The Awards:

One faculty member will be chosen for each of the awards below unless otherwise noted.

Lifetime Achievement in Mentoring Award - "The Jayhawk"
This award is recognizes individuals who have achieved Professor rank and have worked at the KUMC School of Medicine for over 20 years. During that time they must have demonstrated a commitment to fostering the intellectual, creative, scholarly, and professional growth of their junior faculty. 

Award Criteria:

• A full professor at the KU School of Medicine for more than twenty years, with a current appointment in good standing.
• Mentored five or more junior faculty members.
• Have evidence of superb performance in mentoring junior faculty. Examples include, but are not limited to: 
  • • accessibility and commitment to “be there” for mentees, excellent guidance of individual research and/or creative projects), evidence of mentees completing their defined projects, grants, publications, or promotional goals
• Willingness to assist junior faculty in pursuit of their stated goals, actively guiding development of teaching skills, research, and pursuit of professional goals while clearly articulating expectations
• Ability to involve their mentees in “networking” activities with other professionals and faculty
• Candidates may be presented the award more than once, but not within a five-year period
• Executive Dean's Office faculty are not eligible.
  
  

Excellence in Mentoring Award
Acknowledges the exceptional efforts of senior faculty members who ensure junior faculty achieve their full potential in the areas of service, research, and teaching

Award Criteria:

• An associate or full professor in the KU School of Medicine for more than five years, with a current appointment in good standing.
• Mentored five or more junior faculty members.
• Have evidence of superb performance in mentoring junior faculty. Examples include, but are not limited to: 
  • accessibility and commitment to "be there" for mentees. Teaching the values, rules and operating procedures in academic medicine and helping mentee's advance to the next level
• Be a scholar with demonstrated success in the areas they mentor. Help mentees develop and sustain a network of professional colleagues who can offer advice, training, and guidance
• Candidates may be presented the award more than once, but not within a five-year period.
• Executive Dean's Office faculty are not eligible

Honorary Mentoring Award
This award is a way to recognize outstanding mentors from outside the KUMC SOM community.

Award Criteria:

• An associate or full professor from outside the KU School of Medicine or a professional working in private practice, research institution or a related business.
• Mentored one or more KU School of Medicine faculty member(s) for two years or longer.
• A scholar or professional with demonstrated success in the field they mentor.
  
  

Achievement Award for Mentoring Residents

This award provides residents (current or alumni) a way to honor faculty mentors who embodied the spirit of mentorship during their residency. This award recognizes the commitments made by faculty members and the dedication to their mentees to reach success in their chosen field or specialty.

Award Criteria:

• An assistant, associate or full professor at the KU School of Medicine for three years or more, with a current appointment in good standing.
• Mentor five or more residents over the years.
• Scholars with demonstrated success in the areas they mentor.
• Have evidence of superb performance in mentoring residents.
• Candidates may win the award more than once, but not within a five-year period.
• Executive Dean's Office faculty are not eligible.
  
  

Achievement Award for Mentoring Post-docs
This award provides post-doctoral fellows (current or alumni) a way to honor faculty mentors who embodied the spirit of mentorship during their post-doc programs. This award recognizes the commitments made by faculty members and the dedication to their mentees to reach success in their chosen field.

Award Criteria:

• An assistant, associate or full professor at the KU School of Music for three years or more, with a current appointment in good standing.
• Mentor for five or more post-docs over the years.
• Scholars with demonstrated success in the areas they mentor.
• Have evidence of superb performance in mentoring post-docs.
• Candidates may win the award more than once, but not within a five-year period.
• Executive Dean's Office faculty are not eligible.

Rolfe A. Becker, MD and Sylvia Becker Mentoring Award
This award seeks to recognize outstanding mentorship of learners (medical students, residents, and/or fellows) and to support efforts for enhanced mentorship. Award recipients receive $1500 in funding to be spent on mentorship activities. 

Up to three awards will be given out, with one award given to a faculty member from the Kansas City, Wichita, and Salina campuses respectively. 

Award Criteria: 

• Must be a clinician with either a paid or volunteer appointment at the KUMC SOM. Kansas City, Wichita, and Salina faculty are all eligible
• An assistant, associate or full professor at the KU SOM for three years or more with a current appointment in good standing.
• Have evidence of superb performance in mentoring learners

Recognition of Honorees

Honorees receive membership to the KU School of Medicine Distinguished Mentors, recognition at the Annual Faculty Retreat and either a $1,500 financial award or $1,500 in funding (given to recipients of the Rolfe A. Becker and Sylvia Becker Mentoring Award recipients) .

Previous Honorees

• 2022 (PDF)
  • Margaret Smith, M.D., 2022 Rolfe A. Becker, M.D. and Sylvia Becker Mentoring Award
  • Leigh Eck, M.D., 2022 Achievement Award for Mentoring Residents
  • Megha Ramaswamy, Ph.D., 2022 Excellence in Mentoring
  • Martha Barnard, Ph.D., 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award - "The Jayhawk"
• 2021 (PDF)
  • Andrew Godwin, Ph.D., 2021 Excellence Award in Mentoring
  • Kelsie Kelly, M.D., MPH, 2021 Achievement Award for Mentoring Residents
• 2020 (PDF)
  • Glen Cox, M.D., MHSA, MBA, 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award - "The Jayhawk"
  • Kim Kimminau, Ph.D., MA, 2020 Excellence in Mentoring Award
  • Moben Mirza, M.D., 2020 Achievement Award for Mentoring Residents
  • Wendi Born, Ph.D., 2020 Achievement Award for Mentoring Post-Docs
• 2019 (PDF)
  • Dale Abrahamson, Ph.D., 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award - "The Jayhawk"
  • Steven Weinman, M.D., Ph.D., 2019 Excellence in Mentoring Award
  • David Lisbon, M.D., 2019 Achievement Award for Mentoring Residents
• 2018 (PDF)
  • Belinda Vail, M.D. 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award - "The Jayhawk"
  • Kim Templeton, M.D., 2018 Achievement Award for Mentoring Residents
  • Ryan Schroeder, PsyD, 2018 Achievement Award for Mentoring Post-Docs
• 2017 (PDF)
  • Edward F. Ellerbeck, M.D., MPH, 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award - "The Jayhawk"
  • Alan Yu, MB, BChir, 2017 Excellence in Mentoring Award
  • Monica Kurylo, Ph.D., ABPP, 2017 Achievement Award for Mentoring Post-Docs