Internal Awards & Recognitions: Autumn 2024

Awards bestowed on community members by Harvard, HMS, and HSDM

Awards and Recognitions

8 min read

Community awards received by current Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Dental Medicine faculty, postdocs, staff, and students can be found, categorized by calendar year, on the Office of the Dean webpage.

Daniel D. Federman Medical Education Awards

Harvard Medical School annually bestows teaching awards on its most outstanding teachers, who, through their excellence in teaching, will impact and influence the professional lives of students long after graduation. The awards presented at the Daniel D. Federman Medical Education Award celebration are HMS’ most visible recognition of the teaching accomplishments of a highly select group of the School’s leading medical educators and reflect, in a small but tangible way, how much teachers are valued by their students and by HMS.

This year’s Daniel D. Federman Medical Education Award celebration was held on October 22 at Harvard Medical School.

2024 Harvard Medical School recipients:

Donald O’Hara Faculty Prizes for Excellence in Teaching

The Faculty Prizes for Excellence in Preclerkship Teaching are named in memory of Donald O’Hara, PhD, who was a beloved teacher of Harvard medical students. Dr. O’Hara also served as one of the leaders of the New Pathway Chemistry and Biology of the Cell course and as co-director of the HST course titled Human Biochemistry and Metabolic Diseases. Dr. O’Hara was also a recipient of the Faculty Prize for Excellence in Teaching for his teaching of first-year medical students.

  • Henrike Besche, lecturer on cell biology, Harvard Medical School
  • Carolyn Come, lecturer on medicine, part-time, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
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Charles McCabe Faculty Prizes for Excellence in Teaching

The Faculty Prizes for Excellence in Clinical Teaching are named in memory of Charles McCabe, MD, who was a beloved teacher of Harvard medical students and who also served as the director of the Core Clerkship in Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital for more than two decades. Dr. McCabe was also a recipient of the Faculty Prize for Excellence in Teaching on multiple occasions for his teaching of third-year medical students.

  • Navin Kumar, assistant professor of medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
  • Tara Singh, assistant professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive biology, Cambridge Health Alliance

Most Outstanding HMS Pathways Preclerkship Course Director

  • Barbara Cockrill, associate dean for faculty development in medical education and director of the Academy, Harvard Medical School
  • Keri Shafer, assistant professor of pediatrics, Boston Children’s Hospital

Most Outstanding HST Preclerkship Course Director

Most Outstanding Core Clerkship Site Directors

  • Alexandra Hovaguimian, assistant professor of neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
  • Natasha Johnson, associate professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive biology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
  • Yamini Saravanan, assistant professor of medicine, Cambridge Health Alliance
  • Leigh Simmons, assistant professor of medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital

Rising Star in Medical Education Award

  • Allison Kimball, assistant professor of medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital

Outstanding Innovation in Medical Education Award

  • Jean Klig, assistant professor of emergency medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital

Longitudinal Medical Education Award

  • Deborah Bartz, associate professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital

Outstanding Career Achievement in Medical Education

  • Cynthia McDermott, anatomist, Harvard Medical School
  • Katharine Treadway, Gerald S. Foster Academy Associate Professor of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital
  • Richard Schwartzstein, Ellen and Melvin Gordon Distinguished Professor of Medical Education, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Richard A. Gillis Award for Excellence in Medical Education

The Richard A. Gillis Award for Excellence in Medical Education was established in 2012 in memory of Rick Gillis (1953-2011), Executive Director of Curriculum Programs, whose 27 years of contributions to the MD program at Harvard Medical School exemplify the standards of excellence and the work ethic he inspired in those who were privileged to know him and to work with him. The award is given to a member or members of the HMS staff for their outstanding contributions to the educational mission of the School. This award serves as a reminder of Rick’s legacy and the critical role of staff in facilitating, in the words of his hero, President John F. Kennedy, “the infinite potential of the human mind that can be realized through education … [and that] can be translated into benefit for everyone and greater strength for our Nation.”

