Faculty/Staff Awards & Honors

Nancy T. Watts was Professor Emerita at the MGH Institute of Health Professions. She was a physical therapist and educator.

Dr. Watts came to the Massachusetts General Hospital in 1974 as Assistant Director of Educational Planning, where she was instrumental in the creation of the Institute of Health Professions. After the Institute was launched, she came to serve as Director of the Graduate Program in Physical Therapy as well as Acting Provost.

Throughout her professional life, Dr. Watts focused on educating health care professionals. Her major academic interests concerned interdisciplinary education, clinical teaching, the economics of health care, and clinical reasoning.

Dr. Watts taught and consulted in Britain, Scandinavia, Africa, and Latin America. In addition, she was on the original founding board of the Foundation for Physical Therapy, which was created to promote and foster research, and was active in the World Confederation for Physical Therapy.

She received several awards and honors from the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), including the Baethke-Carlin Award for Excellence in Academic Teaching and the Mary McMillan Lectureship, the organization's highest award. In 1986 Dr. Watts was named a Catherine Worthingham Fellow of the American Physical Therapy Association (FAPTA), the highest honor among APTA's membership categories.

In 1989 a Committee was established to develop eligibility, criteria and a selection process for an Award for Excellence in Teaching. The first Excellence in Teaching Award was awarded to Nancy T. Watts, Professor at the MGH Institute of Health Professions Commencement on June 16, 1989. In 1996, the award was renamed the Nancy T. Watts Award for Excellence in Teaching to honor her as the first recipient of the award.  Nancy T. Watts, PhD, PT, FAPTA helped create the Institute and then was its first Director of the Physical Therapy program. The Watts award is presented during the Fall Convocation.

Dr. Watts passed away April 4, 2011 at the age of 83. She was a true pioneer, and her influence and impact will continue to be felt for years to come by the Institute and the many individuals whose lives she touched.

The Nancy T. Watts Award for Excellence in Teaching honors her legacy. 

All regular and adjunct faculty of the MGH Institute of Health Professions, who have not already received the award, are eligible for the award. Nominations will stay active for three years.

A committee with representation from faculty and students will evaluate the nominees' qualification for evidence of:

• Commitment to enhancing the educational experience of Institute students
• Creativity in teaching methods
• Openness to student and faculty colleague evaluation
• Success as a mentor to faculty or students

Please assemble the following items into a single PDF and email it to the provost [at] mghihp.edu (Office of the Provost) by April 15:

• A cover letter from the nominator(s) describing how the candidate meets the selection criteria for the award
• Between two and six supporting letters, from both students and colleagues, attesting to the candidate's teaching excellence 
• Sample materials that demonstrate creativity in teaching methods (if appropriate).

A committee consisting of faculty and students shall be appointed by the Provost to review the nominations and select the person to receive the award.

2021 – Kaveri M. Roy, DNP, RN (view video)
2020 – Sofia Vallila Rohter, PhD, CCC-SLP(view video)
2019 – Rebecca Hill, DNP, RN, FNP-C, CNE (view video)
2018 – Jason R. Lucey, MSN, RN, FNP-BC
2017 – Laura Plummer, PT, DPT, MS, NCS
2016 – Antonia Makosky, DNP, MSN, MPH, ANP-BC 
2015 – Katherine Simmonds, MS, MPH, WHNP-BC
2014 – Patricia Reidy, DNP, FNP-BC
2013 – D.J. Mattson, DPT, EdD, SCS
2012 – Charles Haynes, EdD, CCC-SLP
2011 – A.J. Guarino, PhD
2010 – Marianne Beninato, DPT, PhD
2009 – Charles Jeans, MS, CCC-SLP
2008 – Sharon P. Sullivan, MS, RN
2007 – Linda Andrist, PhD, RNC, WHNP
2006 – Anne McCarthy Jacobson, DPT, MS, NCS
2005 – Marjorie Nicholas, PhD, CCC-SLP
2004 – Pamela E. Hook, PhD, Professor Emerita
2003 – Kathleen Gill-Body, DPT, MS, NCS
2002 – Bette Ann Harris, DPT, MS, Professor Emerita
2001 – Lesley A. Maxwell, MS, CCC-SLP
2000 – Mary P. Watkins, DPT, MS, CHT, Professor Emerita
1999 – Inge B. Corless, PhD, RN, FAAN
1998 – Janice Bell Meisenhelder, DNSc, RN
1997 – Carol H. Kammer, EdD, RN
1996 – No award given
1995 – Patrice K. Nicholas, DNSC, MPH, RN, ANP, FAAN
1994 – James M. Hodgson, PhD
1993 – Michael D. Smith, PhD
1992 – Daniel A. Dyrek, DPT, MS
1991 – Barbara K. Willson, PhD, RNC, Professor Emerita
1990 – Sylvia D. Paige, DNSc, RN, Professor Emerita
1989 – Nancy T. Watts, PhD, PT, FAPTA, Professor Emerita

