Chancellor’s Medals

These four annual faculty medals represent the highest achievements in teaching, scholarship, service and clinical Practice. They are presented by the Chancellor at the beginning of each academic year at Convocation. Faculty members in any of the three schools – the T.H. Chan School of Medicine, the Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing and the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences – who hold the rank of associate professor or professor are eligible for nomination.

Chancellor’s Medal for Distinguished Teaching

This medal is based on the candidate’s longstanding teaching contributions during the period of his or her association with UMass Chan. Candidates for this medal must have demonstrated the ability to teach effectively and evaluate diverse students in a range of courses and on a variety of levels, to adapt different modes of teaching to different learning situations, and to explore novel teaching methods. In addition to being excellent course instructors, candidates should have demonstrated excellence in related activities, such as advising and mentoring students, developing and assessing curricula, assessing student learning outcomes, and guiding junior faculty to develop their teaching skills. Nominations should provide evidence that the candidate’s teaching has fostered students’ personal, intellectual and professional development.

Recipients of this honor deliver a "Last Lecture" at the annual Educational Recognition Awards ceremony. 

2024: Mary Callery O’Brien, MD
2023: Susan Zweizig, MD
2022: Melissa Fischer, MD, MEd
2021: Pang-Yen Fan, MD
2019: Mai-Lan Rogoff, MD
2018: Janet Hale, PhD
2017: Anne Gilroy, MA
2016: David Hatem, MD
2015: Julie Jonassen, PhD
2014: David Clive, MD
2013: Richard Glew, MD
2012: Sheldon Benjamin, MD
2011: William "Jerry" Durbin, MD
2010: Susan Gagliardi, PhD

Chancellor’s Medal for Distinguished Scholarship

This medal is based on the scholarly work that the candidate has presented to the public during the period of his or her association with UMass Chan. The candidate’s work must exhibit excellence as evidenced by its import and impact nationally and internationally. The assessment of peers, both internal and external to the campus, will carry particular weight in the medals process, as will extramural grant funding and publications in scholarly journals with high impact. In addition to being an excellent scholar, candidates should have demonstrated an ability to engage others in their work, e.g., graduate students.

Recipients of this honor deliver the keynote address at the annual Research Retreat.

2024: Craig L. Peterson, PhD
2023: Douglas Golenbock, MD
2022: Marian Walhout, PhD
2021: Anastasia Khvorova, PhD
2019: Job Dekker, PhD
2018: Katherine Fitzgerald, PhD
2017: Robert H. Brown Jr., DPhil, MD
2016: Steven Reppert, MD
2015: Phillip D. Zamore, PhD
2014: Allan Jacobson, PhD
2013: Thomas Grisso, PhD
2012: Roger J. Davis, PhD
2011: Michael R. Green, MD, PhD
2010: Michael P. Czech, PhD 

Chancellor’s Medal for Distinguished Clinical Excellence

This medal reflects a record of excellence in clinical practice during faculty affiliation with UMass Chan and a sustained contribution to improvements in clinical care, as well as a history of serving as a role model for peers, residents and students in the provision of quality clinical care.

Recipients of this honor deliver the White Coat Ceremony address during Convocation.

2024: Erik Garcia, MD
2023: Kathryn Edmiston, MD
2022: Ira Ockene, MD
2021: Janice F. Lalikos, MD
2019: Sarah Cheeseman, MD
2018: Theo Meyer, MD, PhD
2017: Robert Quinlan, MD
2016: David Drachman, MD
2015: John Zawacki, MD
2014: Karen Green, MD
2013: Richard S. Irwin, MD
2012: Oscar Starobin, MD

Chancellor’s Medal for Distinguished Service

This medal is based on the candidate’s service contributions during the period of his or her association with UMass Chan. Candidates for this medal should have provided service that is consistent with the mission of the academic health sciences center. The service activities should have made demonstrable, substantial and long-lasting contributions to the campus community (academic or clinical) or the community at large or to the candidate’s discipline or profession. This can include both exemplary clinical service and public service activities.

Recipients of this honor carry the mace at formal university functions throughout the year.

2024: Jean Frazier, MD
2023: Jill Terrien, PhD
2022: Deborah DeMarco, MD
2021: Robert W. Finberg, MD
2019: Matilde Castiel, MD
2018: Robert Baldor, MD
2017: Michael P. Hirsh, MD
2016: Deborah Harmon Hines, PhD
2015: Thoru Pederson, PhD
2014: Michele P. Pugnaire, MD
2013: Judith K. Ockene, PhD
2012: Daniel H. Lasser, MD
2011: Marianne E. Felice, MD
2010: John L. Sullivan, PhD