Congratulations to Kirsten Brown, PhD, associate professor of anatomy and cell biology at the George Washington University (GW) School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS), who received the 2020 Morton A. Bender Teaching Award, as well as to the numerous SMHS faculty members who will be or have been inducted into the Society of the Emeriti.
In normal times, award winners are honored during the annual Faculty Honors Ceremony and Reception. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, GW announced the winners virtually with an in-person ceremony and reception to be rescheduled for a time when people can safely gather.
The Morton A. Bender Teaching Award recognizes undergraduate, graduate, and professional teaching at GW. Endowed by Morton Bender and the university, the award provides a $1,000 prize to be used by the recipient for professional development.
Although not a GW graduate himself, many members of the Bender family count themselves among the GW alumni, and Bender has been a friend to the university for more than 40 years.
Brown said she was thrilled to learn she had received the award after being nominated by her peers and Chair of the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology Sally Moody, PhD. “It really emphasizes how respected an educator I am to my department and at the School of Medicine and Health Sciences,” she said “It's also a nice feather in my cap the year after I was promoted to associate professor.”
Brown added that innovation in teaching is now more than ever of utmost importance at GW.
“This is a stressful time for students and faculty. Even though the timing for [online education] implementation was short, I'm impressed by how our faculty have stepped up to the challenge of adapting instruction for online learning,” Brown said. “As we move forward we will continue to adapt and better meet our students' educational needs in these virtual environments.”
GW also honored members of the SMHS faculty for their induction into the Society of the Emeriti, which was established to maintain close ties between retired faculty members and the university.
These new members include:
- Ida Baron, PhD, Clinical Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics
- Michael Berrigan, PhD, MD, Clinical Professor Emeritus of Anesthesiology and Critical Care and of Medicine
- Anna Nussbaum Blask, MD, Associate Professor Emeritus of Radiology and of Pediatrics
- Linda Bradley-Tiernan, MD, Associate Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics
- Joshua Cohen, MD, Professor Emeritus of Medicine
- Joan Conry, MD, Professor Emeritus of Neurology and of Pediatrics
- Daniel Ein, MD, Clinical Professor Emeritus of Medicine
- J. Penny Glass, PhD, Associate Clinical Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics
- Richard Kaplan, MD, Professor Emeritus of Anesthesiology and Critical Care and of Pediatrics
- Paul Kaplowitz, MD, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics
- Randall Lewis, MD, Professor Emeritus of Orthopedic Surgery
- Gail Pearson, MD, Adjunct Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics
- Gail Povar, MD, Professor Emeritus of Medicine
- Gregory Reaman, MD, Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics
- Jeffrey Rosenstein, Professor Emeritus of Anatomy and Cell Biology
- Louis Scavo, MD, Clinical Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics
- Anthony Scialli, MD, Clinical Professor Emeritus of Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Jeff Sich, PhD, Associate Professor Emeritus of Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine
- Tomas Silber, MD, Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics
- Cynthia Stevens, MD, Clinical Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
- Alan Stone, MD, Clinical Professor Emeritus of Medicine
- Mendel Tuchman, MD, Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics and of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
- Steven Weinstein, Professor Emeritus of Neurology and of Pediatrics