The Society of Distinguished Educators

Society of Distinguished Educators

The Society of Distinguished Educators is comprised of faculty who have received the Distinguished Educator Award. The Society is a key resource for faculty development in education, as well as a source of scholarly work and educational research.

The Mission of the Society is to promote excellence in the education of physicians and scientists through:

  • Serving as an advocate for the educational mission,
  • Modeling successful teaching strategies,
  • Encouragement and mentoring of faculty as educators,
  • Recognizing teaching excellence among junior faculty by presentation of the Society's Junior Faculty Teaching Award,
  • Providing a forum for exchange of ideas about teaching and curriculum,
  • Optimizing the educational process through increased interaction between basic scientists and clinicians.

Each Distinguished Educator participates as an invited speaker in the Conversations with Distinguished Educators Seminar Series.

For more information please contact:

Ralph L. Keil, Ph.D. - President
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
rkeil@psu.edu

Download a list of Distinguished Educators 2003-present (pdf)
Download a brochure describing the Society of Distinguished Educators. (pdf)

The Society of Distinguished Educators is supported by the Penn State Hershey Woodward Endowment Fund. 

  • Junior Faculty Teaching Award

Junior Faculty Teaching Award

Deadline to submit your letter to the president of the Society of Distinguished Educators is Friday, November 30, 2012.

The Society of Distinguished Educators established their Junior Faculty Teaching Award in 2009 to recognize junior faculty members in the initial stages of their career who have demonstrated exceptional promise as educators at the Penn State Hershey College of Medicine. This award is presented by the Society as a means of recognizing and advocating for excellence in the educational missions of Penn State Hershey. Eligibility extends to faculty members who hold the rank of assistant professor and who have been on the faculty for less than seven years at the time of nomination. Up to two awards will be presented annually: one to a clinical educator and one to a basic science educator.

In addition to an extensive involvement in the educational missions of Penn State Hershey, nominees should demonstrate one or more of the following:
  •  enthusiasm for teaching,
  •  flexibility in teaching strategies,
  •  adjustment of teaching style to meet the needs of various learners,
  • alteration of teaching style in response to evaluation of teaching skills,
  •  provision of effective feedback to learners, and/or
  • enthusiasm in mentoring and advising learners.
In addition, a candidate for this award may have made contributions in one or more of these areas:
  • development of curricula or courses;
  • involvement as a course leader or as a leader of an educational program for their department or the institution;
  • involvement on educational committees;
  • development of assessment techniques; and/or
  • participation in other undertakings that enhance the educational missions of Penn State Hershey.
Reward and Recognition
The annual recipient of the Society of Distinguished Educators' Junior Faculty Teaching Award will:
  • be recognized at the annual EdVenture celebration,
  • have his or her name listed on a plaque displayed prominently in the lobby of the Penn State Hershey College of Medicine,
  • receive a $1000 cash award to be used at the awardee's discretion, and
  • give a presentation in the Conversations with Distinguished Educators Seminar Series.
Previous Recipients
 

Click here for a description of the Junior Faculty Teaching Award