Focus on work-life balance key message in annual Colbert Lecture and MUSC Faculty Awards

At the annual James W. Colbert Lectureship and MUSC Faculty Awards and Recognition Ceremony on Aug. 13, members of the faculty, staff, students and guests gathered to recognize faculty accomplishments and celebrate their contributions and commitment to achieving MUSC's mission.

Lisa Saladin, Ph.D., PT, executive vice president of Academic Affairs and provost, was joined by MUSC President David J. Cole, M.D., FACS, in welcoming the audience and introducing guests and honorees.

“Today, we come together not only to acknowledge the remarkable accomplishments of our faculty but also to express our sincere gratitude for their enthusiasm, expertise and willingness to go the extra mile to make MUSC a center of excellence,” said Saladin. “MUSC faculty members have a profound impact on the lives of our students and patients and on the advancement of knowledge and discovery. Your contributions ripple outward, shaping the future of leaders, thinkers and innovators of our world. You change what is possible every day, and we value each and every one of you for your contributions.”

A highlight of the event is the keynote lecture, which celebrates the life and contributions of James W. Colbert, Jr., M.D., MUSC’s first vice president for Academic Affairs and provost, who died in a 1974 plane crash. This year’s keynote address featured MUSC’s inaugural chief wellbeing officer, Heather Farley, M.D. Farley, an emergency medicine physician, has led advocacy programs and initiatives aimed at optimizing the employee experience and fostering work-life meaning, connection and joy. She previously served as the chief wellness officer at ChristianaCare in Delaware. At MUSC, she manages the Wellbeing Collective and the enterprise's wellbeing efforts.

Farley’s talk, “From Surviving to Thriving: Essential Strategies for Joy in Work and Life,” focused on key strategies for achieving fulfillment both personally and professionally. She touched upon the COVID pandemic and the challenges she faced leading efforts to support the workforce through the crisis at ChristianaCare. “While our innovative approach was featured nationally early on in the pandemic, we realized we learned so much about trauma and despair as well as what brings us joy and meaning in life.”  In her address, she introduced the metaphor of the “canary in the coal mine,” emphasizing the need to address the underlying conditions in the coal mine and support the canary.

“You actually have to change the coal mine, and that means changing the environment around the canary so that it’s better and supports our health and wellbeing. We need to work together to create an environment at work and at home that enables us to thrive,” Farley said.

Additionally, Farley shared both general and personal strategies that can help to foster a culture of wellbeing from valuing human connection and taking micro-breaks to finding one’s calling,prioritizing personal time and focusing on the positive aspects of daily life.

Saladin and Cole then recognized 16 faculty members with awards, honoring them for excellence in teaching, interprofessional education, research, distinguished service and lifetime contributions.

• Teaching Excellence Developing Teacher -- Annamarie Dalton, Ph.D.
• Teaching Excellence Educator-Lecturer -- Natalie Freidin, M.D.
• Teaching Excellence Educator Mentor (Academic Scholarship) -- Stephanie McGowan, DSc, P.T.
  Teaching Excellence Mentor (Clinical Professional) -- Raymond Kessler, D.M.D.
• Excellence in Interprofessional Education & Collaborative Practice Award -- Terri Fowler, D.N.P.
• Population Health -- Lindsey Jennings, M.D.
• Outstanding Clinician -- Julie Ross, M.D.
• Developing Scholar (Applied/Clinical Science) -- Caitlin Allen, Ph.D.
• Developing Scholar (Basic Science) -- Natalie Saini, Ph.D.
• Peggy Schachte Research Mentor -- Matthew Carpenter, Ph.D.
• Distinguished University Professors -- Scott Bradley, M.D. and Langdon Hartsock, M.D. 
• South Carolina Governor's Awards for Excellence in Scientific Research -- Mark S. George, M.D.
• Distinguished Faculty Service Awards -- Brenda J. Hoffman, M.D., Sunil Patel, M.D., and Gigi M. Smith, Ph.D.

To conclude the event, Cole extended congratulations to the faculty honorees, their colleagues and supportive family members in attendance. He recognized the special significance of these awards, marking their importance in terms of the institution’s Bicentennial celebration.

“We would not be celebrating this moment without our faculty. Each of you are being honored for your innovation, outstanding work and compassion. You breathe life into MUSC’s tripartite mission and made us all exceptionally proud. I find this particularly important that we do this annually as it presents the invaluable opportunity for us to gather, be present and celebrate with joy. As we begin another year, I think the legacy of the next 200 years for MUSC begins now, and I know it is in good hands. There’s something inspiring to be part of something larger than ourselves that has, and will, have a lasting impact on each of us,” said Cole.

 

Teaching Excellence Awards

Developing Teacher – Annamarie Dalton, Ph.D., assistant professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine
Dalton is recognized for passionate lectures and innovative teaching methods. Her teaching methods center around making biochemistry engaging and fostering a supportive learning environment that empowers students to excel.

Educator Lecturer – Natalie Freidin, M.D., assistant professor of Nephrology, College of Medicine
Freidin has significantly affected MUSC through her dedication to lifelong learning, innovative teaching methods and leadership in clinical education. Her efforts have enhanced educational programs, reduced physician burnout and improved patient care.

