WGSA Exemplary Service Award
The WGSA Award for Exemplary Service is presented by the Western Group on Student Affairs (WGSA) to a current or former WGSA representative who has demonstrated exemplary service to the WGSA. “Exemplary service” is defined as significant and sustained leadership, expertise, and/or creativity in addressing an issue or issues of importance to the WGSA. Nominees for this award shall have demonstrated, in activities appropriate to membership in the WGSA, an extraordinary record of accomplishment, collaborative leadership, resourcefulness, dedication, mentoring of WGSA colleagues, and commitment to the mission of the WGSA. This service can be as a medical school faculty or staff member; a GSA Institutional Representative or GSA Individual Member; the chair or a member of a GSA national committee or section (Admissions, Student Diversity Affairs, Student Affairs, Student Financial Assistance, Student Records); a GSA representative to an AAMC advisory committee (AMCAS, ERAS, VSAS, CiM, MCAT, and others); or a GSA national or regional officer.
Presentation
This award may be presented at a WGSA regional business meeting.
Procedure
A call for nominations shall be announced annually at the WGSA regional business meeting at the fall AAMC Annual Meeting and via email by the WGSA listserv. Any WGSA representative may submit a nomination to the WGSA Past-chair. No self-nominations will be considered. Nominations will be submitted to the WGSA Steering Committee Chair with the nominee’s name, title, school and a statement of support indicating the nominees service and commitment to the WGSA.
Selection Process
The WGSA Steering Committee will review and select the award recipient for announcement at the business meeting. No nominee for the award may serve on the Steering Committee, nor be present for discussion and decision by the Steering Committee.
Reviewed and approved by the GSA Steering Committee November 2015.
Adopted by the WGSA Steering Committee November 2015.
Recent Award Recipients
2021
Marlene Ballejos, PhD, MPA
University of New Mexico, School of Medicine
2020
Teresa Cook, MEd
Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California
2019
Lawrence “Hy” Doyle, Ed.D.
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
2018
Donna Elliott, MD, MSEd, EdD
Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California
2017
Maureen Garrity, PhD
University of Colorado School of Medicine
2016
Michael D. Prislin, MD
University of California, Irvine School of Medicine
WGSA Travel Award
The WGSA Travel Fund has been created to support one staff from each of our member schools that, otherwise, would not have the opportunity to attend a conference; the fund will reimburse up to $2,000 of national conference-related expenses or $1000 of regional conference-related expenses. Multiple submissions from a single school will not be considered and should be submitted to the WGSA via your institutional representative. Funds will be distributed as budget allows. Eligibility and other important information about the WGSA Travel Fund can be found in the application.
If you have any questions, please contact Richard Amini, MD, WGSA Chair.