HSF to honor faculty members with awardsIn terms of teaching experience, recipients of the Health Science Foundation’s 2005 Teaching Excellence Awards range from decades to a relative handful of years. Yet the common thread running through all three honors is the acclaim they received from colleagues, students and former students alike.The three honorees, Darlene Shaw, Ph.D., John M. Welton, Ph.D., R.N., and Teresa J. Kelechi, Ph.D., R.N., will receive their awards at the Faculty Convocation on Aug. 23. Each of these recipients deserve 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 among 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 Education and Student Life Darlene Shaw Darlene Shaw, Ph.D., will receive the Educator-Mentor Award. Shaw received her bachelor’s and doctorate degrees from Ohio University. She has been associated with the Medical University since 1974, when she began an internship in clinical psychology. She formally joined the faculty in 1976, and currently is a professor with tenure in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. She is member of several professional and scientific societies, including the American Psychological Association, the Association of Directors of Medical Student Education in Psychiatry and the Association of Medical School Professors of Psychology. She also is a member of the Editorial Review Board of the publication, Academic Psychiatry. Shaw’s awards and honors include the Outstanding Educator Award from the South Carolina Psychological Association, two Excellence in Teaching awards from the College of Medicine, several Golden Apple teaching awards and a Special Commendation for Counseling and Psychological Services from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. In her philosophy of education, she states, “We remember best what we do. We recall 80 percent of what we say, compared to 30 percent of what we hear. My teaching methods promote self-directed, participatory learning and the acquisition of life-long learning skills. In the doctoring curriculum, I use a problem-based learning format that requires students to identify, research and teach one another about learning issues for standardized patients. … “Effective role models are critical to the acquisition of clinical skills. I teach by example and view every interaction as an opportunity to model sound clinical judgment, data-driven decision making, compassion, lifelong learning, exemplary professionalism, and high ethical standards.” Shaw received support for the award from several individuals, including the following: “Dr. Shaw is nothing short of an amazing teacher. She is universally regarded by her supervisors as an expert clinician with an uncanny ability to teach others the art of therapy, which is no easy task. “Dr. Shaw expresses warmth and concern for every student/supervisee. By encouraging her students and making them feel comfortable, valued, and cared about, she sets up an excellent environment for learning. She never hesitated to take time out of her busy day to receive an unscheduled visit from a supervisee or student about their concerns or problems.” —Patricia L. Mabry, Ph.D., National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Md. “If Dr. Shaw’s influence in the education of our students has been important, then her impact on our students’ health throughout the Medical University has been no less than profound. As the director of the Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), she has been responsible for the mental health of students in all of our colleges. … I have worked closely with Dr. Shaw in the development of identification, treatment and monitoring of students with substance abuse disorders. Through her leadership and work in this area, I have seen cases of students making a complete turnaround from hopeless addiction to recovery.” —Robert Mallin, M.D., Associate Professor, Department of Family Medicine and Psychiatry “She has a true gift in understanding the subtle motivations underlying human behavior and thinking. “Dr. Shaw’s ability to provide useful clinical tools in addition to the psychological theory underlying a disorder is an extremely beneficial combination. Many supervisors are gifted in one of these areas but Dr. Shaw is unique in possessing talent in both the practical and theoretical realms of psychiatric care. In addition to having this talent she is willing and able to teach others in a respectful manner that encourages further learning.” —Susan S. Douglas, M.D., Nashville, Tenn. John Welton John M. Welton, Ph.D., R.N., will receive the Educator-Lecturer Award. Welton earned his bachelor’s in nursing at Skidmore College, his master’s in nursing from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and his doctorate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He joined the MUSC faculty in 2001 as an assistant professor in the College of Nursing. In his philosophy of teaching, he states, “First and foremost, the essential element that drives my teaching is my passion for my chosen profession …. My career has taken me through a variety of clinical experiences including both adult and pediatric critical care, flight nursing, an entrepreneurial experience starting an air ambulance company, an informatics position where I designed