September 30, 2021

Faculty nominees for the 2021 Argus Awards announced

Written by

Argus Awards 300The Department of Medical Education and the Argus Society are pleased to announce the 2021 Argus Awards nominations.

Created in 1996, the Argus Awards give medical students the chance to honor their mentors, professors, courses, and course directors for outstanding service to medical education. Faculty members are nominated by course evaluations, and students vote to select award winners in each category.

Nominees are listed in alphabetical order. Winners will be announced at the Argus Awards Ceremony at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, November 5, 2021. More details about the event will be shared closer to the date.

Pre-Clinical Awards

Best MS1 Course

  • Patient, Doctor, and Society
    • Module Director(s): Stephanie Berger, M.D., Pediatrics and Caroline Harada, M.D., Medicine
  • Introduction to Clinical Medicine
    • Module Director(s): Erin Contratto, M.D., Medicine; Stan Massie, M.D., Medicine; William Meador, M.D., Neurology
  • Fundamentals of Medicine
    • Module Director(s): Laura Fraser, Ph.D., Cell, Developmental & Integrative Biology
  • Cardiovascular
    • Module Director(s): Harish Doppalapudi, M.D., Medicine; Silvio Litovsky, M.D., Pathology
  • Pulmonary
    • Module Director(s): Pilar Acosta Lara, M.D., Medicine and Mukesh Patel, M.D., Medicine
  • Gastrointestinal
    • Module Director(s): Chad Burski, M.D., Medicine and Cathy Fuller, Ph.D., Cell, Developmental & Integrative Biology
  • Renal
    • Module Director(s): Mark Bevensee, Ph.D., Cell, Developmental & Integrative Biology; Eric Judd, M.D., Medicine; Shikha Mehta, M.D., Medicine

Best Block Leader: Fundamentals of Medicine

  • Peter Anderson, DVM, Ph.D., Pathology and Heather Bruns, PhD, Microbiology
  • Laura Fraser, Ph.D., Cell, Developmental & Integrative Biology
  • Rachael Lee, M.D., Medicine and Mukesh Patel, M.D., Medicine
  • Teresa Wilborn, PharmD, Ph.D., Pharmacology & Toxicology
  • Martin Young, Ph.D., Medicine

Best Educator: Patient, Doctor & Society

  • Stephanie Berger, M.D., Pediatrics
  • Caroline Harada, M.D., Medicine
  • Michael Saag, M.D., Medicine

Best Educator: Fundamentals of Medicine

  • Heather Bruns, Ph.D., Microbiology
  • Rachael Lee, M.D., Medicine
  • Teresa Wilborn, PharmD, Ph.D., Pharmacology & Toxicology
  • Martin Young, Ph.D., Medicine

Best Educator: Cardiovascular

  • Harish Doppalapudi, M.D., Medicine
  • Silvio Litovsky, M.D., Pathology
  • Robb Romp, M.D., Pediatrics

Best Educator: Pulmonary

  • James Johnson, M.D., Medicine
  • Pilar Acosta Lara, M.D., Medicine
  • Kevin Leon, M.D., Medicine

Best Educator: Gastrointestinal

  • Sameer Al Diffalha, M.D., Pathology
  • Mohamed Shoreibah, Medicine
  • James Willig, M.D., Medicine

Best Educator: Renal

  • Eric Judd, M.D., Medicine
  • Shikha Mehta, Medicine
  • Ashita Tolwani, M.D., Medicine

Best MS2 Course

  • Neurosciences
    • Module Director(s): William Brooks, Ph.D., Cell, Developmental & Integrative Biology; Kenneth Fallon, M.D., Pathology; Robin Lester, Ph.D., Neurobiology; Michael Lyerly, M.D., Neurology; Tobias Martinez, M.D., Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology; Victor Sung, M.D., Neurology; Teresa Wilborn, PharmD, Ph.D., Pharmacology & Toxicology
  • Musculoskeletal & Skin
    • Module Director(s): William Brooks, Ph.D., Cell, Developmental & Integrative Biology; Samir Dalvi, M.D., Medicine; Patricia Mercado, M.D., Dermatology
  • Endocrine Systems
    • Module Director(s): Hussein Abdullatif, M.D., Pediatrics and Shawn Galin, Ph.D., Medicine
  • Reproductive Systems
    • Module Director(s): Tracy Wilson, M.D., Urology and Obstetrics & Gynecology and John Woods, M.D., Obstetrics & Gynecology
  • Hematology-Oncology
    • Module Director(s): Diana Morlote, M.D., Pathology and Vishnu Reddy, M.D., Pathology 

