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Major Awards Go to Outstanding Teachers
Outstanding teachers in each school at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston have been selected to receive awards.
McGovern Awards
Students choose the John P. McGovern Outstanding Teacher Award winners for stimulating curiosity, promoting professional development and contributing to students’ abilities to think creatively. The awards are made possible by an endowment from the McGovern Foundation. John P. McGovern, M.D., is founder of the McGovern Allergy Clinic and holds faculty appointments at the health science center.
At the graduate school, he is affiliated with programs in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Cell and Regulatory Biology, and the Reproductive Biology Track. He investigates various aspects of human fetal lung development and function. In particular, he is interested in the molecular mechanisms involved in the regulation of pulmonary surfactant protein gene expression by hormones and the involvement of pulmonary surfactant proteins in host defense against infectious agents. |
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After completing his medical degree, Bernstam earned a master’s degree in computer science and engineering at the University of Michigan and completed a National Library of Medicine fellowship at Stanford University in medical informatics. His research focuses on clinical informatics – specifically on information retrieval, clinical practice guidelines and consumer health informatics. |
In a nomination letter, one student wrote, “Anyone who has had the privilege of attending one of Dr. Coker’s Advanced Epi (epidemiology) lectures can attest to her outstanding teaching abilities. She has the remarkable ability to simplify complex concepts; breaking those overwhelming causal pies into bite-size pieces.” |
“When the students themselves choose to award a professor with this type of an honor the realization is, you must be doing something right,” Frey said. “I truly enjoy what I do, and I hope to continue improving in my teaching abilities.” |
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“The rewards that come from medical education are often personal, so it is a wonderful feeling to be recognized by those for whom we work so diligently,” said Puig, who also is course director for Fundamentals in Clinical Medicine. One of his students said, “His enthusiasm for medicine is absolutely contagious. One of his favorite words is ‘fantastic!’ and he is, quite simply, that.” |
Among students’ comments were: “Her unique lecture style involves the entire class in the material she covers. She is simple and connects easily with her students, attributes that engage and hold the attention of her students throughout her class. ... Without a doubt, Dr. White’s motivational encouragements in and out of class have contributed significantly in sustaining me through the program.” “Dr. White exemplifies what it means to be a teacher. Not only a giver of knowledge, but also an example of one who instills values of honesty, integrity and character into all students.” |
Joseph L. Alcorn, Ph.D., was
selected by students to receive the
McGovern Award at the Graduate
School of Biomedical Sciences.
Alcorn, who is an assistant professor
in pediatrics at the Medical School,
received the Young Faculty Award from the Southern
Society for Pediatric Research in 2004.
Elmer V. Bernstam, M.D., assistant
professor of health information
sciences, received the School of
Health Information Sciences
McGovern Award. Bernstam also is
a clinical instructor in internal medicine
at the Medical School and an attending physician
at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital.
Students at the School of Public
Health selected Ann Coker, Ph.D.,
associate professor of epidemiology,
for the McGovern Award. Coker’s
teaching assistant, Tamra Meyer,
accepted the award on her behalf
while Coker completed work in Canada. On a prerecorded
videotape Coker said, “It’s a pleasure to
teach and learn from you (students). You’re the reason
I’m in the School of Public Health. I hope you find
great happiness in fulfilling your careers.”
Winning the McGovern Award at
the Dental Branch was Gary Frey,
D.D.S., clinical assistant professor of
restorative dentistry and biomaterials.
An alumnus of the Dental
Branch, Frey spent nearly 20 years in
private industry dentistry, including work in his own
practice. He has served at the Dental Branch since
2000. Frey is a member of numerous professional
organizations and the recipient of a variety of honors,
including last year’s Freeman Teaching Award.
At the Medical School, the McGovern Award went
to Alberto Puig, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of
internal medicine, Division of General Medicine.
Puig, who received the Smythe
Excellence Award from his department’s residency program in 2004,
also received a Dean’s Teaching
Excellence Award for the past three
years. He is a member of the Faculty
Senate, the Curriculum Committee and the Dean’s
Vision subcommittee.
At the School of Nursing Mary
Joe White, Ph.D., associate professor
of nursing systems, Systems
Management, Education Division,
received the McGovern Award. She
is coordinator of Innovative Degree
Programs at the school.
