Dean’s Excellence Awards for Faculty are awarded to one junior faculty member (instructor or assistant professor) and one senior faculty member (associate professor or full professor)—in each area of service: teaching, research, mentorship, and diversity enhancement.
New in 2023, the Dean’s Excellence Awards for Staff acknowledges the outstanding contributions of exceptional Heersink staff members across all mission areas: education, clinical care, and research.
Awardees for the Dean's Excellence Awards are selected through a peer-review process facilitated by a dean’s leadership team member.
Faculty Honorees
![Jessica Fazendin, M.D.](/medicine/home/media/widgetkit/Fazendin 4 5 Headshot-d3004eb8f04a6a866d49d947b7d50c62.jpg)
Jessica Fazendin, M.D.
Teaching
Junior Faculty
Department of Surgery
![Jeremey Walker, M.D.](/medicine/home/media/widgetkit/RS43999_Jeremey Walker-5-5455f5c693460111d0ce0434bf01f021.jpg)
Jeremey Walker, M.D.
Teaching
Junior Faculty
Department of Medicine
![James Hwang, M.D.](/medicine/home/media/widgetkit/hwang2-efaeabe559024c53d37f5434f00b04c7.jpg)
James Hwang, M.D.
Teaching
Senior Faculty
Department of Surgery
![Ryan Kraemer, M.D.](/medicine/home/media/widgetkit/RS49629_Kraemer-Ryan-1790982338-1e33e14bb0f31016f33fc67a9b0ed055.jpg)
Ryan Kraemer, M.D.
Teaching
Senior Faculty
Department of Medicine
![Pankaj Arora, M.D.](/medicine/home/media/widgetkit/RS15076_RS15076_Pankaj Arora-5RT-original-9f8815d5dd4f798b8906586a4f05e25f.jpg)
Pankaj Arora, M.D.
Research
Senior Faculty
Department of Medicine
![Romi Gupta, Ph.D.](/medicine/home/media/widgetkit/RS44258_Romi Gupta-4 1-a502f903ecf2281d54c4da56540d75a0.jpg)
Romi Gupta, Ph.D.
Research
Junior Faculty
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics
![Gang Liu, M.D., Ph.D.](/medicine/home/media/widgetkit/RS13521_Gang Liu-6RT-dd123415f24a1d0fb077e086a24ecf43.jpg)
Gang Liu, M.D., Ph.D.
Research
Senior Faculty
Department of Medicine
![Emily Wong, M.D.](/medicine/home/media/widgetkit/RS47532_Emily Wong-1-094a9876154e4eef28c0958676b8d34c.jpg)
Emily Wong, M.D.
Research
Junior Faculty
Department of Medicine
![John Fanning, M.D.](/medicine/home/media/widgetkit/Fanning 4 5 Headshot-bf64abe0d534dc71cbf075c661a8d2e8.jpg)
John Fanning, M.D.
Regional Site Award
Huntsville Regional Campus
Department of Internal Medicine
![Quince Gibson, M.D.](/medicine/home/media/widgetkit/Gibson 4 5 Headshot-db44294247f96fa1e1b43b61c511d8c9.jpg)
Quince Gibson, M.D.
Regional Site Award
Whitfield Regional Hospital
UAB Department of Surgery
![Jeffrey Blount, M.D.](/medicine/home/media/widgetkit/blount2-d46fed7817a272e18623409f31761653.jpg)
Jeffrey Blount, M.D.
Service
Senior Faculty
Department of Neurosurgery
![Kara Huls, M.D.](/medicine/home/media/widgetkit/Huls Kara 20224x5-9216f9aa22fc31885ea0bceda8381119.jpg)
Kara Huls, M.D.
Service
Junior Faculty
Department of Pediatrics
![Patrick Hussey, M.D.](/medicine/home/media/widgetkit/Hussey Patrick 4_5-125dfa8f220764a93e0e81dd51bffb21.jpg)
Patrick Hussey, M.D.
Service
Junior Faculty
Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine
![Helen Krontiras, M.D.](/medicine/home/media/widgetkit/krontiras 4 5 Headshot-5ebcfcb86ba45362cc946cdd9f68b92a.jpg)
Helen Krontiras, M.D.