  • Jane Neill, associate dean for medical education planning and administration

2024 Harvard Affiliated Hospital recipients:

Leo A. Blacklow Teaching Award

The Leo A. Blacklow Award is presented annually to an outstanding teacher who holds joint appointments at Harvard Medical School and Mount Auburn Hospital. The award honors Dr. Leo A. Blacklow, MD ’30, who practiced family medicine in Belmont and at Mount Auburn Hospital. For over 60 years, he helped train residents and medical students while caring for five generations of families in Belmont and surrounding communities. Dr. Blacklow was a passionate advocate for education and an enduring role model for comprehensive and compassionate care for all.

Stephen B. Calderwood, MD, Medical Student Teaching Award

The MGH Stephen B. Calderwood, MD, Medical Student Teaching Award was established in 2021 and is awarded to the Harvard faculty member who has demonstrated the highest overall excellence in the teaching of Harvard Medical School students at MGH. This award is voted by medical students who complete the Principal Clinical Experience (PCE) at MGH and is the highest honor granted for undergraduate medical education at MGH. It replaces the former Bulfinch Award for Undergraduate Medical Education at MGH that was established in 2012.

  • Trevin Lau, assistant professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive biology, Massachusetts General Hospital

Sandra and Arnold Gold Award for Humanistic Teaching

The Sandra and Arnold Gold Award for Humanistic Teaching at Cambridge Health Alliance is named in honor of Drs. Sandra and Arnold Gold and their remarkable decades-long contributions to humanistic medical education nationally and locally. The award will be presented annually to an inspirational HMS faculty educator at Cambridge Health Alliance who models compassion, integrity, respect, and service in teaching Harvard Medical School students, residents, fellows, or peers.

Bernard Lown Award for Excellence in Teaching

The Bernard Lown Award for Excellence in Teaching at Brigham and Women’s Hospital was established in 2010 to celebrate physicians who are outstanding clinical teachers and to recognize the very significant role that education plays in carrying out the BWH mission and the institution’s deep commitment to the next generation of clinicians. The award honors Dr. Bernard Lown, senior physician at BWH, Professor of Cardiology Emeritus at the Harvard School of Public Health, and founder of the Lown Cardiovascular Center and Lown Cardiovascular Research Foundation. A gifted clinician, renowned bedside teacher, and research pioneer, Dr. Lown was named Master Teacher of the American College of Cardiology on five occasions. He co-founded International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) with Dr. Evgeni Chazov, of the former Soviet Union; in 1985, they were co-recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of IPPNW.

  • Reza Askari, assistant professor of surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
  • Vinod Nambudiri, associate professor of dermatology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital

Robert P. Masland, Jr. Teaching Award

Dr. Robert P. Masland, Jr. was the Chief of Adolescent/Young Adult Medicine at Children’s from 1967-1993 and was a leader in establishing the field of Adolescent Medicine, as well as teaching communication and professionalism. In addition, he trained generations of medical students, residents, and faculty members at Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH). He was a supporter of flexible careers and work-life balance long before these issues were openly discussed. As a medical educator, Dr. Masland served as Co-Director of the Combined Harvard Medicine/Pediatrics Training program and as Associate Master for the Cannon Society at HMS. One of his favorite activities was mentoring HMS students and trying to convince them to pursue a career in pediatrics. As the Chair of the Intern Selection Committee at Boston Children’s Hospital from 1983-2002, he sought to rank as many HMS students as possible. Dr. Masland died in 2010, and this award was established in his honor to recognize a Children’s Hospital faculty member who shares Dr. Masland’s passion for teaching medical students.

  • Catherine Chen, assistant professor of surgery, Boston Children’s Hospital

S. Robert Stone Award for Excellence in Teaching

The S. Robert Stone Award for Excellence in Teaching has been awarded annually since 1981 to a member of the Harvard Medical School Faculty at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center for outstanding achievement in the teaching of medical students and house staff. The award is given in honor of the late Honorary Trustee and past Board Chairman of the former Beth Israel Hospital by his children.

  • Katharyn Atkins, assistant professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive biology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

L. James Wiczai, Jr. Award for Leadership, Excellence, and Innovation in Medical Education

The Wiczai Award was established in 2000 by Karen C. Kirby in memory of her husband, L. James Wiczai, to honor a staff member who fosters innovation and excellence in medical education and promotes collaboration between Harvard Medical School and the Harvard-affiliated hospitals.

