The Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (EACPHS) announces its 2012 excellence in teaching and staff awards.

The honorees are:
Prism Award for Innovation in Teaching - Martha Schiller, director of clinical education and assistant professor-clinical, Physical Therapy, Department of Health Care Sciences.
Excellence in Teaching -- Full-time faculty Candice Garwood, associate professor-clinical, Department of Pharmacy Practice; and Joshua Reineke, assistant professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences; and part-time faculty Valdor Haglund, assistant professor-clinical, Nurse Anesthesia, Department of Health Care Sciences.
Outstanding Staff - Sherry Pruitt, secretary III, Business Affairs, Human Resources.

The honorees were nominated for the awards by their peers, reviewed and recommended by a committee of past award winners with final approval of Dean Lloyd Young. Each of the awards brings a commemorative gift and monetary award to be used towards educational materials, speakers for academic or professional development, or travel to present innovative work.

The Prism Prize for Innovation in Teaching recognizes Schiller's exemplary service learning strategies engaging students in two student-run clinics. The pro-bono Diabetes Education Wellness Clinic (DEW Clinic) engages students in occupational therapy, pharmacy, physical therapy, and the School of Social Work to serve under-insured and uninsured women and children. The second student-run clinic is the pro-bono Physical Therapy Clinic. Both clinics are located within the S.A.Y. Detroit Family Health Clinic in Highland Park. These experiences are characterized by academic objectives, student volunteerism, community partnerships, and reflective practice, which are the criteria for purposeful service learning opportunities impacting the growth and development of student practitioners in the health sciences.

The Excellence in Teaching Award acknowledges Garwood's outstanding knowledge of curriculum, teaching learning skills, her commitment as educator, mentor and preceptor. She is recognized as a professional role model for her students. Her expertise excels in ambulatory care, geriatric medicine and primary care issues. Garwood is extensively published in the area of anticoagulation and in demand as a speaker for national meetings. She is co-coordinator of the highly popular anticoagulation course in Pharmacy Practice and lectures in at least two of the pharmacotherpeutic modules, using active learning techniques to increase student involvement in the classroom. She also is director for the postgraduate year two (PGY2 ) pharmacy residency Ambulatory Practice at Harper University Hospital. Garwood exemplifies for her students a practicing clinical pharmacy specialist who fosters and develops relationships with patients, physicians and other health care providers.

An Excellence in Teaching was awarded to Reineke based on his stimulating and lively teaching techniques in the classroom and in the laboratory. While projecting a caring attitude, he maintains strong standards. He is available to provide guidance and counsel students both inside and outside the classroom. In the laboratory, he instructs students on study designation, experimental operation and laboratory regulations and guides them into involvement in the scientific community, teaching scientific advancement in the field and exploring available resources to plan long-term research goals. A professional role model for his postdocs and students, Reineke holds himself to high ethical standards and encourages those standards in his students. Under his academic direction, students graduate from his research group well-prepared and confident to excel in their professional careers.

Receiving the Teaching in Excellence Award as part-time faculty, Haglund is described as a dedicated educator, who is detailed oriented and thorough. His lectures go beyond the scope of textbooks. Through his association and involvement in professional associations, he stays current on issues and shares his knowledge and enthusiasm for the profession with his students. Haglund is cited for his strong student interaction, communicating well with students "in" and "out" of the classroom. He also was recognized for his artful use of humor to liven up his presentations and to make important concepts and clinical scenarios memorable for students. "Learning is often effortless in his otherwise challenging classes," said a student nominator.

Receiving the Staff Service Award, Pruitt is described as a seasoned professional who has expanded her knowledge and performance within job responsibilities beyond expectations. Her enthusiasm and commitment to service is acknowledged by colleagues both on the college and the university's main campuses. Characterized as a versatile employee, Pruitt successfully works to improve relationships among personnel and departments, to resolve complex problems, and to take on unexpected personnel processing issues, reporting and special projects while meeting her day-to-day responsibilites.

Wyn Schumann Wendelken (left), retired EACPHS asistant dean for Student and Alumni Affairs, who established the Prism Prize presents the award to Martha Schiller.

Excellence in Teaching Award recipients (from left) Candice Garwood, Joshua Reineke, Dean Lloyd Young and Valdor Haglund

Staff member Sherry Pruitt receives the Outstanding Service Award from Dean Lloyd Young.

February 4, 2013

Media Contact: Kathleen Karas, APR
Phone: 313-577-2312
Email: kkaras@wayne.edu