November 29, 2023

Chancellor Honors Five Faculty Members with Awards of Excellence

Five UAMS faculty members received 2023 Chancellor’s Awards of Excellence during the monthly UAMS Town Hall in November.

The inaugural awards were presented earlier this year for 2022. The decision was made to shift the timeframe of the awards from spring to fall, said Provost Stephanie Gardner, Pharm.D., Ed.D. Rather than wait until next fall to present the awards, “we wanted to go ahead and start now to recognize faculty excellence in 2023.

The awards replace the Chancellor’s Teaching Awards that previously were presented during UAMS Commencement. An awards committee developed the new awards program, expanding the awards to recognize faculty excellence in five categories:  Educational Innovation, Clinical Innovation, Faculty Mentorship, Community or Institutional Service, and Scholarship. The honorees were chosen from nominations received from all five UAMS colleges and the Graduate School. An internal committee with representatives from all of the colleges made recommendations in each category to the Chancellor Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA, and Provost Stephanie Gardner, Pharm.D., Ed.D.

The 2023 honorees, and the category they received an award for, are:

• Tiffany F. Haynes, Ph.D. — Educational Innovation
• Pearl A. McElfish, Ph.D., MBA — Scholarship
• Robert E. (Bobby) McGehee, Jr., Ph.D. — Faculty Mentorship/Coaching
• Kevin D. Phelan, Ph.D. — Community and/or Institutional Service
• Misty L. Virmani, M.D. — Clinical Innovation

Haynes, a associate professor in the College of Public Health Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, was praised for inventive teaching methods using practical applications of classroom learning to address health concerns. In one case, she assigned students to creation of stress reduction videos and lead stress reduction activities within her college. In her Racial and Ethnic Healthcare Disparities course, she utilized a participatory method called Photovoice, encouraging students to explore and address health disparities in their communities through visual storytelling. These hands-on experiences enhanced students’ understanding and application of health disparities science, making her a standout candidate for the award.

McElfish, a professor in the College of Medicine, is one of the most highly funded and impactful researchers at UAMS, with more than 200 published manuscripts and extramural grants totaling more than $180 million. Her nominator noted that her work in translational research and population health has improved the health of vulnerable populations in Arkansas, the nation and around the world. Her work also has changed health policy and practice, resulting in increased access to more effective care for the Marshallese population both in Arkansas and in the Marshall Islands. She has integrated translational research, clinical care and population health on projects related to maternal health, diabetes treatment and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy.

McGehee, a professor in the College of Medicine who recently retired as Graduate School dean, was credited for nurturing “a strong and diverse mentorship culture at UAMS both directly and through programs he created and/or led.” He has served on numerous Doctoral Dissertation Advisory Committees, mentored postdoctoral fellows, guided medical students through the Honors in Research Program, and mentored faculty through the Promotion and Tenure process. His 15-year stint as a Co-PI on the NIH-funded Initiative to Maximize Student Diversity represents the longest running predoctoral training grant on campus. Similarly, he is Co-PI in the summer undergraduate research program, now in its 13th year. An ongoing Distinguished Lecture in Biomedical Research at UAMS was endowed in his name by the grandparents of a grateful student he mentored — yet another example of his investment in time and talent toward preparing the next generation of physicians, scientists and health care leaders.

The nomination of Phelan, a professor in the College of Medicine Department of Neurology and Developmental Sciences, cited several examples of service over his 31 years at UAMS, both to the institution and to the community. His successful ArkanSONO outreach program was originally conceived as an outgrowth of pioneering teaching activities in which he used portable ultrasound devices to teach living anatomy to medical students. The portable imaging devices are now used to stimulate learning and interest in STEM careers for students at several Little Rock schools. The program expanded into a summer camp for high school students that has reached more than 200 students to date and included a camp on the Northwest Campus this past summer. During the pandemic, he kept the program alive by developing webinars, virtual labs and a STEM Career webinar series. He also added STEM-focused workshops for K-12 teachers.

Virmani, an associate professor of pediatrics in the College of Medicine, was hailed for her dedication and leadership in helping UAMS achieve another health care milestone for Arkansas with the opening of the state’s first Milk Bank to support maternal and newborn health. The milk bank will provide a ready supply of donor milk for sick and vulnerable infants in neonatal intensive care units around the state. She visited similar facilities in other states, developed the concept and engineered the operations of our facility. And now, she is working to build up more resources around the Milk Bank to further help new mothers and babies.

Award recipients receive $5,000 and a crystal award recognizing their achievement.