pediatric resident journal club, improving the functioning of the clinic where they train, and instituting a weekly small group conference to enhance their education.
J. Routt Reigart, M.D., professor of pediatrics and Moran’s division director supports “the high regard our residents consistently accord Dr. Moran” with evidence of the outstanding reviews she receives on post residency evaluations. It is clear from the evaluation comments that Moran stimulates and challenges students, motivates learning, and is accessible and approachable as an attending, in the clinic, in the classroom, and as a mentor. Walton Ector, M.D., describes her excellent rapport with students and residents and terms her “one of the most respected members of the General Pediatric Division.
Her infectious love of teaching and her generous approach to helping others is also apparent as Elizabeth L. Brady, pediatric nurse practitioner finds Moran “dedicated to interdisciplinary education, to the community and to primary care.” Brady describes Moran’s work with nursing and nurse practitioner students at the Mitchell Elementary School Based Clinic, as she supported their community-based program in asthma education. As Brady describes, Moran provides excellent education to all students and residents, while providing outstanding patient care and patient education, all in the midst of very busy clinic days. According to Brady, “Dr. Moran is widely acknowledged by the nurses, nurse practitioners, and the residents as one of the most knowledgeable and approachable pediatric attendings.”
Robert E. Notari
Robert E. Notari, Ph.D., will receive the Educator-Lecturer Award for
excellence in classroom teaching. Notari, professor of pharmaceutical sciences
in the College of Pharmacy, has been teaching internationally in colleges
and universities since 1957.
Professor Emeritus at the Ohio State University, he joined the Medical University in 1988. No stranger to teaching awards, he received the Miriam R. Balshone Award for Distinguished Teaching from Ohio State and has received the annual teaching awards in the College of Pharmacy six times.
Dr.
Robert E. Notari
Notari authored the world’s first textbook on pharmacokinetics, still
in publication. The text reflects his educational philosophy in that it
is interactive, enabling students to learn by analyzing realistic kinetic
data to answer questions and make clinical recommend-ations in order to
help them understand the fundamentals of kinetics. His courses include
the same approach, with practice oriented examples and problems. As he
states in his philosophy, “I encourage, challenge and reward individual
thinking. Students cannot learn to solve problems by watching me solve
them. They must teach themselves.” Seeing himself as their coach, he says
he gets his greatest pleasure in teaching when students succeed beyond
their own expectations. Perhaps the most telling sentence in his
philosophy statement: “I regard my teaching awards as learning awards.”
The entire MUSC Doctorate of Pharmacy Class of 2004 wrote in support of Notari for this award. They acknowledge that he teaches some of their most challenging courses, holding students to very high standards, yet they base their support on how much they learn from him. They describe him as “genuinely committed to student development, both profession-ally and academically” and doing everything he can to help them learn. It is clear that they hold him in the highest regard.
Those outside the university share those sentiments as well. Recognized as an expert in his field, Notari is highly sought after as a speaker, lecturer, and consultant. Dr. Peter R. Byron, professor and chairman of pharmaceutics at Virginia Commonwealth University also describes Notari’s ability to effectively teach difficult material by use of examples, applications, and the atmosphere of enthusiasm for learning that he creates. Dr. Lee E. Kirsch, associate professor of pharmaceutics at the University of Iowa, a former doctoral student of Notari’s, concurs with these thoughts. He credits Notari for teaching him to be a successful academician, as he has done for many others, thus spreading his impact far beyond our walls.
Christy C. Whitlock, also a former student, credits Notari as inspiring her to achieve, both in his class and now in her career. “It was positive experiences like the one that I had with Dr. Notari that helped to shape me into the person I am today” she said.
The words of Notari’s dean, John Cormier, Pharm.D., sum up all the reasons to grant him this award. In speaking of Notari, Cormier said, “In my mind he epitomizes what a faculty member should bring to the academic community. Although it has been his work in the field of basic and applied pharmacokinetics that has brought national and international recognition to his professional life, in my estimation it is his interest in and heartfelt commitment to teaching in this special area that distinguishes him and establishes his eligibility for this recognition.”
Each of these recipients deserves our highest praise for the contributions they have made and continue to make to our educational mission. They serve as role models for all of us who are fortunate enough to spend our careers in academia. It is clear they are also role models for the scores of individuals they have motivated, enlightened and prepared to be outstanding health professionals. We are indeed fortunate to have them amongst us.
The recipients will be formally recognized in August at Fall Convocation and each will receive a cash award of $3,000 and a certificate. In honor of their accomplishments and as a continual recognition of their contributions, they will also receive a medallion to be worn with their academic regalia at all future graduations.
Valerie T. West, Ed.D.
Associate Provost for Educational Programs
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