The University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health Dean’s Teaching Awards were established in 1992 to honor outstanding contributions in student education in medical school programs.
These awards are selected by a committee of faculty that have previously been honored for their excellence in teaching and educational leadership, and as such, are the UW School of Medicine and Public Health’s only peer-selected teaching award.
2026 Winners
James Bigham, MD, MPH
Dr. James Bigham joined the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health in 2012. He serves as the course director for Family Medicine 913: Firearm Injury Prevention and as a Phase 2 Department Block Leader (DBL) for Chronic Preventive Care where he provides special instruction on firearm injury prevention, vaccine hesitancy, and community engagement. Dr. Bigham co-founded Lock, Stock and Barrel, a hands-on firearm injury prevention program hosted at a local gun shop which bridges the gap between health professional students, clinicians, and the firearm community. He also has made substantial contributions to medical student education as a small group facilitator and clinical preceptor. He is known for teaching in a way that intentionally fosters a positive learning environment grounded in respect, connection, and professional formation. Dr. Bigham received his BS, MD, and MPH from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Ajay K. Sethi, PhD, MHS, FNAP
Dr. Ajay Sethi joined the Department of Population Health Sciences in 2008. He has served as Faculty Director of the Master of Public Health Program since 2014. An infectious disease epidemiologist, Dr. Sethi teaches a variety of learners in health professions and graduate degree programs. In 2016, he developed the popular public health selective, Conspiracies in Public Health, with the goal of helping learners build skills in having difficult conversations about hot button topics. In 2021, Dr. Sethi was honored with a Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award and in 2025, he was elected as a Distinguished Scholar Fellow in the inaugural class of the Public Health Academy of the National Academies of Practice. Dr. Sethi received his BS from the University of Maryland, College Park, and MHS and PhD from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Lee D. Faucher, MD
Dr. Lee Faucher is an acute care surgeon and professor in the Department of Surgery, where he has served since 2004. His current roles included Phase 3 Co-Director and Medical Student Mentorship Lead for medical students pursuing surgical careers, providing comprehensive advising, and overseeing the department’s mentorship infrastructure throughout clinical training and the residency application process. Dr. Faucher has contributed significantly to the medical school curriculum, including the development of case-based learning in burn and soft tissue care for Phase 2 students. He has also demonstrated longstanding leadership in medical education through his service on the Student Promotion and Review Committee, including eight years as Chair. Dr. Faucher earned both his BS and MD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He also served in the United States Air Force and Air National Guard for 17 years.
Laura E. Birkeland, MS, CGC
Ms. Laura Birkeland is an assistant professor and certified genetic counselor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology since 2007. Currently, she serves as the program director for the Masters of Genetic Counselor Studies (MGCS) program at SMPH. In addition to her administrative work with the MGCS program, she teaches courses for genetic counseling students in metabolic genetics, embryology and prenatal genetics, advanced clinical genetics, and professional issues. Ms. Birkeland has (co)mentored twelve genetic counseling students through their graduate research project. She provides clinical supervision to second-year genetic counseling students, as well as Laboratory Genetics and Genomics (LGG) fellows and OB/Gyn residents. She also contributes to the Center for Interprofessional Practice & Education (CIPE) by facilitating workshops and collaborating on the development of new learning experiences. Ms. Birkeland received her BA from Gustavus Adolphus College and her MS from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Previous Dean's Teaching Award Winners
