March 26, 2015

Lorenz, Nicholas honored for excellence in teaching

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Twelve faculty, including two from the UAB School of Medicine, were honored with the President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching during the annual Faculty Awards Convocation on March 18 in the UAB National Alumni Society House.

Robin Lorenz, M.D., Ph.D., professor of Pathology and assistant dean for Physician-Scientist Education, and Anthony Nicholas, M.D., Ph.D., professor of Neurology, were among the honorees. The President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching recognizes full-time regular UAB faculty members who have demonstrated exceptional accomplishments in teaching. A recipient is chosen from the College of Arts and Sciences and each of the schools and the Joint Health Sciences.

Tony NicholasAnthony Nicholas, M.D., Ph.D. “This is a tremendous recognition for Drs. Lorenz and Nicholas’ contributions to being not only great teachers, but great educators,” said Selwyn M. Vickers, M.D., F.A.C.S., senior vice president for Medicine and dean of the UAB School of Medicine. “Their peers recognize their commitment, dedication and excellence in conveying knowledge to their students and their peers.”

Nicholas studied at UAB before joining the faculty in 1996. In his nearly 19 years here, Nicholas has delivered more than 700 formal lectures and presentations on more than 40 different topics. He embraces new technologies, including webcasts and his YouTube channel. The five-video series on how to properly perform and document the neurological exam has been viewed more than 35,000 times since 2012, and they now are prerequisite viewing for all third-year medical students starting the neurology clerkship at all four UAB campuses.

“Tony is a highly regarded lecturer and small-group facilitator,” said Craig Hoesley, M.D., professor of Medicine. “He is a highly engaged and enthusiastic educator who designs and implements his materials in a detail-oriented and thought-provoking manner.”

Robin Lorenz2Robin Lorenz, M.D., Ph.D.Lorenz joined UAB in 2002 and has since been recognized for teaching and mentorship. During her tenure as associate director of the Laboratory Medicine Residency Training Program (2002-08), Lorenz helped to develop a set of “Laboratory Medicine Resident’s Survival Manuals,” which continue to be updated and distributed to incoming pathology residents. Her colleagues say she is most well-known at UAB for her leadership of the Medical Scientist Training Program. She has designed and implemented systemic changes in the MSTP curriculum and extracurricular activities that strengthen the program. Her successful leadership of the program led her to be named assistant dean for physician scientist education, which enables her to build other physician-scientist pipeline programs.

“Robin has outstanding accomplishments in teaching as demonstrated by her involvement in multiple programs that impact physician and scientist training, as well as helping to increase the pipeline into these graduate and medical education programs,” said Jay McDonald, M.D., professor emeritus of Pathology. “She inspires students through her own research and clinical activities and also through her excitement for and love of academic medicine.”

See the full article on the President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching recipients campus-wide from the UAB Reporter.