APAP Announces New Award
As Part of Its
Annual Awards Program

Nominations Invited for New Faculty, Master Teacher, Outstanding Service, Partnership,
Research Achievement, Excellence Through Diversity Awards and the New
APAP Faculty Rising Star Award

By James F. Cawley, MPH, PA-C
Chair, APAP Nominations and Award Committee, and
Immediate Past President

APAP announces the opening of its annual awards program, which this year includes the new Rising Star Faculty award. Help the Association to honor those who make significant contributions to APAP and the profession by nominating your colleagues and programs that have a positive impact on the education of physician assistants. All nominations are due in the APAP national office by June 30. Awards will be announced and prizes will be awarded at APAP’s annual Education Forum in Nashville, Tennessee, November 3-7, 2004. Winners are also listed in each issue of Perspective.

New Faculty Award for Professional Excellence

This award recognizes a program faculty or staff member who has made noteworthy contributions to PA education in one or more of the following areas:

• Teaching (classroom and/or laboratory instruction, course development, etc.)
• Administration (general administration, committee service, planning, development and evaluation activities, etc.)
• Scholarship (grant writing, research, publications, presentations, and other scholarly/creative activities)
• Service (liaison with professional organization, clinical professional activities, promotion of the PA profession)

The recipient of this award will receive a $500 check and a commemorative plaque.

Requirements:

• Nominee must have been employed at least half-time (0.5 FTE) in a member program for three years or less at the time nominated
• Nominee must be recommended by the program director or medical director
• Nominations for this award must be accompanied by a complete CV. A maximum of two supporting letters will be accepted

APAP Rising Star Faculty Award

This award recognizes a program faculty member who has earned the respect of students and colleagues for his or her devotion to, or overall skill in, education, as represented by increasing contributions to PA education in one or more of the following areas: teaching, administration, scholarship or other creative activities, and service. Examples include

• Teaching (development of meritorious record of excellence in classroom and/or clinical teaching or creativity related to teaching)
• Conducting outstanding research or creative activities (grant writing, publications, presentations, developing new educational avenues or teaching approaches)
• Administration (administrative accomplishment(s) demonstrating breadth and depth of knowledge of PA education or program’s mission)
• Peer recognition as demonstrated by scholarship and/or professional service (liaison with professional organization(s), clinical professional activities, promotion of the PA profession)

The recipient of this award will receive a $500 check and a commemorative plaque.

Requirements:

Nominee must have been employed at least half-time (0.5 FTE) in a member program for at least three, but no more than seven, years at the time nominated

• Nominee must be recommended by the program director, medical director, or department chair.
• Nominator must address how eligibility criteria were met
• Nominations for this award must be accompanied by a complete CV
• Maximum of two supporting letters will be accepted

Master Teacher Award

Through this award, the Association honors the essence of the PA educator’s work — teaching. The successful candidate will

• Excel in clinical or classroom teaching
• Demonstrate excellence in scholarship and/or professional service
• Embody values of academic and intellectual honesty, curiosity, and work ethic

The recipient of this award will receive a $500 check and a commemorative plaque.

Requirements:

• Minimum of seven years’ teaching PA students
• Letter of nomination from immediate supervisor or program director
• Evaluation of teaching activities, as evidenced through peer and/or student evaluations of teaching quality
• A maximum of two letters of support from colleagues, students, or other individuals knowledgeable about the nominee’s teaching skills
• Nominations for this award must be accompanied by a complete CV

Outstanding Service Award

This award honors an individual who has provided sustained, exceptional service or leadership to APAP, or who has contributed to the advancement of the PA profession in other ways, e.g., through scholarly activity, teaching, or as an advocate for the profession in the public and private arenas. Nominee may or may not be directly associated with a PA program. Anyone may nominate a candidate for this award. The winner of this award will receive a clock and a commemorative plaque.

APAP Partnership Award

This award honors an individual or institution outside of formal PA program circles, e.g., a preceptor or local organization that has made an outstanding contribution to excellence in PA education. The winner will receive a commemorative plaque.

Research Achievement Award

This award provides recognition for research and scholarly work, as it relates to the PA education. Anyone may nominate a candidate for this award. The award will go to either

• An individual who has a distinguished record of scholarly contributions to PA education over many years
• An individual who has authored a recent, seminal work of importance to PA educators

The recipient of this award will receive a $500 check and a commemorative sculpture.

Requirements:

• Letter of nomination outlining the nominee’s past accomplishments. In the case of a single effort, a letter noting the research effort of significance, accompanied by a copy of the published work
• Nominations for this award must be accompanied by the nominee’s CV
• Additional letters of support are encouraged, but not required

Excellence Through Diversity Award

Winners for the Excellence Through Diversity Award will be determined by the APAP Nomination and Awards Committee, with input from CECD members. Preference may be given to those nominees whose work on diversity has not been recognized previously by similar awards.

The award recognizes the outstanding commitment and achievements of an APAP member program in its implementation of specific strategies and activities designed to foster the diversity of program faculty, staff, and student body. This award will be based upon the program’s demonstration of the following:

• Diversity among program faculty, staff, and student body
• Successful outreach to, and recruitment from, diverse and underserved populations
• Development and implementation of diversity training and educational experiences for faculty and students
• Research and scholarship pertaining to diversity and the inclusion process
• Leadership and advocacy in the areas of diversity

The recipient program will receive a $500 check and a commemorative plaque.

Requirements:

• Program must have been accredited for the past five years
• The nominee program must be an APAP member at the time of nomination
• Program should have averaged 90 percent underrepresented minority retention over the past five years
• Faculty must have demonstrated commitment to service and recruitment of underrepresented/disadvantaged populations to the PA profession by formalized, regular outreach program to disadvantaged/ minority populations
• A single letter of nomination, addressed to the Awards Committee, is required
• A program director, medical director, or faculty member must nominate the program
• The nomination letter should clearly describe the nominee’s qualifications as they pertain to diversity and resulting contributions to APAP and the PA profession

Nomination Procedures for All Awards

Nominations for all awards must be submitted electronically. Up to two letters of support will be accepted, in addition to the letter of nomination. Letters written in support of a nomination should designate the person, program, and award for which the nomination is being submitted; be sent directly to the national office; and may be sent separately.

Nominations and related material must be sent electronically to the national office to arrive no later than June 30, 2004. Please send submissions to Eileen Evans, eileen@aapa.org.

All nominations and letters of support will be acknowledged. If you do not receive a confirmation within two business days, please contact Ms. Evans at 703/836-2272, ext. 3415, to be certain that material was received.