The results of this year’s Faculty-to-Faculty Awards have been announced.
The award recipients, who were named in May, included Tim Bauler, PhD, Keith Kenter, MD, Mark Loehrke, MD, and Kathryn Redinger, MD. The Faculty-to-Faculty Awards, which are handed out by the medical school’s Office of Faculty Affairs, recognize faculty who were nominated by their peers for significant professional achievements, as well as contributions and service to WMed and the wider community.
Dr. Loehrke, who retired in January as chair of the Department of Medicine and associate program director of the Internal Medicine residency program, received the Lifetime Achievement Award. The award recognizes a faculty member who is nearing retirement and has amassed significant achievements and contributions to the medical school.
In his letter nominating Dr. Loehrke for the Lifetime Achievement Award, Dilip Patel, MD, chair of the medical school’s Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, said Dr. Loehrke’s distinguished career as a clinician educator spanned more than 30 years and had a “lifelong impact” on the lives of hundreds of learners and colleagues.
“Dr. Loehrke has been a fierce advocate at all levels and at all venues for the education, training, and well-being of medical students and residents,” Dr. Patel said. “All of us who have known Mark unequivocally would attest to his positive attitude, ability to guide and comfort in times of distress, rising to the occasion when needed, a genuine sense of caring, kindness, compassion, and all the qualities that exemplify our medical profession at the highest level.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Kenter, who is associate dean for Clinical Affairs and chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, received the Distinguished Service Award. The award recognizes a faculty member who has provided significant service to WMed, the community, and the medical community at the local, regional, national, and international levels.
Dr. Kenter was nominated for the award by Adil Akkouch, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and the Program in Medical Engineering, and Karen Bovid, MD, an assistant professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. In his nomination letter, Dr. Akkouch said he has witnessed first-hand Dr. Kenter’s “devotion to the values of WMed and his volition to build a successful department and research program here at WMed.”
Dr. Akkouch also noted the numerous leadership roles Dr. Kenter has at the medical school, including serving currently as the interim program director for the Orthopaedic Surgery residency program, as well as his work in the Kalamazoo community.
“He always encourages me and supports me to get involved in many WMed activities and services, which will help me to grow personally and professionally,” Dr. Akkouch said.
Meanwhile, Dr. Bovid lauded Dr. Kenter as the embodiment of “service to WMed, the community and the medical community.”
“He has worked tirelessly in his role as Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs to guide WMed through the pandemic, keeping the health and safety of our patients, students, residents, fellows, and all who work here in mind,” Dr. Bovid said. “He is thoughtful in approaching complex problems and excels in creative ‘out of the box’ thinking to propose excellence in patient care, teaching, and research.”
Dr. Bauler, an associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences, and Dr. Redinger, an assistant professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine, each received the Faculty of the Year Award. The award recognizes a faculty member whose work exemplifies the mission and values of WMed.
In their letter to nominate Dr. Bauler, M3 Deep Patel, David Riddle, PhD, chair of the Department of Biomedical Sciences, and Maria Sheakley, associate dean for Student Affairs and associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences, noted Dr. Bauler’s drive for excellence as a medical educator and colleague.
“His curiosity, sense of humor, dependability, and strive for excellence quickly catapulted him to ‘favorite’ status with students and colleagues alike,” Dr. Sheakley said. “As a colleague, I have observed Dr. Bauler bring energy and enthusiasm to everything he does, including his many teaching events across the curriculum, where he is consistently among the highest rated faculty at WMed, and a recipient of the student-nominated Outstanding Basic Science Educator award in 2018. In service and leadership roles, Dr. Bauler’s combined innovation and efficiency create a perfect balance for success.”
David Overton, MD, associate dean for Graduate Medical Education and chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine, nominated Dr. Redinger for the Faculty of the Year Award.
Dr. Overton said Dr. Redinger has excelled in every role she has ever taken on at WMed, more recently as clerkship director for the fourth-year Advanced Emergency Medicine Clerkship and as a clinical scholar advisor and clinical skills facilitator.
“However, her leadership in response to the educational turmoil presented by COVID has been the most noteworthy,” Dr. Overton said. “Overnight, she single-handedly developed an outstanding multi-media virtual clerkship curriculum, and delivered it entirely by herself over many months. Not only was her virtual clerkship extremely highly regarded by our students, it was educationally successful, resulting in outstanding NBME shelf exam scores. Her curriculum served as the model for other virtual WMed clerkships to emulate. It has been nationally recognized, being featured on AAMC’s iCollaborative Site, and is in press at the Western Journal of Emergency Medicine. It was also prominently featured as an invited national presentation at the Academic Assembly of the Council of Residency Directors of Emergency Medicine.”