and developed clinical and quality information systems, and finally on to my doctorate degree. My teaching is a culmination of these experiences and I now have the privilege to give something back …. “My success as a teacher is measured in helping to produce a high quality graduate of our various programs. I realize that any of my students may care for my family or me in the future. I have no doubt each and every one would excel at that task.” “The single most important thing that drives my teaching is my passion for nursing,” he adds in his nomination for the award. “As a teacher, I help create new nurses and guide experienced nurses to increase their abilities. … I thoroughly enjoy my work, my colleagues, faculty, and of course the students here at the College of Nursing. I have a sense of purpose and have found my academic home. I cannot imagine being anywhere else. It is interesting that from time to time a visitor will point out that I am the only ‘male’ faculty. I usually shrug my shoulders and simply say with a small smile, ‘I am a nurse.’ That is something I am still very proud to say after twenty-five years in the profession.” Welton’s awards include the Palmetto Gold award as one of South Carolina’s best 100 nurses; Nurse of the Year, awarded by the Charleston Organization of Nurse Executives; and one of North Carolina’s Great 100 Nurses in 1991. The following testimonials came in support of his nomination: “(Welton) impressed me immediately with his enthusiasm for the subject, his in-depth knowledge, and his ability and determination to make the information ‘come alive’ for students. His main concern was always that, as a final result of our work, we truly comprehended the information and could incorporate it into our daily practice. To that end, Dr. Welton often worked individually with each student for innumerable hours on projects to attain that high level of understanding.” —Julie Adam, R.N., MSN, Nurse Manager, MUSC Hospital Authority “One of Dr. Welton’s many strengths as a lecturer is his ability to present complex information in a manner that is not only comprehendible but also interesting. Dr. Welton’s enthusiastic personality and active teaching style contributed to his ability to hold the attention of 50 students for three hours every Friday afternoon, no small task when the weather is gorgeous in Charleston.” —Lara Duncan, College of Nursing, Student Body Vice President, Class of December 2005 Teresa J. Kelechi Teresa J. Kelechi, Ph.D., R.N., will receive the Developing Teacher Award. Kelechi earned her bachelor’s in nursing at Kent State University, her master’s in gerontological nursing at Case Western Reserve University and her doctorate from the University of South Carolina. She has been associated with MUSC since 1987 with the Skin Integrity Clinic of the University Diagnostic Center. She also is a gerontological clinical nurse specialist. In 1992 she became director of the foot care education program for registered nurses. She became an assistant professor with the College of Nursing in 2001. Kelechi’s honors include the 2004 South Carolina Professor of the Year awarded by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching; the College of Nursing’s Golden Lamp Award for excellence in undergraduate education; the Palmetto Gold Award for nursing excellence and the South Carolina League for Nursing Award for Excellence. In her philosophy of teaching, she states, “(T)eaching should be based on critical thinking that addresses the need for content mastery and deeper learning. “In my teaching role, I implement this philosophy by arranging my classroom as a social structure in which students have multiple opportunities to say what they think and write what they think so that they may have a deeper understanding of their thinking. … I deliver content in various ways, using experts, ‘live’ patients, pictures, students themselves and discussions. My goal is to provide rich descriptions that make content ‘come alive.’” Several students, including the following, cite the impact of her teaching methods: “One of her greatest strengths is to make learning come alive …. Instead of teaching a cardiac class through an outlined lecture, she brought an EKG machine to class to demonstrate hands on how the heart was monitored and evaluated. …. Instead of merely teaching a lesson about geriatric care, Dr. Kelechi brought in one of her 90-year-old patients for interaction in class, and the lecture ended up being one of the most informative yet stimulating of the semester. “One of my main goals for my professional career is to become a nursing instructor, a goal inspired completely by Dr. Kelechi.” —Alexandra Snyder, Class of December 2004 “She promotes discussion, encourages thought, and uses a Socratic approach to teaching. Even beyond my graduate program at MUSC, she continues to serve as a professional mentor and has guided me through program planning, the publication process, and educational advancement. It has been well over three years since I have been in one of her classrooms, and I still continue to use her as a point of reference for various questions and concerns.” —Michelle Fennessy, R.N., MSN, CCRN, APRN, BC, Roper Heart Center Friday, May 20, 2005
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