Geoffrey A. Silvera Ph.D., associate professor of Health Services Administration (HSA) and program director for the UAB graduate programs in Healthcare Quality and Safety (HQS), has been named the 2026 recipient of the John D. Thompson Prize from the Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA). Silvera is the fourth UAB faculty member to be awarded the prize in the program’s 35-year history.
The Thompson Prize, given to junior and mid-career faculty, is based on their overall contributions to the field of health care management education, including scholarly and practice-oriented research, teaching accomplishments, curriculum/program building, student mentoring, leadership, and more. Winners are selected by a panel of recognized health care management education leaders who are appointed by the Board of AUPHA.
“Dr. Silvera is a widely recognized national leader in hospital strategic management, organizational diversity, and patient experience. He exemplifies servant leadership and is deeply engaged with AUPHA. Through his research and teaching, he is helping health systems advance health equity in meaningful ways,” said Brad Wright, Ph.D., chair of the 2026 Thompson Prize Selection Committee. “Dr. Silvera’s heart for students, passion for teaching, and knack for innovative thinking are shaping the future of health administration education.”
In addition to running the HQS graduate programs, Silvera leads the UAB Health Equity Leadership Academy which is dedicated to empowering undergraduate students from challenging backgrounds to pursue advanced degrees in the health professions
His academic work focuses on patient experience, strategic management, and care quality outcomes. His career has been dedicated to strengthening the connection between health systems and the communities they serve.
Silvera also serves as associate editor for the “Patient Experience Journal” and has held editorial board roles with “Quality Management in Health Care” and “Health Care Management Review.”
“I am deeply grateful for this honor and for the communities that shaped me: my family, mentors, teachers, students, colleagues, and friends. I was formed by the AUPHA community of scholars long before I even knew what I wanted to be professionally, and I’m honored to stand here today as a direct result of dedicated health administration educators, instructors, mentors, colleagues, and program director,” said Silvera. “I am honored to receive this recognition from this community of difference-makers that poured into me, most especially the individuals at the institutions that helped shape me at The University of Florida, The Pennsylvania State University, Auburn University, and The University of Alabama at Birmingham.”
Silvera was nominated for the award by the HSA Chair Jane Banaszak-Holl, Ph.D., and Professor Christy Harris Lemak, Ph.D., FACHE. He joins Larry Hearld, Ph.D., as the two current faculty members to earn the AUPHA’s Thompson Prize.
