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McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics at UTHealth Houston

Teaching Award Winners


John P. McGovern Outstanding Teacher Award

The John P. McGovern Outstanding Teacher Award winner is presented each academic year to an educator from each of the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston component schools. The faculty member who earns the award embodies excellence in teaching.

The award recognizes excellence in teaching based on knowledge of the subject, interest and enthusiasm for teaching, understanding of students, responsiveness to student inquiries, encouragement of independent thinking and accessibility to students.

YEAR RECIPIENTS
2023-2024 Kimberly Smith, PhD
2022-2023 Tiffany Champagne-Langabeer, PhD
2021-2022 Robert Murphy, MD
2020-2021 Tiffany Champagne-Langabeer, PhD
2019-2020 Kimberly Smith, PhD
2018-2019 Tiffany Champagne-Langabeer, PhD
2017-2018 Angela Ross, DNP, MPH
2016-2017 Todd Johnson, PhD
2015-2016 Sahiti Myneni, PhD, MSE
2014-2015 Kimberly Smith, PhD
2013-2014 Yang Gong, MD, PhD
2012-2013 Trevor Cohen, MBChB, PhD
2011-2012 Juliana J. Brixey, RN, PhD
2010-2011 Madurai Sriram Iyengar, PhD
2009-2010 Dean Forrest Sittig, PhD
2008-2009 Paul T. Macklin
2007-2008 Stefan Birmanns, PhD
2006-2007 Willy Wriggers, PhD
2005-2006 Kimberly Dunn, MD, PhD
2004-2005 Elmer V. Bernstam, MD, MSE
2003-2004 Wily R. Wriggers, PhD
2002-2003 Cynthia L. Phelps, PhD
2001-2002 Jiajie Zhang, PhD
2000-2001 Kathy Johnson, PhD
1999-2000 James P. Turley, PhD
1998-1999 Craig W. Johnson, PhD


Dean’s Excellence Award

The Dean’s Excellence award was first established and awarded in 2019. It is given annually and acknowledges McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics faculty members for exceptional performance in various categories.

The measurement for this performance considers achievements like high impact publications, novel course development, and innovative projects in applied domains.

YEAR RECIPIENTS
2021-2022 Winners:
Outstanding Faculty Member – Xiaoqian Jiang, PhD
Research – Zhongming Zhao, PhD
Teaching – Tiffany Champagne-Langabeer, PhD
Innovation – James Langabeer II, PhD, EdD
Outstanding Service – Deevakar Rogith, PhD
2019-2020 Winners:
Research – James Langabeer II, PhD, EdD
Teaching – Angela Ross, DNP and Debora Simmons, PhD
Innovation – Amy Franklin, PhD, Sahiti Myneni, PhD, MSE and Deevakar Rogith, PhD
2018-2019 Winners:
Research – Luca Giancardo, PhD
Teaching – Kimberly Smith, PhD
Innovation – Xiaoqian Jiang, PhD


President’s Award for Leadership

The President’s Awards for Leadership were established in 2006 in honor of the late Michael Jimenez, former vice president and chief human resources officer at UTHealth Houston, based on the qualities of leadership that he embodied: the consistent demonstration of leadership through service, compassion, and ethical standards.

 RECIPIENTS
2023 - 2024:
Jiajie Zhang, PhD (Outstanding Faculty)

President’s Scholar Awards for Excellence

This award of excellence is presented annually by President Giuseppe N. Colasurdo, MD, Alkek-Williams Distinguished Chair at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth Houston). The President’s Scholar Awards are unique University-wide awards designed to recognize faculty with demonstrated contributions in teaching, research, clinical activity, dedication, and service, throughout their careers at UTHealth Houston.

 RECIPIENTS
2023 - 2024:
Zhongming Zhao, PhD, MS (Research)
2020 - 2021:
Susan Fenton, PhD (Teaching)
2001 - 2002:
Jim Turley, PhD (Teaching)

Regents' Outstanding Teaching Awards (ROTA)

In 2008, the University of Texas System Board of Regents established the annual Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Awards program to honor extraordinary classroom performance and innovation. Each recipient receives a certificate, a medallion, and $25,000 in appreciation of their impact on students and their institutions.

 RECIPIENTS
UT System (ROTA):
Susan Fenton, PhD – 2019 Awardee
M. Sriram Iyengar, PhD – 2014 Awardee
Muhammad Walji, PhD – 2012 Awardee


AMIA Signature Awards

The AMIA Signature Awards program provides an opportunity for AMIA members at different stages of their career to be recognized for significant contributions or achievements in informatics. There are eight unique awards and each has just one winner per year.