If an individual recipient, the award winner will hold a faculty appointment or serve as a term lecturer at MGH Institute of Health Professions. Team nominees must include an IHP faculty member to be eligible for the award.  All Institute faculty, staff, and students are eligible to nominate their colleagues and collaborators for this award.

A committee with representation from faculty, administration, and students will evaluate the nominees' qualifications for evidence of:

• Vision and commitment to advancing interprofessional education or practice.  
• A collaborative approach to communicating and working with relevant stakeholder groups when implementing interprofessional initiatives.
• Exemplary high quality work that is theory or evidence based and illustrative of best practice.
• Evaluation of the interprofessional work and use of data to inform process improvement and document impacts.
• Commitment to sharing expertise and results by:
  • Serving as a mentor or role model in enhancing IPE/P
  • Scholarly impact though dissemination of work through peer-reviewed publication or other methods

Please assemble the following items into a single PDF and email it to Yolanda Mendez Rainey by April 15:

• A cover letter from the nominator(s) describing how the nominated individual or team meets the award criteria.
• Supporting materials, as appropriate (e.g. supporting letters from stakeholders; course or program evaluation results; samples of peer-reviewed publications resulting from nominee’s IPE/P efforts, etc.). Nominators may inform the nominee and enlist their assistance in gathering supporting material.

In 2021, the award was given to the Health Professions Education Program team: Roger Edwards, the program chair and a professor; Suzie Kardong-Edgren, an associate professor; Anshul Kumar, an assistant professor; Yolanda Mendez Rainey, the operations manager; Janice Palaganas, a professor; Jennifer Rodriguez, the program manager for online learning; Claudia Rosu, an adjunct assistant professor; Anne Thompson, an adjunct associate professor; and BA White, an associate professor. The team received the award for its vision and commitment to advancing interprofessional education or practice, having a collaborative approach to communicating and working with relevant stakeholder groups when implementing interprofessional initiative, and producing exemplary high-quality work that is theory or evidence based and illustrative of best practice.

In 2020, the Child Development Day team received the Award for Excellence in Advancing Interprofessional Education and Practice. The team organizes the yearly event during which students in the IHP's direct-entry programs learn and observe youngsters and then break into interprofessional teams to discuss their observations.

In 2019, Regina Doherty, an associate professor of occupational therapy and the department’s interim chair, received the Award for Excellence in Advancing Interprofessional Education and Practice. Dr. Doherty was recognized for being a key contributor to the Institute’s IMPACT Practice initiative, a core collaborator on the HRSA-funded project on Interprofessional Collaboration for Chronic Care Management, and for encouraging the development of the Institute’s Common Reading program. ​The award was presented at the 2019 fall Faculty Convocation.

In 2018, 20 people from the IHP and Harvard Medical School responsible for the Crimson Care Collaborative shared the Award for Excellence in Advancing Interprofessional Education and Practice. The initiative is a collaboration between the Institute, Harvard Medical School, and Harvard Dental School in which IHP nurse practitioner and physician assistant studies students provide patient care working in teams with Harvard students at multiple locations throughout Greater Boston. Supported by a $1.4 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration, the CCC has pioneered a co-precepting model that integrates the IPEC competencies in faculty development and teaching sessions. Students have presented scholarly work at national conferences based upon their experiences, and the share of Institute nurse practitioner graduates employed in medically underserved communities has increased 53 percent.

