Women's Faculty Committee Awards

The UMass Chan Women’s Faculty Committee (WFC) Awards, presented in collaboration with the Office of Faculty Affairs, honor the remarkable achievements of our faculty members, with a focus on gender equity and empowering women and people of other minoritized gender identities in medicine, nursing, and science.

WFC Awards

Women and people of other minoritized gender identities (i.e. nonbinary) continue to face significant obstacles to advancement within academic medicine¹, the biomedical sciences², and nursing³. As such, the Women’s Faculty Committee encourages nominations that spotlight the exceptional contributions of our diverse faculty, especially those who have advanced opportunities for women and other underrepresented groups in their fields. 

These prestigious awards are a testament to our unwavering commitment to promoting gender equity and inclusivity at UMass Chan Medical School and are open to all UMass Chan faculty members (part-time, full-time, employed, or voluntary) regardless of sex or gender identity.

The awards honor individuals who have demonstrated excellence in education, community service, scientific achievement, or patient care. 

References

1.Lautenberger, D., & Dandar, V. The State of Women in Academic Medicine. Exploring Pathways to Equity. Wahington, DC: 2019.

2. Plank-Bazinet, J. L., Heggeness, M. L., Lund, P. K., & Clayton, J. A. (2017). Women's Careers in Biomedical Sciences: Implications for the Economy, Scientific Discovery, and Women's Health. Journal of women's health (2002), 26(5), 525–529. https://doi.org/10.1089/jwh.2016.6012

3. Pérez-Sánchez, S., Madueño, S. E., & Montaner, J. (2021). Gender Gap in the Leadership of Health Institutions: The Influence of Hospital-Level Factors. Health equity, 5(1), 521–525. https://doi.org/10.1089/heq.2021.0013

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A full list of past recipients by award can be found here.  

2024 Award Recipients:

• Early Career Achievement Award: Elise Stevens, PhD
• Excellence in Clinical Service Award: Gina Sullivan, MD
• Outstanding Mentoring Award: Jennifer Reidy, MD
• Sarah Stone Excellence in Education Award: Erin McMaster, MD
• Outstanding Community Service Award: Kavita Babu, MD
• Science & Health Achievements Award: Melissa Anderson, PhD
• Cassel Faculty Scholar Award: Luu Ireland, MD, MPH

2023 Award Recipients:

• Early Career Achievement Award: Athma Pai, PhD
• Excellence in Clinical Service Award: Tara Kumaraswami, MD
• Outstanding Mentoring to Women Faculty Award: Mary Munson, PhD
• Sarah Stone Excellence in Education Award: Jennifer Carey, MD
• Outstanding Community Service Award: Jill Zitzewitz, PhD
• Women in Science & Health Achievements Award: Zhiping Weng, PhD
• Cassel Faculty Scholar Award: Jennifer Bradford, MD

2022 Award Recipients:

• Early Career Achievement Award: Anna Luisa Kuhn, MD, PhD
• Excellence in Clinical Service Award: Elizabeth Keating, MS, APRN-BC
• Outstanding Mentoring to Women Faculty Award: Vivian Budnik, PhD
• Sarah Stone Excellence in Education Award: Eustathia Lela Giannaris, PhD
• Outstanding Community Service Award: Melanie Gnazzo, MD
• Women in Science & Health Achievements Award: Ann Marshak-Rothstein, PhD
• Cassel Faculty Scholar Award: Payal K.  Modi, MD, MPH

2021 Award Recipients: 

• Early Career Achievement Award: Laurel O'Connor, MD
• Excellence in Clinical Service Award: Katherine Callaghan, MD
• Outstanding Mentoring to Women Faculty Award: Mary Ahn, MD
• Sarah Stone Excellence in Education Award: Anne Garrison, MD
• Outstanding Community Service Award: Stephenie Lemon, PhD
• Women in Science & Health Achievements Award: Susan Swain, PhD

2020 Award Recipients: 

• Early Career Achievement Award: Colleen Harrington, MD, FACC
• Excellence in Clinical Service Award: Seema Adhami, MD
• Outstanding Mentoring to Women Faculty Award: Carolynn DeBenedectis, MD
• Sarah Stone Excellence in Education Award: Suzanne Cashman, ScD
• Outstanding Community Service Award: Jennifer Bradford, MD, MPH
• Women in Science & Health Achievements Award: Anastasia Khvorova, PhD

2019 Award Recipients: 

• Early Career Achievement Award: Kristina Gacey, MD, MPH
• Excellence in Clinical Service Award: Jennifer Reidy, MD
• Outstanding Mentoring to Women Faculty Award: Kathleen Mazor, EdD
• Sarah Stone Excellence in Education Award: Jill Zitzewitz, PhD
• Women in Science & Health Achievements Award: Jane Freedman, MD

2018 Women's Faculty Awards

• Early Career Achievement Award: Dorothy Schafer, PhD
• Excellence in Clinical Service Award: Constance Nichols, MD
• Outstanding Mentoring to Women Faculty Award: Lori Pbert, PhD 
• Sarah Stone Excellence in Education Award: Stacy Potts, MD, Med
• Women in Science & Health Achievements Award: Stephenie Lemon, PhD