  • Ellen Conner, medical education coordinator, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Equity, Social Justice, and Advocacy (ESJA) Award

The ESJA Award recognizes individuals at Harvard Medical School, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, and within the HMS/HSDM-affiliate community who advance equity, social justice, and advocacy — contributions that affirm the HMS mission, HMS community values, and medical professionalism.

This year’s awards were presented by the HMS Office for Diversity Inclusion and Community Partnership at the Equity Social Justice and Advocacy Award lecture and ceremony on October 9, 2024.

Faculty

Staff

  • Melissa Kenny, internet information server administrator, Department of Information Technology, Harvard Medical School
  • Josephina S. Lin, research, communications, and health equity associate, The Family Van, Harvard Medical School

Students

  • Kelsey Biddle, MD Candidate 2025, Harvard Medical School
  • Lilly Montesano Scheibe, MD Candidate 2026, Harvard Medical School
  • Andrew Chang, MD, MMSc, Class of 2024, Harvard Medical School

Trainees

  • Mayank Chugh, research fellow in systems biology, Harvard Medical School
  • Krystal Savice, clinical fellow in medicine (completed June 2024), Mt. Auburn Hospital

Beecher Prize and Capstone Mentor Recognition

The annual Henry K. Beecher Prize in Medical Ethics celebrates Dr. Beecher’s legacy of critical ethical analysis of contemporary medical issues. The Beecher Prize Selection Committee members agreed that these individuals’ papers deserved recognition for the ways they exemplify the spirit of Beecher's work.

Henry K. Beecher Prize for Master’s Student Ethics Teaching

  • Roberto Sirvent, lecturer on global health and social medicine, Harvard Medical School

Henry K. Beecher Prize for Medical Student Ethics Teaching

  • David Urion, associate professor of neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital
The Center for Bioethics at Harvard Medical School also recognized faculty members who have provided 5+ years of mentorship in the MBE capstone experience:
  • Robert Truog, Frances Glessner Lee Distinguished Professor of Legal Medicine, Professor of Anaesthesia (Pediatrics), Boston Children’s Hospital
  • Louise King, assistant professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive biology, Brigham and Women's Hospital
  • Bizu Gelaye, associate professor of psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital
  • Jonathan Marron, assistant professor of pediatrics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
  • Aaron Kesselheim, professor of medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
  • Elaine Meyer, associate professor of psychology, Boston Children’s Hospital
  • Joseph Giacino, professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital
  • Brendan Abel, lecturer on global health and social medicine, part-time, Harvard Medical School
  • Ameet Sarpatwari, assistant professor of population medicine, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute
  • K. Babu Krishnamurthy, assistant professor of neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
  • Brian Cummings, assistant professor of pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital
  • Christy Cummings, associate professor of pediatrics, Boston Children’s Hospital

Program Award for a Culture of Excellence in Mentoring (PACEM)

The PACEM was established to recognize departments, divisions, offices, or programs for efforts to foster innovation and sustainability in mentoring while building a culture of excellence. This award provides an opportunity to learn from successful innovative mentoring programs and to allow for others in the Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Dental Medicine community to learn from successful models.

Awards will be presented at the Faculty Council meeting on December 5, 2024.

Recipients:

The Call to Mentoring at MGH, Massachusetts General Hospital

Program Leaders

  • Joshua Goldstein, professor of emergency medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital
  • Anne Levy, senior program manager, Center for Faculty Development, Massachusetts General Hospital

Grant Review and Support Program, Harvard Medical School

Program Leaders

  • Steven Freedman, professor of medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
  • Bethany Bramhavar, senior associate director, Career Development Programs, Harvard Catalyst

McLean Mental Health Research Summer Program, McLean Hospital

Program Leader

Research & Academic Mentorship Program in Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Program Leader

  • James Rodrigue, professor of psychology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

HLC Mentorship Program, Harvard Medical School, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard School of Dental Medicine

Program Leaders

  • Luanne Westerling, training and development program manager, Office of Employee Development and Wellness, Harvard Longwood Campus
  • Bethann Occhipinti, program coordinator, Office of Employee Development and Wellness, Harvard Longwood Campus