The recipients were:

• From the IHP: Patricia Reidy, DNP-FNP-BC, FNAP, Antonia Makosky, DNP, MSN, MPH, ANP-BC, Joshua Merson, MPAS, MS-HPEd, PA-C, EM-CAQ, and Rebecca Nuerenberger, MSN;
• From Crimson Care Collaborative: Marya Cohen, MD, MPH, Susan M. Edgman- Levitan, PA, Pat Gavin, Amy Weinstein, MD, and Rachael Williams;
• From Crimson Care Collaborative Student Leaders: Francesca Barrett, Smitha Ganeshan, and Deanna Palenzuela;
• From Crimson Care Collaborative Site Directors: Jacqueline Chu, MD, Shiri Feingold, MD, Kirsten Meisinger, MD,  Kristen Remus, MD, Kevin Sullivan, MD, MPH, Matthew Tobey, MD, Kate Wren, MD, and Neda Yousif, MD.

In 2017, 13 people from the IHP and Massachusetts General Hospital responsible for running the 3 Interprofessional Dedicated Education Units (IPDEU) at the hospital shared the inaugural Award for Excellence in Advancing Interprofessional Education and Practice.

The award recognized the innovative model that the IPDEU steering committee has developed to involve over 100 students per semester in active observation and reflection on the elements of effective collaborative care.

The recipients were: Gaurdia Banister, executive director, the Institute for Patient Care (MGH); Linda Andrist, professor emeritus, School of Nursing (IHP); Patricia Fitzgerald, nursing director (MGH); Jacquelyn Holmberg, clinical nurse specialist (MGH); Rebecca Santos Inzana, associate professor, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders (IHP); Ann Jampel, clinical specialist, PT Outpatient Service (MGH); Melissa Joseph, nursing director (MGH); Mary Knab, director, IMPACT Practice (IHP); Leslie Portney, dean, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (IHP); Maureen Schneider, nursing director (MGH); Inez Tuck, dean, School of Nursing (IHP); Carmen Vega-Barachowitz, director, Speech Language and Swallowing Disorders (MGH); and Trish Zeytoonjian, IPDEU clinical faculty coordinator (IHP).

Department Chairs/Program Directors are eligible to nominate their faculty colleagues for this award.

• Candidate must hold the position of Assistant Professor.
• Candidates who joined the IHP within the last 3 years as Assistant Professor are eligible for this award. 
• Own research activity has the potential to contribute to the IHP research mission and has not received the award previously.

Criteria

• Evidence of a clear programmatic line of research.
• Number and quality of peer-reviewed publications.
• A record of external grant writing.
• Internal and/ or external research funding.

Please compile the following components into a single PDF and submit it via email to research [at] mghihp.edu by April 15:

• Department Chair/Program Director Nomination Letter: Include the nominee's name, title, school/department, and a 250-word letter explaining why the nominee deserves this research award. Ensure to incorporate specific examples that address the award criteria.
• Nominee's CV or Biosketch: Attach a detailed curriculum vitae or biosketch of the nominee, emphasizing their academic accomplishments and research contributions.
• Digital Copies of Influential Publications: Submit up to 4 digital copies of the nominee's most significant publications, showcasing their impact in their respective research domain.
   

• 2021: Rawan AlHeresh, an associate professor of occupational therapy, and Shweta Gore. an associate professor of physical therapy, received the 2021 New Investigator Award. Dr. AlHeresh, was recognized for improving patient-reported outcomes for people with arthritis and her work in creating the “Toward an All-Inclusive Jordan” initiative. Dr. Gore was recognized for her research in physical activity assessments in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and for receiving a Learning Health Systems Rehabilitation Research Network grant. 
• 2020: Kimberly Erler, an assistant professor of occupational therapy, received the New Investigator Award. Her research interests include stroke recovery, traumatic brain injury, and caregiver wellness. Her record of publications is increasing rapidly. 
• 2019: Sofia Vallila Rohter, an assistant professor of speech-language pathology and co-director of the Cognitive Neuroscience Group (CNG), received the New Investigator Award. Dr. Valilla Rohter, who also is a faculty member in the Speech Hearing & Biosciences and Technology program at Harvard University, a research associate at Spaulding Rehab, Boston University, and MIT, received the award for her efforts in using event-related potentials, neuroimaging, and behavioral methods to investigate learning in people with and without aphasia.
• 2018: Yael Arbel, PhD, CCC-SLP, Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, and Co-Director of the Cognitive Neuroscience Group.
• 2017: Andrea Fairman, PhD, OTR/L, CPRP​, Associate Professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy,  for her research in the use of mobile digital devices to improve the medical management of patients with chronic conditions and disabilities.
• 2016: Joanna Christodoulou, EdD, Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, and Director of the BEAM Team.

