Return to Main Menu

Board of Trustees selects ‘Master Teachers’ During the past year, the MUSC Board of Trustees recognized six of the institution’s finest educators as “Master Teachers.”   Recognizing the importance of teaching excellence in educating and training health care providers, the new program grants awardees a lifetime designation as “Master Teacher” following a brief presentation about his/her teaching philosophy to the Education Committee of the board.   The following are descriptions of those who recently received the prestigious designation. MUSC Board of Trustees Chairman Dr. Charles Thomas (far left) and Education Committee Chairman Melvyn Berlinsky (far right) present Drs. Richard Silver, from left, Jackson Thomas, Julius Sagel, Brad Neville, and Gabriel Virella with the Master Teacher award. K. Jackson Thomas, Ed.D. Thomas is a professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences in the College of Health Professions. Since he joined MUSC in 1989, Thomas contributed substantially to the institution by rendering service on many college and university committees, and has been active as a leader of the MUSC Faculty Senate. He distinguished himself as a superb scholar and educator, having been nominated by his peers and students for more than a dozen teaching excellence awards. He received the South Carolina Governor’s Distinguished Professor Award in 2002, the MUSC College of Health Professions Teacher of the Year Award in 2001, the Outstanding Allied Health Educator Award from the Association of Schools of Allied Health Professions in 2002, and the MUSC Health Sciences Foundation Teaching Excellence Award, Educator/Lecturer category in 2002. Thomas also received the MUSC Cultural Projects Council Service and Leadership Award in 2005, the MUSC College of Health Professions “Excellence in Service Award” in 2004, and the Literary Contribution Award given by the South Carolina Chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association. Brad W. Neville, DDS Neville teaches in the College of Dental Medicine and is the director of the Division of Oral Pathology in the Department of Stomatology. He received his bachelor’s and dental degrees from West Virginia University and completed a fellowship in oral and maxillofacial pathology and clinical oncology at the Emory University School of Dentistry. He joined the faculty at MUSC in 1980 and was designated a Distinguished University Professor in 2006. During his distinguished career, Neville became internationally recognized for his superb clinical acumen as an oral pathologist, and has published two of the leading textbooks on oral pathology. He skillfully integrated his clinical skills into didactic and clinical teaching exercises, for which he has received superb marks from his students. Neville cheerfully and enthusiastically carried one of the heaviest teaching loads of any faculty member at MUSC, while simultaneously developing and delivering outstanding continuing education activities. He has been recognized as an Outstanding Clinical Lecturer by the American Student Dental Association, a fellow of the Pierre Fauchard Academy, and as an Outstanding Alumnus of the West Virginia University School of Dentistry. Neville also has been active in university service as a member of the MUSC Faculty Senate and University Tenure Committee, among many other activities. Richard M. Silver, M.D. Silver is a professor and director of the Division of Rheumatology and Immunology in the Department of Medicine. He received a bachelor’s degree with high honors from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and his medical degree from Vanderbilt University. He completed his internship and residency at North Carolina Memorial Hospital in Chapel Hill. Silver also completed fellowships in pediatric and adult rheumatology at the Clinical Research Centre in Northwick Park, Harrow, England and at UCSD (University of California-San Diego). He served in an exemplary manner as director of the Division of Rheumatology and Immunology since 1995. Silver’s teaching excellence has been recognized by the receipt of the faculty Excellence Award from Student Council, two Pearls Lectureships, and numerous teaching award nominations. He was designated as one of the Best Doctors in America (11 years), the MUSC Health Sciences Foundation Developing Scholar (1986) and Outstanding Clinician (2006). He has trained 60 postdoctoral fellows, and has been recognized for his scholarship, mentorship commitment to service, and superb clinical acumen. Julius Sagel, M.D. A professor in the Division of Endocrinology and Department of Medicine vice chair of education, Sagel received his medical degree from the University of Cape Town, South Africa, and completed an internship and internal medicine residency at the Froote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town. He completed an endocrinology fellowship at MUSC in 1973, and returned to South Africa as an attending physician until 1975, when he joined MUSC as an assistant professor of medicine. He was chief of the Medical Service at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center from 1981 through 1997, where he distinguished himself as an astute clinician and a scholarly and enthusiastic educator and mentor. His teaching excellence has been recognized by the receipt of five Golden Apple Awards from AMSA, the Hospital Teacher of the Year Award from the Department of Family Medicine, two Auget Largiendo Awards for Attending of the Year and the Department of Medicine Attending of the Year Award, two Michael E. Assey M.D. Teaching Awards, an MUSC Faculty Excellence Award, and the Arnold P. Gold Foundation’s Leonard Tow 2003 Humanism in Medicine Award. Sagel has given the main address of the MUSC Hippocratic Oath Ceremony three times. His career at MUSC has been characterized by academic achievement and scholarship, superb clinical care, and enthusiastic and effective teaching in didactic and clinical settings. Jeffrey G. Wong, M.D. Dr. Jeff Wong Wong is a professor of medicine and Medical Education associate dean in the College of Medicine. He received his bachelor’s degree in human biology from Stanford University, and his medical degree from the University of Utah. His internship and residency training in internal medicine were completed at Duke University Medical Center. He joined the faculty at Duke University in 1988, and after various positions at several well-known institutions, he came to MUSC as a full professor in 2004. Wong’s career has been dedicated to providing outstanding medical care and using clinical settings to promote pre-graduate and postgraduate medical education. Wong received multiple “Best Doctors” citations, awarded the Housestaff Appreciation Award for Teaching from Duke University, and nominated for an MUSC Golden Apple Special Recognition Award. He delivered the Robert P. Walton Memorial Lecture on two separate occasions to the MUSC College of Medicine at the Golden Apple Awards Ceremony and actively participates in the Appletree Society. Wong’s broad areas of expertise include mentorship, faculty development, resident and medical student learning strategies and general internal medicine. He also has been very active in community service, university committee work, leadership and scholarly activities. Wong was designated an Honored Professor of Medicine from the Kazan State Medical University in Kazan, Russia. In his short time at MUSC, Wong has been a champion for students, house staff and early career faculty, and significantly enriched MUSC’s teaching and learning environment. Gabriel Virella, M.D., Ph.D. Virella is a professor of microbiology and immunology and pathology and laboratory medicine. Virella joined MUSC in 1975, and has been active as a leader in curriculum development and implementation. He distinguished himself as a superb scholar and educator, nominated by his peers and students and chosen for more than 30 teaching excellence awards, including nine Golden Apple Awards, 11 Excellence in Teaching Awards from the MUSC Student Council, and the Faculty Excellence Award in the College of Medicine. He was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha as a faculty member and has served with distinction as a counselor for four consecutive terms. Virella also received the AAMC/Alpha Omega Alpha Robert J. Glaser distinguished Teacher Award. He has read for the MUSC Hippocratic Oath Ceremony three times, and has delivered the Robert T. Walton Lecture. He has received the South Carolina Governor’s Distinguished Professor Award (twice) and the Governor’s Award for Excellence in Scientific Awareness. Virella also received numerous awards for his scholarship and advocacy for teaching excellence. He is also a superb scholar, having published more than 300 full-length manuscripts, reviews and chapters, and holding numerous grants.     Friday, May 4, 2007 Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Island Publications at 849-1778, ext. 201.