Freeman Awards
At the Dental Branch and Medical School, students choose outstanding basic science faculty members for the John H. Freeman Outstanding Teacher Award based on enthusiasm and teaching skills, personal interest in students’ problems and educational goals, and a conveyance of high standards. The awards are made possible by a gift from the late John H. Freeman, a lawyer, original member of the Texas Medical Center Board of Directors and major supporter of the health science center.
“It is an honor to receive an award for doing what you love,” Rittman said about the award. He received his training at the London Hospital Dental School and taught dental and medical students at the University of Iowa before joining the UT Health Science Center. Rittman is involved in a variety of decision-making organizations within the university, including the InterFaculty Council, which he chaired in 2004. |
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One of the student nominations for the award said,“Pathology is probably one of the most important classes we took during the first two years because it applied to nearly everything we did for the next two clinical years. Dr. Uthman’s lectures were always informative and straight-to-the point.” Uthman, also an assistant dean for educational programs, is a past president of the Association of Women Faculty and won the President’s Scholar Award for Teaching in 2003. |
Barry Rittman, Ph.D., senior
instructor of pathology and laboratory
medicine, received the Dental
Branch’s Freeman Award. Rittman
has worked at the Dental Branch
since 1989 and has held a joint position
with the Medical School since 2003.
Margaret O. Uthman, M.D.,
professor and vice chair for education
in the Department of Pathology
and Laboratory Medicine, received
the Freeman Award for the fourthBruning Award
Amy Murphy, clinical assistant professor
in the School of Dental
Hygiene at the Dental Branch,
received the first Lorna J. Bruning
Award for Outstanding Teaching in
the dental hygiene program. The
award was established through the Office of the Dean
in this, the 50th anniversary of the dental hygiene program,
to honor the first director, Lorna J. Bruning.
Murphy is a graduate of the School of Dental Hygiene and earned a bachelor’s degree in health science/ community health from Stephen F. Austin State University. She also has extensive experience in private practice and is licensed by the Texas Dental Hygiene State Board of Examiners. Murphy serves on a variety of committees within the health science center and is active in the community. In 2003 she won the Dean’s Teaching Excellence Award.
DuPont Award
Made possible by a gift from the DuPonts, the Herbert L. and Margaret W. DuPont Master Clinical Teaching Award reflects the Medical School’s priority of clinical medical education. Herbert DuPont, M.D., is the Mary W. Kelsey Professor in the Medical Sciences and director of the Center for Infectious Diseases at the School of Public Health, as well as chief of internal medicine at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital. Margaret W. “Peggy” DuPont provides administrative oversight to travel health clinics in Mexico where health science center faculty carry out research.
Victor Lavis, M.D., professor of
internal medicine, Division of
Endocrinology, Diabetes and
Metabolism, won the 2005 award. A
keystone in the Medical School’s
educational program since he joined
the faculty in 1976, Lavis has taught almost every
graduate of the Medical School in an internal medicine
or endocrinology course. He was program director
of the UT Diabetes Research Training Program
for eight years and program director of Internal
Medicine Residency Training for 13 years. He is an
attending physician at Memorial Hermann Hospital.
“Dr. Lavis is a very hard working, dedicated educator,” said Patricia Butler, M.D., associate dean for educational programs. “His style of teaching elicits the best in his students and residents, challenging them to think beyond the superficial, and to always focus on patient care.”
Humanism in Medicine Award
The Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award, sponsored by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation, honors faculty who are exemplary in their compassion and sensitivity in the delivery of care to patients and their families.
Winner of the 2005 award is Larry C. Gilstrap III,
M.D., chair of the Department of
Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive
Sciences at the Medical
School and chief of Obstetric and
Gynecology Service at Memorial
Hermann Hospital.
“What I try to impart to students and residents is that we are here for our patients – they are not here for us,” Gilstrap said.
His nominator for the award wrote, “His enthusiasm is contagious for all medical students, residents and fellows who are in contact with him. Even after over 30 years of delivering babies, he still has an ear-to-ear grin each time he is involved in the birth process. His mentoring capabilities are exemplified in the time and attention he takes counseling each and every student who expresses an interest in obstetrics and gynecology.”
The Emma Sue Hightower Professor in Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Gilstrap is one of the editors of the textbook Williams Obstetrics. His numerous awards include the Outstanding Service Award from the Society of Perinatal Obstetricians and the Legion of Merit Award from the U.S. Air Force.