• Candidates eligible for this award must hold an appointment at the Associate or full Professor level. 
• Has a sustained program of research while at the Institute that contributes to the IHP research mission.
• Has undertaken research that has enhanced the reputation of the Institute and has not received the award previously.
• Received substantial research funding as a principal investigator (PI).

Criteria
A selection committee will evaluate the nominees' qualifications for evidence of:

• Number and quality of peer-reviewed publications.
• Citations of their work by others in the field.
• Received substantial research funding as principal investigator (PI).
• Research mentor to IHP faculty, colleagues, and students.
• Recognized nationally and internationally as outstanding in their field of research.

Please compile the following components into a single PDF and submit it via email to research [at] mghihp.edu by April 15:

• Department Chair/Program Director Nomination Letter: Include the nominee's name, title, school/department, and a 250-word letter explaining why the nominee deserves this research award. Ensure to incorporate specific examples that address the award criteria.
• Nominee's CV or Biosketch: Attach a detailed curriculum vitae or biosketch of the nominee, emphasizing their academic accomplishments and research contributions.
• Digital Copies of Influential Publications: Submit up to 4 digital copies of the nominee's most significant publications, showcasing their impact in their respective research domain.

• 2020: Patrice Nicholas, a professor of nursing, received the 2020 Faculty Award for Excellence in Research. Her scholarship and research efforts have focused on global issues, quality of life, and climate and health. She has published more than 100 peer-reviewed papers, two textbooks, and many invited and peer-reviewed presentations, along with a continuous record of scholarly accomplishments. 

• 2019: Teresa Kimberley, a professor of physical therapy and director of the Brain Recovery Lab, received the fourth annual Faculty Award for Excellence in Research. Dr. Kimberley, who also has an appointment at Mass General Hospital as a research staff in the Department of Neurology and as a research faculty at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, was recognized for her being a pioneer in the use of neuroimaging and non-invasive brain stimulation. Kimberley, who also directs the Brain Health & Recovery Research Cluster at the Institute, was awarded the MGH SPARC Award along with several of her hospital colleagues. 

• 2018: Tiffany P. Hogan, PhD, CCC-SLP, Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders and Director of the Speech and Language (SAiL) Literacy Lab received the Faculty Award for Excellence in Research for her work on understanding causal mechanisms associated with developmental language disorder, dyslexia, speech sound disorders, and their co-morbidities. Hogan’s research has been funded by the NIH, Institute of Education Sciences, and many private foundations. She authored or co-authored 67 publications, 45 of which include student co-authors. 

• 2017: Jordan Green, PhD, CCC-SLP, Associate Provost for Research, Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, and Director of the Speech and Feeding Disorders Lab, received the Faculty Award for Excellence in Research for his body of research to significantly improve the diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of people who have developmental disorders like apraxia and progressive disorders like ALS.

• 2016: Diane Mahoney, PhD, ANP-BC, FGSA, FAAN, Professor in the School of Nursing.

• Candidates eligible for this award must hold an appointment at the Associate or Full Professor level and provide mentoring and help in advancing the careers of others at IHP.
• Exhibits a strong commitment to the professional development of mentees. Regarded by colleagues as an outstanding mentor.

