David Resuehr, Ph.D., assistant professor of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, and Ashita Tolwani, M.D., professor of Medicine in the Division of Nephrology, were among the faculty members selected for the award. The 2016 honorees represent each school, the College of Arts and Sciences, the Honors College and the Joint Health Sciences departments.
Resuehr is a key member of the anatomy faculty whose responsibilities span the professional schools and the School of Health Professions. He is highly regarded by his colleagues and students, who consider him a talented instructor and educational innovator.Among his innovations, Resuehr created the Anatomy Teaching Associate program for fourth-year medical students, which expands their skills and lowers the student-teacher ratio for younger students. He also has developed the use of ultrasound as a key component of pre-clinical education, which enables the students to better appreciate the clinical significance of anatomy and makes their learning experience more valuable.
Resuehr also is a lead mentor in the Learning Community Mentoring Program and meets weekly with students to help them adjust to the challenges of medical school and strengthen student-faculty relationships.
“In our development sessions, he strives to ensure we each feel comfortable with each other and does all he can to alleviate whatever school-related stress he can,” said one student, including organizing recreational outings that build connections among the other students.
Tolwani embodies exemplary teaching skills in all aspects of internal medicine, and she consistently is ranked among the top teachers by colleagues and students.Tolwani’s expertise in developing educational tools for acute kidney injury and continuous renal-replacement therapy is recognized internationally, and her talks are “intellectually stimulating, case-based, relevant and even fun,” says a colleague who attends her residency lectures.
Tolwani directed nephrology’s fellowship program for eight years — mentoring more than 100 fellows — and was instrumental in developing UAB’s in-service examination for renal fellows that has now been adapted by the American Society of Nephrology.
Nominators say she is a consummate professional and incredible role model for the humanistic side of medicine: kind, honest, genuine and humble with all, positive, creative, with a deep commitment to medical education and enthusiasm that is contagious.
“While I learned a great deal of nephrology from her as her clinical fellow, I also learned about the value of the patient-physician relationship. She has a stellar bedside manner and goes the extra mile for any patient under her care.”
See the full article on the President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching recipients campus-wide from the UAB Reporter.