Service
Senior Faculty
Department of Surgery
![Namasivayam Ambalavanan, M.D.](/medicine/home/media/widgetkit/Ambalavanan Namasivayam 20234x5-39c2b61c2c53997a836aba92fb0025c8.jpg)
Namasivayam Ambalavanan, M.D.
Mentoring
Senior Faculty
Department of Pediatrics
![Lily Gutnik, M.D.](/medicine/home/media/widgetkit/Gutnik 4 5 Headshot-4a24a3f1735c9e4824f86e88125ff5a5.jpg)
Lily Gutnik, M.D.
Mentoring
Junior Faculty
Department of Surgery
![Sherell Hicks, M.D.](/medicine/home/media/widgetkit/HicksSherell_scr-60e66219eb0e12e9616c028b971e9c11.jpg)
Sherell Hicks, M.D.
Mentoring
Junior Faculty
Department of Emergency Medicine
![Lynn Matthews, M.D.](/medicine/home/media/widgetkit/RS38108_Lynn Matthews-7-1a6053d13995c2e4d19332404d481fb0.jpg)
Lynn Matthews, M.D.
Mentoring
Senior Faculty
Department of Medicine
![Andrea Gillis, M.D.](/medicine/home/media/widgetkit/Gillis 4 5 Headshot-65ef88bc25c9b57814ae6630abeda9ce.jpg)
Andrea Gillis, M.D.
Diversity Enhancement
Junior Faculty
Department of Surgery
![Tracey Wilson, M.D.](/medicine/home/media/widgetkit/Wilson 4 5 headshot-c5e6ee3c4fdab7200f4dc8c9d8765fae.jpg)
Tracey Wilson, M.D.
Diversity Enhancement
Senior Faculty
Department of Urology
Staff Honorees
![April Agne](/medicine/home/media/widgetkit/April_Agne-3f16a71a963ce0aa6906434e2084b8e5.jpg)
April Agne
Program Director II
Department of Medicine
Division of Preventative Medicine
![Donna Bailor](/medicine/home/media/widgetkit/Donna_Bailor-b0b518ea55898de9a44064ed3a67ef52.jpg)
Donna Bailor
Executive Administrator
Department of Neurosurgery
![Paula Clawson](/medicine/home/media/widgetkit/Paula_Clawson-a47851a19fd051d72886535fb0da7a7c.jpg)
Paula Clawson
Rural Program Coordinator
Huntsville Regional Medical Campus
Office for Family Health Education and Research
![Kristi Gidley](/medicine/home/media/widgetkit/Kristi_Gidley-a096059791374ffab9febf76f9d1258a.jpg)
Kristi Gidley
Executive Administrator
Department of Otolaryngology
![Betsy Hopson](/medicine/home/media/widgetkit/Betsy_Hopson-da1a9e47365f60d901398d2646049db8.jpg)
Betsy Hopson
Director of STEP/School of Medicine Research
Department of Medicine
Division of General Internal Medicine
![Emily Knighton-Akins](/medicine/home/media/widgetkit/Emily_Knighton-5b7aecbb76e21e779809ca12852b81cf.jpg)
Emily Knighton-Akins
Program Manager I
Heersink Dean’s Office
Office of Strategic Leadership Recruitment
![Jason Noah](/medicine/home/media/widgetkit/Jason_Noah-2afe11108d49aacf5520f2a7c3bae5b4.jpg)
Jason Noah
Director of the Student Success Program
Department of Medical Education
Division of Medical Student Services
![Ryan Outman](/medicine/home/media/widgetkit/Ryan_Outman-23f9fbda2a4536e5e0eba592ad9147a5.png)
Ryan Outman
Executive Administrator
Department of Family Medicine
![Theresa Wright](/medicine/home/media/widgetkit/Theresa_Wright-13b6728ddd5b0a3077d7d988c8321936.jpeg)
Theresa Wright
Administrative Associate
Department of Pediatrics
Division of Hospital Medicine