Please compile the following components into a single PDF and submit it via email to research [at] mghihp.edu by April 15:

• Department Chair/Program Director Nomination Letter: Include the nominee's name, title, school/department, and a 250-word letter explaining why the nominee deserves this research award. Ensure to incorporate specific examples that address the award criteria.
• Additional letters: Attach 4 to 6 letters from junior faculty and postdoc mentees. 
• Nominee's CV or Biosketch: Attach a detailed curriculum vitae or biosketch of the nominee, emphasizing their mentoring accomplishments and contributions.

In 2021, Jordan Green, the Matina Souretis Horner Professor in Rehabilitation Sciences, director of the Speech and Feeding Disorders Lab, and a professor of communication sciences and disorders, received the Excellence in Mentorship Award. Widely recognized internationally as a leading researcher in speech and swallowing issues for people with ALS and those who have undergone facial transplants, He has mentored post-doctoral fellows, and students at the doctoral, graduate, and undergraduate levels. All his past mentees have achieved next steps in their career, while all of his current PhD students from his lab have received F31 funding from the NIH. And in 2021, three of his postdocs received independent NIH funding and joined the IHP faculty.

In 2020, Tiffany Hogan, director of the Speech and Language (SAiL) Literacy Lab and a professor of communication sciences and disorders, received the first Excellence in Mentorship Award. Widely recognized as a leading scholar nationally and internationally in the area of language and literacy with an outstanding record of publishing and externally funded research, she has mentored post-doctoral fellows, doctoral students, and over 50 undergraduate and graduate students. 

• Holds a faculty or staff appointment of at least 0.5 FTE
• Has not received the award previously
• Nominations will stay active for three years

Criteria
A committee comprised of representatives from the Office of the President, Office of the Provost, and Human Resources will evaluate the nominees’ qualifications for evidence of: 

• Exhibits a strong and sustained commitment to equity and social justice
• Reputation as a source of support and mentorship for students, faculty, and staff about JEDI issues
• Regarded by colleagues as an expert on equity and social justice

All Institute faculty, staff, students, and alumni are eligible to nominate a member of the IHP faculty and staff for this award. Please assemble the following items into a single PDF and email it to Kimberly Truong by April 15:

• Nominee’s CV
• A description of how the candidate meets the selection criteria for the award).

The Academy will elect up to three fellows each year. After three years, members will become honorary fellows of the Academy, so there will be no more than nine active members at a time. Applicants may come from any academic program and any rank. Faculty members must have at least three years of service at the IHP with an FTE of 0.5 or above.

Faculty members will self-nominate by sending an electronic dossier to the Office of the Provost by December 15. 

The packet should include:

• Statement of teaching philosophy
• Artifacts that demonstrate fulfillment of membership criteria
• Letter of support from chair or dean
• Completed teaching portion of self-evaluation template for promotion

A selection committee comprised of current and former TEAL fellows will review applications once a year. New fellows will be notified and begin their terms in January. All applicants will receive feedback on their applications. Successful candidates will demonstrate:

1. Teaching effectiveness (classroom, clinic, curricular development)
2. Record of peer-reviewed scholarship of teaching and learning regardless of chosen area of scholarly impact
3. Educational leadership and mentorship (service to colleagues, school/program, institution, and profession)
4. Commitment to interprofessional education and practice

For the three-year span they serve as active fellows of TEAL, members will receive:

• $3,000 discretionary account for professional development
• Public recognition at Faculty Convocation

All active and honorary fellows will receive:

• Use of the title “Distinguished Teaching Professor” (according to current faculty rank)

Membership Responsibilities

Fellows of the Teaching Academy will contribute to the Institute’s educational mission by:

1. Acting as peer reviewers of teaching for faculty members in other programs
2. Joining the selection committee for the Nancy T. Watts Award for Teaching Excellence
3. Serve as mentors to other faculty in the scholarship of teaching and learning

Pending need, they may also choose to:

1. Participate in teaching development activities at the Institute (1-2 per year)
2. Consult with academic units and Institute-wide committees on teaching effectiveness
3. Join a planning committee for an annual teaching and learning conference in conjunction with the Office of Continuing Professional Development

At the end of each year in the Academy, active fellows must write a short summary of their activities related to teaching and learning. The Associate Provost for Academic Affairs will review the summaries to ensure that members have fulfilled their responsibilities and to approve their continued membership in the Academy.