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THE PHYSIOLOGY TEACHER
Ann J. Sefton: the 2005 Claude Bernard Distinguished Lecturer
The highest honor bestowed by the Teaching of Physiology Section is to be selected to present the Claude Bernard Distinguished Lecture during the Experimental Biology Meeting. In 2005, the recipient was Ann J. Sefton, AO, PhD, DSc, who is an Emeritus Professor of the Office of Teaching and Learning in Medicine and Discipline of Physiology of the University of Sydney in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia (Fig. 1). Her presentation was entitled "Charting a Global Future for Education in Physiology" and will be published in the December issue of the Physiologist.
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It was soon apparent with her first appointment that Professor Sefton was `dedicated to the improvement of teaching as she offered new and modified practical classes in physiology that contained original and relevant material while providing more active learning and interaction among the students. Moreover, she was able to convince course administrators that the assistance of Honor or advanced degree students within the practical and discussion classes would be an advantage for all concerned. She was also instrumental in having students evaluate their instructors, which, at the time, was not regarded by everyone as an advantage for the department. During the 1970s, with encouragement from the Department of Anatomy, she developed a neuroscience curriculum that was effectively integrated with their required courses. In addition, she was appointed a Sub-Dean for Education with responsibilities for identifying and advising students with course difficulties or with promise to perform physiological research. Approximately two decades later, she and colleagues Jill Gordon and Michael Field were the designated leaders in successfully transforming the 113-year-old University of Sydney undergraduate-entry medical program (which required 5–6 years) into a North American-style graduate-entry four-year program. Their collective efforts with faculty participation and endorsement resulted in a new program that is integrated, founded on four themes, problem based, and contains a focus on early clinical learning within medical environments. In 1990, Professor Sefton received the Teaching Excellence Award from the University and, eight years later, received the Australian Award for University Teaching: Uses of Flexible Learning Approaches.
Besides the educational activities of the Faculty of Medicine, she has been appointed to the Academic Board of the University of Sydney and has been involved with the teaching development activities of their Education Committee. She is a member of the Australian Physiological Society and has promoted the scheduling of an educational symposium or workshop with each annual meeting. She was a founding member of The Australasian and New Zealand Association for Medical Education and is a frequent participant at its annual conferences. In addition, she serves on the Editorial Board of their journal. In 1993, she received an Achievement in Education Award from this Association. However, her most impressive award occurred in 2001, when the Australian Government named her an Officer in the Order of Australia (OA) for her achievements in medical education and basic research.
Within the International Union of Physiological Sciences (IUPS) and since 1983, she has assumed an active leadership role in the Commission for Teaching Physiology and in the Education Committee. This role has been demonstrated in teaching workshops being regularly scheduled at IUPS meetings. In addition, she contributed to the teaching workshops sponsored by the Federation of Asian and Oceanian Physiological Societies. Finally, she has recently served as a teaching consultant to or provided for educational workshops in Bangkok, Beijing, Berlin, Columbo, Chiang Mai, Hong Kong, Praque, Seoul, Singapore, and Tasmania.
Her educational activities have also resulted in an appointment to the Editorial Board of Focus On Health Professional Education, the publication of 51 manuscripts or chapters in books or proceedings, 5 coauthored texts, and 78 abstracts.
When queried about what IUPS can do to improve the teaching of physiology at the international level, she indicated that improvement could occur by scheduling more frequent workshops on teaching for teachers; encouraging more interaction among physiology educators in promoting active learning; designing curricula with more consistency; using information technology more effectively; promoting laboratory experiments that do not require expensive or sophisticated equipment; and in making available on-line resources, materials, and examples for the development of teaching competencies.
Robert W. Gore: the Arthur C. Guyton Physiology Educator of the Year
At the 2005 Experimental Biology Meeting, the prestigious Arthur C. Guyton Physiology Educator of the Year Award was presented to Robert W. Gore, PhD, Professor of Physiology of the Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, at the University of Arizona in Tucson, AZ (Fig. 2). The article that acknowledges the award is entitled "The People Who Tell the Story, Shape the Culture" and will be published in a future issue of the Physiologist.
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Upon completion, he was invited to join the faculty of the Department of Physiology, where he continues his research and teaching activities. His research in the field of microcirculatory physiology and vascular biology has received continuous National Institutes of Health funding that includes a MERIT Award and resulted in the publication of more than 55 manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals. His research has received national and international acclaim, and, in 2002, The Microcirculatory Society awarded him their highest award, the Eugene M. Landis Award for Excellence in Research. It is of interest that the award also acknowledged Professor Gore for his innovations in teaching.
Throughout his career at the University of Arizona, Professor Gore has been responsible for teaching cardiovascular physiology to undergraduate, graduate, and medical students. In recent years, he has placed his courses on-line with interactive computer models that include daily subject matter, recommended readings, practice problems and exams, and means to communicate with him as the instructor. For medical students, he developed and implemented an on-line medical physiology curriculum that is used not only in Arizona but worldwide (http://human.physiol.arizona.edu).
