aamc.org does not support this web browser.

    2020 AAMC Award Recipients

    The AAMC is pleased to announce the 2020 recipients of the association’s annual awards, which honor individuals and institutions making significant contributions to medical education, research, clinical care, and community engagement.

    This year’s award winners will be recognized during a video tribute in November at Learn Serve Lead 2020: The Virtual Experience.

    Do you know someone who exemplifies the best of academic medicine? Nominations for the 2021 AAMC Awards are now open! Visit aamc.org/awards to learn more about the criteria and to submit a nomination.

    Sondra Zabar, MD

    2020 Abraham Flexner Award for Distinguished Service to Medical Education

    Through scholarship, mentorship, and educational and assessment innovation, Sondra Zabar, MD, professor of medicine at NYUGSOM, has been on the leading edge of teaching and evaluating clinical care.

    Learn more about Dr. Zabar

    Jean Bennett, MD, PhD, and Albert M. Maguire, MD

    2020 Award for Distinguished Research in the Biomedical Sciences

    Countless people around the world who were blinded by a once-untreatable disease can now see because of a pioneering gene therapy developed by Jean Bennett, MD, PhD, and Albert M. Maguire, MD.

    Learn more about Dr. Bennett and Dr. Maguire

    Ezekiel J. “Zeke” Emanuel, MD, PhD

    2020 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation David E. Rogers Award

    Few physicians have had as demonstrable an effect on improving the health of Americans in the 21st century as Ezekiel J. Emanuel, MD, PhD, vice provost for global initiatives at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

    Learn more about Dr. Emanuel

    Cato T. Laurencin, MD, PhD

    2020 Herbert W. Nickens Award

    Cato T. Laurencin, MD, PhD, has distinguished himself throughout his 40-year career as a phenomenal physician-scientist and a courageous leader in social justice, equity, and fairness.

    Learn more about Dr. Laurencin

    Patricia Garcia, MD, MPH

    2020 Arnold P. Gold Foundation Humanism in Medicine Award

    Patricia Garcia, MD, MPH, exemplifies humanism in medicine, working tirelessly to champion her patients, students, and a better society.

    Learn more about Dr. Garcia

    Rush Medical College of Rush University Medical Center

    2020 Spencer Foreman Award for Outstanding Community Engagement

    The first medical school in Chicago, established in 1837, Rush Medical College of Rush University Medical Center continues to be a trusted community member, service provider, and leader where learners, faculty, staff, and administrators demonstrate their commitment to the West Side of Chicago and the greater Chicagoland area through coordinated and sustainable engagement and investment.

    Learn more about the Rush Medical College of Rush University Medical Center

    John W. Bigbee, PhD

    2020 Alpha Omega Alpha Robert J. Glaser Distinguished Teacher Award

    Over three decades, John W. Bigbee, PhD, professor, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology at VCU, has developed a reputation as an innovative and enthusiastic educator.

    Learn more about Dr. Bigbee

    Marianne M. Green, MD, FACP

    2020 Alpha Omega Alpha Robert J. Glaser Distinguished Teacher Award

    Since joining the faculty at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in 1997, Marianne M. Green, MD, FACP, has pioneered educational reform. Under Dr. Green’s leadership, Feinberg was among the first medical schools to modernize its curriculum and implement a comprehensive electronic portfolio-based assessment system, which permits the longitudinal measurement of competency achievement and individualized student support for learning.

    Learn more about Dr. Green

    Paul A. Hemmer, MD, MPH, MACP

    2020 Alpha Omega Alpha Robert J. Glaser Distinguished Teacher Award

    Ever passionate about student and faculty development, Paul A. Hemmer, MD, MPH, MACP, has dedicated his career to improving medical education.

    Learn more about Dr. Hemmer

    Daniel R. Wolpaw, MD

    2020 Alpha Omega Alpha Robert J. Glaser Distinguished Teacher Award

    Over the past four decades, Daniel R. Wolpaw, MD, has been a force for innovation in medical education, envisioning learner development as a complex adaptive challenge aimed at preparing medical students to lead and practice in the health care systems of the future.

    Learn more about Dr. Wolpaw