Educator Mentor-Academic/Scholarship – Stephanie McGowan, DSc, P.T,. assistant professor of Physical Therapy, College of Health Professions
McGowan is known for her dedication to student success and creating new learning opportunities to meet the needs of students. She serves as a role model and mentor and her impactful involvement in continuing education significantly contributes to both academic and scholarly development.

Educator Mentor – Clinical/Professional – Raymond Kessler, D.M.D, associate professor of Reconstructive and Rehabilitation Sciences and clinical director for Pre-doctoral Digital Dentistry, James B. Edwards College of Dental Medicine
Kessler is an impressive student advocate and mentor who is a leader in digital dentistry. Thanks to his leadership, in the last two years, the CDM has had over a 90% first-time pass rate with all parts of the ADEX exam, which is above the national average.

Commitment to Excellence in Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice Award
Terri Fowler, DNP, associate professor of Nursing in the College of Nursing and director of Partners in Healthcare, a nurse-led interprofessional practice that provides primary care to the uninsured.
Fowler has long been an advocate for interprofessional education and collaborative practice, and has profoundly impacted students and the community by pioneering interprofessional education and collaborative practice.

Population Health Award – Lindsey Jennings, M.D., associate professor of Emergency Medicine, College of Medicine
As a member of the medication for opioid use disorder access team, Jennings has advanced the research and implementation for Emergency Department-initiated treatment across the state. Her efforts have significantly influenced health care policy and practice, enhancing care for opioid use disorder across the state.

Outstanding Clinician Award – Julie Ross, M.D., associate professor of Neonatology, College of Medicine
Ross is an exemplary physician known for her direct patient care, advocacy for patients and their families and notable humility. A student wrote: “Dr. Julie Ross is the greatest clinician role model. I hope I can be as half as excellent as a clinician as Dr. Ross. Her relentless dedication to patient care is inspiring.”

 

Developing Scholar Awards

Applied/Clinical Science – Caitlin Allen, Ph.D., assistant professor of Public Health Science, College of Medicine
Allen has an established record of NIH funding. Her innovative approach to integrating genomic medicine into community health education in the In Our DNA SC genomic screening program highlights her commitment to advancing research and community engagement.

Basic Science – Natalie Saini, Ph.D., assistant professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine
Saini’s work on mutagenesis mechanisms due to environmental and endogenous DNA damaging agents has garnered recognition including an NIH R35 grant and various intramural awards. She has published 19 manuscripts, and her work has appeared in high-profile journals including Nature, Nature Genetics, Molecular Cell and Nucleic Acids Research.

Peggy Schachte Research Mentor Award – Matthew J. Carpenter, Ph.D., professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and the Flora McLeod Edwards Distinguished Endowed Chair in Cancer Research, College of Medicine
Over the past 15 years, Carpenter has demonstrated exceptional mentorship guiding 16 trainees to secure more than $19 million collectively in federal funding – all received when those individuals were at the assistant professor level or below.

Distinguished University Professors

• Scott Bradley, M.D., professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery, College of Medicine
  Bradley came to MUSC in 1995. He headed the Pediatric Cardiac Surgery program (1995 to 2022) and was surgical director of the Pediatric Cardiac ICU (1997-2022). From 2019-2022, he was the Robert M. Sade Endowed Chair in Pediatric Cardiac Surgery where he built one of the most outstanding congenital heart surgery programs in the world.

• Langdon Hartsock, M.D., professor of Orthopedics and Physical Medicine, College of Medicine
  When recruited to MUSC, Hartsock was the only fellowship-trained orthopedic trauma surgeon at MUSC and in the state for almost 20 years. He is credited for creating and sustaining MUSC’s Orthopedic Trauma Service and cultivating a regionally recognized fracture surgery program.

SC Governor’s Awards for Excellence in Science

Award for Excellence in Scientific Research – Mark S. George, M.D., Distinguished University professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, the Layton McCurdy Endowed Chair in Psychiatry and editor-in-chief of Brain Stimulation, College of Medicine
George has made groundbreaking contributions to brain imaging and neuro-psychiatric treatments, significantly affecting the global understanding of these fields. His work on vagas nerve stimulation for resistant depression has led to four patents and four FDA-approved treatments, advancing patient care worldwide.

 

Distinguished Faculty Service Awards

• Brenda J. Hoffman, M.D., professor of Gastroenterology and Hepatology and chief of the MUSC Health Digestive Disease Endocrine and Metabolism Integrated Center of Excellence, College of Medicine
  Dedicating more than 35 years at MUSC as a clinician, educator, mentor and researcher, Hoffman has significantly expanded the understanding of gastrointestinal diseases and paved the way for innovative treatment strategies through her work on 49 grants and 71 publications. Earlier this year, she received the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Distinguished Educator Award for her outstanding teaching.

• Sunil J. Patel, M.D., professor and chair of Neurosurgery, College of Medicine
  Patel’s dedication and leadership for the last 30 years have significantly advanced the field of neurosurgery. He established the first neuro intensive care unit and first brain tumor bank in South Carolina and spearheaded the Telestroke Program, expanding it to over 50 hospitals across the state.

• Gigi M. Smith, Ph.D., professor of Nursing, associate provost for Education Innovation and Student Life
  For the past 20 years, Smith has been recognized as an outstanding educator, clinician, researcher and leader. She has demonstrated her passion and advocacy for student mental health and wellbeing serving as the founder and leader for the Charleston.