Demonstrated excellence in teaching is a requirement for the Guyton Award and for the University of Arizona College of Medicine Vernon and Virginia Furrow Award for Excellence in Innovation in Teaching that Professor Gore received in 1998. The same requirement exists for The University of Arizona Chapter of the Motor Board National College Senior Honor Society for identifying faculty members as they selected Professor Gore as an Outstanding Faculty Member for Excellence in Teaching Cardiovascular Physiology in 2003. During the same year, The Arizona Chapter of the Golden Key International Honour Society elected Professor Gore as an Honorary Member of their Society for his Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching in the Physiological Sciences. Inherent with this award was recognition for his dedication and contributions as an advisor and mentor to undergraduate physiological science students.
Professor Gore’s commitment to teaching originated from his undergraduate experiences at Carleton College, where he was exposed to dedicated professors who were in the classrooms and teaching laboratories at every opportunity. Furthermore, this commitment was reinforced in graduate school and in his postdoctoral education by having the good fortune of having teachers and mentors like Drs. Charles Wunder, William J. Whalen, and Paul C. Johnson. While Professor Gore’s perspective on teachers and teaching can be found in a future issue of the Physiologist, it is noteworthy that he is extremely proud to be recognized as a teacher of physiology. Moreover, he believes it is both a privilege and an obligation for faculty members to be in the classroom teaching physiology throughout their careers. Because promotion to Full Professor in the basic sciences is based on excellence in teaching, research, and service, he believes those requirements should exist at all times. Consequently, senior faculty members should be expected to be in the classroom, within reason, to retain their rank. In that regard, he believes that promotion and tenure need to be more closely aligned with achieving excellence as a teacher. Hence, a posttenure review that is coupled with positive acknowledgement would be an appropriate procedure to help encourage retention in the classroom.
His response to "what APS should do to improve teaching of physiology" in our institutions was focused on undergraduate programs and a partnership with other societies. He felt that our society should provide more outreach grants for teachers of physiology located in community colleges and in small liberal arts colleges using the implementation models developed by the Human Physiology and Anatomy Society and by The American Society of Anatomists.
RECOGNITION
Susan DeMesquita: an Outstanding Teacher at the American University of the Caribbean
At a ceremony for The Professor of the Year Award in May 2005, Susan DeMesquita, PhD, Professor and Chair of Neuorscience of the School of Medicine at the American University of the Caribbean located in Cupecoy, St. Maarten, Netherlands Antilles, was recognized by students (n = 456) as the Teacher in the Basic Sciences from whom they had learned the most during their tenure at the American University of the Caribbean. Professor DeMesquita has the responsibility of teaching a Medical Neuroscience course to second-year medical students that is offered three times a year. Approximately 240 students will be enrolled during an academic year.
Maurice Goodman: an Outstanding Teacher at the University of Massachusetts
In May 2005, H. Maurice Goodman, PhD, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Physiology of the Medical School at the University of Massachusetts in Worcester, MA, received the Lamar Soutter Award for Excellence in Medical Education. This annual award, by vote of the medical faculty, is to recognize outstanding overall career contributions to medical education by a departmental member within the basic sciences. Currently, Professor Goodman is the Coordinator for a course in Medical Physiology that is presented to 110 first-year medical, graduate, and MD/PhD students. In addition, he is responsible for approximately 20% of the scheduled lectures.
Bernice Grafstein: an Outstanding Teacher at Cornell University
In recognition for her outstanding teaching in the course entitled "Brain and Mind," Bernice Grafstein, PhD, Professor of Physiology and Biophysics at the Joan and Sanford Weill Medical College of Cornell University in New York, NY, received the Award for Teaching Excellence. This is an annual award from the students that is endorsed by the course directors. Professor Grafstein is also the Vincent and Brooke Astor Distinguished Professor of Neuroscience and a member of the Field of Physiology, Biophysics, and Molecular Medicine and the Field of Neuroscience within the Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences of Cornell University. In addition to teaching second-year medical students (n = 102) in the Mind and Body course, she lectures to the same number of first-year medical students in the Human Structure and Function course and serves as codirector for a class in The Essentials of Human Physiology for first-year graduate students (n = 10).
Charles E. McCormack: an Outstanding Teacher at the Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
The 2007 Medical Class of The Chicago Medical School at the Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science identified Charles E. (Pat) McCormack, PhD, Professor of Physiology and Biophysics, as the outstanding teacher in the first-year of basic sciences at The Chicago Medical School and presented him with the Golden Apple Award. As a matter of record, this is the seventh time that he has received this prestigious award! Professor McCormack has been a faculty member of The Chicago Medical School since 1964, became Course Director for Medical Physiology in 1989, and teaches two elective classes (cardiovascular pathophysiology and pulmonary pathophysiology) to second-year medical students each year.
Dee U. Silverthorn: an Outstanding Teacher at The University of Texas
The College of Natural Sciences at the University of Texas in Austin, TX, recently selected Dee U. Silverthorn, PhD, Senior Lecturer, Department of Integrative Biology, to receive their Teaching Excellence Award. This award originates from within the department and is approved by the Dean of the College. During this past year, Dr. Silverthorn taught a freshman Seminar class (n = 10), a Dean’s Scholar class (n = 16), an upper-division physiology course (n = 200), and an experimental physiology laboratory (n = 60).
If you have been honored as a physiology educator or have received a grant for educational research and would like to submit an announcement for publication, please use the APS Central submission process (www.apscentral.org). Photographs to accompany announcements must be submitted as gif or tif files. for additional information about "The Physiology Teacher," contact the Associate Editor, Dr. Charles Tipton, at tipton{at}u.arizona.edu.
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