| wdt_ID | Year | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2020 | Beth Altschafl, PhD; Meghan Cotter, PhD; Kelly Hodgson Kline, MD; Sara Johnson, MD; Catherine A. Reiser, MS, CGC |
| 2 | 2019 | Ashwani Bhati, MD; Elise Davis, PhD; Scott Mead, MD; A. Neil Salyapongse, MD; Sana Waheed, MD |
| 3 | 2018 | Barbara Duerst, RN, MS; Jamie Hess, MD; Kenneth Merkitch Jr., MD; Jason Stephenson, MD |
| 4 | 2017 | Will Aughenbaugh, MD; John W. Beasley, MD; Ann P. O'Rourke, MD, MPH; Eliot C. Williams, MD, PhD |
| 5 | 2016 | Michael Bentz, MD; Mark Burkard, MD, PhD; Robert Corliss, MD; Virginia Snyder, PhD, PA-C |
| 6 | 2015 | Tabassum A. Kennedy, MD; Mary S. Landry, MD; Elaine M. Pelley, MD; James H. Stein, MD. Dean's Award for Excellence in Student Research Mentorship: Paul M. Sondel, MD, PhD. |
| 7 | 2013 | David M. Deci, MD; Kyla R. Lee, MD, FACP; Erik Ranheim, MD, PhD; Art Walaszek, MD. Dean's Award for Excellence in Student Research Mentorship: Gregory D. Kennedy, MD, PhD |
| 8 | 2012 | Louis Bernhardt, MD; Lori DiPrete Brown, MS, MTS; Daniel W. Knoch, MD; Lori J. Remeika, MD. Dean's Award for Excellence in Student Research Mentorship: Pamela J. Kling, MD |
| 9 | 2011 | Dean's Teaching Awards: Joshua E. Medow, MD, MS; Gregory Rice, MD; Lonie R. Salkowski, MD; Rebecca S. Sippel, MD. Dean's Award for Excellence in Student Research Mentorship: Jonathan Temte, MD, PhD |
| 10 | 2010 | Norman Jensen, MD, MS; James Keck, PhD; Gretchen Schwarze, MD, MPP; Bruce Slaughenhoupt, MD, FAAP. Dean’s Award for Excellence in Medical Student Research Mentorship: Herbert Chen, MD, FACS; Bermans Iskandar, MD |
| 11 | 2009 | John R. Brill, MD, MPH; Norman Fost, MD, MPH; Jonathan G. Keevil, MD; Patrick E. McBride, MD, MPH |
| 12 | 2008 | Jane Zanutto Crone, APNP, M Ed, MS; Kimberly M. Lansing, MD, PhD; F. Javier Nieto, MD, MPH, PhD; Katharina S. Stewart, MD; Stephen J. Weiler, MD |
| 13 | 2007 | Yolanda Tai Becker, MD; Robert H. Fillingame, PhD; Terrence Frick, MD; Michael Fritsch, MD, PhD; Kevin M. McKown, MD |
| 14 | 2006 | Shobhina G. Chheda, MD, MPH; Gary E. Lyons, PhD; Gwenevere C. McIntosh, MD, MPH; A. Vishnu Moorthy, MD |
| 15 | 2004 | William G. Boissonnault, PT, DHSc, FAAOMPT; Catherine L. Gallagher, MD; Carol A. Hasenyager, MD; Thomas B. Kloosterboer, MD; Kathy A. Schlimgen, BS; Donald R. Yandow, MD |
| 16 | 2003 | David C. Mann, MD; Carl E. Stafstrom, MD, PhD; Gail Underbakke, RD, MS; Laura J. Zakowski, MD |
| 17 | 2002 | George Mejicano, MD, MS; Patrick Remington, MD, MPH; Kevin Strang, PhD; Christie Seibert, MD |
| 18 | 2001 | David A. Brow, PhD; Daniel K. Resnick, MD, MS; Ann E. Ruscher, MD |
| 19 | 2000 | Gregg A. Heatley, MD; Thomas C. Jackson, MD; Mikel Snow, PhD |
| 20 | 1999 | Cynthia L. Haq, MD; Karen M. Krabbenhoft, PhD; Dean Manning, PhD; Richard L. Moss, PhD; Bennett Vogelman, MD |
| 21 | 1998 | Thomas Farrell, MD; Dean Keller, MD; Carl Sievert, PhD; Lyn Thet, MD |
| 22 | 1997 | John Harting, PhD; Diane Heatley, MD; Lawrence Kahan, PhD; Elizabeth Silverman, MD |
| 23 | 1996 | Edward Bersu, PhD; James Davis, MD; Sharon Ehrmeyer, PhD |
| 24 | 1995 | Julie Franz; Pat Kokotailo, MD; Tom Pienkowski |
| 25 | 1994 | Carolyn Bell, MD; Minesh Mehta, MD; Judith Manning, PhD; Robert Metzenberg, PhD; William Fahl, PhD; Lewis Haberly, PhD |
| 26 | 1993 | Stanley Cupery, MD; Peter Hanson, MD; Ed Schultz, PhD; Susan Skochelak, MD, MPH |
| 27 | 1992 | Robert Barreras, MD; Paul Bertics, PhD; Sheldon Horowitz, MD; Mary Ellen Peters, MD |
| 28 | 2022 | Kirstin Nackers, MD; Parvathy Pillai, MD, MPH; Maxfield Flynn, MD, PhD; Kjersti Knox, MD |
| 29 | 2021 | Allison Grayev, MD; Jeannina Smith, MD; Erick Tarula, MD; Susan Wenker, PT, PhD, GCS |
| 30 | 2023 | Gregory Avey, MD; Dawn Elfenbein, MD, MPH, FACS; Ronni Hayon, MD; Daniel J. Uhlrich, PhD |
| 31 | 2024 | Katie Kastner, MD; Claudia Reardon MD; Nick Rose, MD; Irina Shakhnovich, MD, RPVI, FACS |
| 32 | ||
| 33 | 2025 | Mark Beamsley, MD; Erin Brooks, MD; Tiffany Lin, MD; Courtney Morgan MD |
| 34 | 2026 | James Bigham, MD, MPH; Lee D. Faucher, MD; Ajay K. Sethi, PhD, MHS, FNAP; Laura E. Birkeland, MS, CGC |