Liranda Howard, education administrator senior in the UAB Department of Urology, has been selected as the recipient of the Program Coordinator Excellence Award from the Society of Academic Urologists (SAU) Association of Coordinators for Urologic Residency Education (ACURE). Howard will receive the award at the 2026 SAU Winter Meeting in Houston in February.
The Program Coordinator Excellence Award reflects Howard’s exceptional contributions to graduate medical education, commitment to excellence in program coordination, and vital role she plays in supporting academic urology. It highlights Howard as an exemplary model for program coordinators nationwide.
“What makes Liranda truly deserving of this award is her ability to elevate everyone around her,” said Adam Klein, M.D., residency program director in the Department of Urology and Howard’s nominator. “She is an advocate for residents, a trusted partner to faculty, and a mentor to junior staff. She professionalized recruitment processes, designed wellness and morale initiatives, and fostered a culture of transparent communication that has transformed the residency experience.”
Howard has dedicated more than 25 years of service to UAB and has played a transformative role in the Department of Urology, having revitalized and grown the department’s residency program and having helped to launch new fellowship and international observership programs.
“Liranda is, in every sense, the model of what a program coordinator should be: highly skilled, deeply committed, and profoundly impactful,” Klein added. “She has strengthened our program, our institution, and our specialty. The Program Coordinator Award was designed to recognize individuals who go above and beyond in advancing graduate medical education; Liranda embodies that description completely.”
On receiving the award, Howard said she is “deeply honored.”
“Supporting our residents, faculty, and the mission of academic urology has been one of the greatest privileges of my career,” Howard said. “I am grateful to be part of a department that values collaboration, compassion, and excellence, and I share this recognition with Katrina Edmond and Brittany Hannah, who have poured into our program alongside me.”
She continued: “Winning this award is an incredibly meaningful milestone in my career. To be recognized by the SAU and ACURE affirms the work we do every day and the impact of supporting others with integrity, empathy, and dedication. I am humbled, proud, and inspired to continue advancing the mission of UAB Urology and the field of academic urology.”