 RECIPIENTS
AMIA Signature Awardees:
Licong Cui, PhD (2022 - AMIA New Investigator Award)
Hongfang Liu, PhD (2022 - Donald A.B. Lindberg Award for Innovation in Informatics)
Dean Sittig, PhD (2023 - Don Eugene Detmer Award for Health Policy Contributions in Informatics)


American College of Medical Informatics (ACMI) Fellows

This group of elected fellows includes professionals who are recognized for their significant and sustained contributions to the field of biomedical informatics. ACMI Fellows are eligible to use the designation FACMI and membership is open to informaticians across the globe.

The measurement for this performance considers achievements like high impact publications, novel course development, and innovative projects in applied domains.

 RECIPIENTS
ACMI Fellows:
  Elmer Bernstam, MD, MSE (2010)
  John Glaser, PhD (1995, adjunct professor)
Xiaoqian Jiang, PhD (2023)
Hongfang Liu, PhD (2016)
Kirk Roberts, PhD (2023)
  Michael Shabot, MD (1991, adjunct professor)
  Dean Sittig, PhD (1992)
  Cui Tao, PhD (2018, adjunct professor)
Stephen Wong, PhD (2023, adjunct professor)
  Hua Xu, PhD (2014, adjunct professor)
  Jiajie Zhang, PhD (2003)
  Zhongming Zhao, PhD (2021)

Fellows of AMIA (FAMIA)

Individuals who receive this distinction are recognized AMIA members who apply informatics skills and knowledge within their professional setting. Fellows also demonstrate professional achievement and leadership during their sustained commitment to the betterment of AMIA.

  RECIPIENTS
Fellows of AMIA:
  Elmer Bernstam, MD, MSE (2022)
  Juliana Brixey, PhD, MPH, RN (2023)
  Jorge Ferrer, MD, MBA (2018, Adjunct Assistant Professor)
  Susan Fenton, PhD (2022)
  Todd Johnson, PhD (2022)
  Robert Murphy, MD (2021)
  Anwar Sirajuddin, MBBS, MS, CPHIMS (2023; Alumnus & Adjunct Assistant Professor)
  Dean Sittig, PhD (2019)
  Jiajie Zhang, PhD (2020)
  Zhongming Zhao, PhD (2022)


Fellow Member of HIMSS (FHIMSS)

This honor is bestowed in recognition of a Fellow’s service, professional participation, job experience, publications, and presentations. Members demonstrate their commitment to transforming global health and wellness. Additionally, they are recognized as elite contributors to HIMSS and to the global health information and technology community.

  RECIPIENTS
Fellow Member of HIMSS:
  Tiffany Champagne-Langabeer, PhD (2021)


Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN)

The American Academy of Nursing (Academy) serve the public by advancing health policy through the generation, synthesis, and dissemination of nursing knowledge. Academy Fellows are inducted into the organization for their extraordinary contributions to improve health locally and globally as they represent nursing’s most accomplished leaders in policy, research, administration, practice, and academia.

  RECIPIENTS
Fellows of the American Academy of Nursing:
  Angela Ross, DNP (2024)
  Debora Simmons, PhD (2015)


American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) Fellows

The American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) is the highest professional distinction accorded to a medical and biological engineer. The College of Fellows is comprised of the top two percent of medical and biological engineers. College membership honors those who have made outstanding contributions to "engineering and medicine research, practice, or education” and to "the pioneering of new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of medical and biological engineering or developing/implementing innovative approaches to bioengineering education."

 RECIPIENTS
Fellows of AIMBE:
Zhongming Zhao, PhD (2023)
  Xiaobo Zhou, PhD (2023)

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Fellows

American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellows are a distinguished cadre of scientists, engineers, and innovators who have been recognized for their achievements across disciplines, from research, teaching, and technology, to administration in academia, industry and government, to excellence in communicating and interpreting science to the public.

 RECIPIENTS
Fellows of AAAS:
  Jiajie Zhang, PhD (2023)

Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) Winners

The PECASE is the highest honor bestowed by the United States Government on science and engineering professionals in the early stages of their independent research careers. Two members of the McWilliams community have been named recipients of this prestigious award.

  RECIPIENTS
PECASE Awardees:
  Cui Tao, PhD (2014, Adjunct Professor)
  Muhammad Walji, PhD (2013)


International Academy of Health Sciences Informatics (IAHSI) Fellows

The Academy serves as an honor society that recognizes expertise in biomedical and health informatics internationally. Academy Membership is one of the highest honors in the international field of biomedical and health informatics.

 RECIPIENTS
IAHSI Fellows:
  Yang Gong, MD, PhD (2021)
Xiaoqian Jiang, PhD (2023)
  Dean Sittig, PhD (2017)
Hua Xu, PhD (2023, adjunct professor)
  Jiajie Zhang, PhD (2020)

Updated: 3/4/2024