Best Educator: Neurosciences

  • Michael Lyerly, M.D., Neurology
  • Tobias Martinez, M.D., Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology
  • Victor Sung, M.D., Neurology

Best Educator: Musculoskeletal & Skin

  • William Brooks, Ph.D., Cell, Developmental & Integrative Biology
  • Samir Dalvi, M.D., Medicine
  • Tiffany Mayo, M.D., Dermatology

Best Educator: Endocrine Systems

  • Hussein Abdullatif, M.D., Pediatrics
  • Monica Agarwal, M.D., Medicine
  • Shawn Galin, Ph.D., Medicine

Best Educator: Reproductive Systems

  • Rachael Lee, M.D., Medicine
  • Chere’ Stewart, M.D., Obstetrics & Gynecology
  • Teresa Wilborn, PharmD, Ph.D., Pharmacology & Toxicology

Best Educator: Hematology/Oncology

  • Jori May, M.D., Medicine
  • Diana Morlote, M.D., Pathology
  • Frida Rosenblum, M.D., Pathology

Clinical Awards

Best Clinical Department, Birmingham Campus

  • Family Medicine
  • Internal Medicine
  • Neurology
  • Obstetrics & Gynecology
  • Pediatrics
  • Psychiatry
  • Surgery

Best Clinical Educator, Birmingham Campus

  • Hussein Abdullatif, M.D., Pediatrics
  • Robert Centor, M.D., Medicine
  • Paul Goepfert, M.D., Medicine
  • KeAndre Titer, M.D., Medicine
  • Winter Williams, M.D., Medicine

Best Clinical Department, Huntsville Campus

  • Family Medicine
  • Internal Medicine
  • Neurology
  • Obstetrics & Gynecology
  • Pediatrics
  • Psychiatry
  • Surgery

Best Clinical Educator, Huntsville Campus

  • Alan Baggett, M.D., Medicine
  • Steffane Battle, M.D., Pediatrics
  • Jesse Faulk, M.D., Medicine
  • Farrah Ibrahim, M.D., Medicine
  • Leon Lewis, M.D., Obstetrics & Gynecology
  • Tarak Vasavada, M.D., Psychiatry
  • Parekha Yedla, M.D., Medicine

Best Clinical Department, Montgomery Campus

  • Family Medicine
  • Internal Medicine
  • Neurology
  • Obstetrics & Gynecology
  • Pediatrics
  • Psychiatry
  • Surgery

Best Clinical Educator, Montgomery Campus

  • Robert Engles, M.D., Surgery
  • Gregory Waller, M.D., Obstetrics & Gynecology

Best Clinical Department, Tuscaloosa Campus

  • Family Medicine
  • Internal Medicine
  • Neurology
  • Obstetrics & Gynecology
  • Pediatrics
  • Psychiatry
  • Surgery 

Best Clinical Educator, Tuscaloosa Campus

  • Marisa Giggie, M.D., Psychiatry & Behavioral Medicine
  • Catherine Ikard, M.D., Neurology
  • Heather Taylor, M.D., Pediatrics

The following awards have selection processes, and the winners will be announced at the ceremony.

  • ICM CSS Award
  • The Dale J. Benos Award for Educational Excellence
  • Best Resident Educator, Birmingham Campus
  • Best Resident Educator, Huntsville Campus
  • Best Resident Educator, Montgomery Campus
  • Best Resident Educator, Tuscaloosa Campus
  • Best Community-Based Educator, Birmingham
  • Best Community-Based Educator, Huntsville
  • Best Community-Based Educator, Montgomery
  • Best Community-Based Educator, Tuscaloosa