WASHINGTON (Nov. 21, 2011) — Debra Herrmann, MSHS, MPH, PA-C, assistant professor of Physician Assistant Studies in the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences, is the recipient of the 2011 Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA) Rising Star Award. The award, which is presented annually at the PAEA Annual Education Forum, is given to a program faculty or staff member with three to seven years of service for demonstrated contributions in teaching, research, administration, and professional service in the area of physician assistant (PA) education. This years meeting took place from November 2-6, in New Orleans, Louisiana.
“We are thrilled to have Dee Dee honored in this way by PAEA. She is truly deserving of the honor because of her dedication to the educational mission of our program and profession,” said Lisa Alexander, EdD, PA-C, interim chair of the GW Department of Physician Assistants Studies. “Her contributions to the physician assistant program through revising the curriculum and directing the rotation for women’s health as well as her dedication to her students make her a valued member of the SMHS faculty.”
In addition to her academic role, Herrmann works clinically in the emergency department at Virginia Hospital Center one day a week, is an active member of the Health Sciences Curriculum Committee, and was appointed to chair the PA Advisory Committee to the D.C. Medical Board by the Mayor of the District. Ms. Herrmann has been a member of the GW SMHS faculty since January 2007. She completed the Master Teacher Leadership Development Certificate Program in June 2010. Professor Herrmann, along with a team of researchers, received PAEA grant funding in 2010 for their work exploring the validity of case simulation software and assessment of clinical reasoning in PA students.