Women's Faculty Committee Awards
The UMass Chan Women’s Faculty Committee (WFC) Awards, presented in collaboration with the Office of Faculty Affairs, honor the remarkable achievements of our faculty members, with a focus on gender equity and empowering women and people of other minoritized gender identities in medicine, nursing, and science.
WFC Awards
Women and people of other minoritized gender identities (i.e. nonbinary) continue to face significant obstacles to advancement within academic medicine1, the biomedical sciences2, and nursing3. As such, the Women’s Faculty Committee encourages nominations that spotlight the exceptional contributions of our diverse faculty, especially those who have advanced opportunities for women and other underrepresented groups in their fields.
These prestigious awards are a testament to our unwavering commitment to promoting gender equity and inclusivity at UMass Chan Medical School and are open to all UMass Chan faculty members (part-time, full-time, employed, or voluntary) regardless of sex or gender identity.
The awards honor individuals who have demonstrated excellence in education, community service, scientific achievement, or patient care.
Award Categories
CHRISTINE K. CASSEL, MD ’76 FACULTY SCHOLAR AWARD
This award recognizes an assistant or associate professor faculty member for exceptional accomplishments related to medical ethics, human rights, and social justice.
Impactful nominations must be from a department chair or other senior mentor and will include a description of the nominee's accomplishments related to medical ethics, human rights, and social justice (including, but not limited to, research, scholarship, leadership, and advocacy), a description of the nominee's accomplishments, scholarship, and contributions to their field and UMass Chan, and evidence of inclusive leadership in practice, which involves creating a work environment where people feel safe, respected, and valued.
SARAH STONE EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION AWARD
This award is presented to a faculty member who has made exceptional contributions in education and/or curriculum development.
Impactful nominations will include examples of the nominee's exceptional contributions in education and/or curriculum development (including innovative teaching methods or curriculum design), and their impact (on student learning outcomes, improvements in educational practices or enhanced student engagement).
SCIENCE AND HEALTH ACHIEVEMENTS AWARD
This award is presented to a faculty member who has made exceptional contributions to the basic or clinical sciences in medicine.
Impactful nominations will include examples of the nominee's significant contributions to basic or clinical sciences (including grant awards, groundbreaking research findings, publications, or involvement in leading scientific projects), and evidence of the nominee's leadership and collaboration in scientific communities (for example mentorship or emerging scientists or involvement in collaborative research initiatives).
EARLY CAREER ACHIEVEMENT IN SCIENCE AND HEALTH AWARD
This award is presented to a junior faculty member (instructor or assistant professor) whose accomplishments show great promise in the areas of basic or clinical sciences in medicine.
Impactful nominations will include examples of the nominee's accomplishments that demonstrate exceptional promise in basic or clinical sciences (including early achievements, innovative research projects, or recognition by their peers), and insights into the nominee's professional development and growth (including mentorship experiences, participation in professional organizations, or plans for future research).
EXCELLENCE IN CLINICAL SERVICE AWARD
This award is presented to a faculty member who has made exceptional contributions to patient care in the UMass and/or Worcester community.
Impactful nominations will include detailed examples of the nominee's contributions to clinical excellence (including innovative clinical practices, quality improvement initiatives, and contributions to patient safety) and dedication to patient care within the UMass and/or Worcester community (including patient advocacy, compassion in patient care, and impact on patient and family satisfaction).
OUTSTANDING MENTORING AWARD
This award is presented to a leader who has provided strong mentoring and support to minoritized and under-represented faculty.
Impactful nominations will include examples of nominee's commitment to mentoring (including the number of faculty mentored, examples of support provided, and the outcomes of their mentees achievements) and evidence of the nominee's leadership in promoting gender equity (including advocacy, involvement in professional organizations, and efforts to create inclusive environments for people of all genders within academia medicine).
OUTSTANDING COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD
This award is presented to a faculty member who best exemplifies outstanding community service to the UMass and/or Worcester community outside normal job duties.
Impactful nominations will include detailed examples of the nominee's service to the UMass Chan and/or Worcester community (including leadership roles in community projects, volunteer work, and contributions to community well-being) and description of the impact of the nominee's community service efforts (including long-term benefits to the community, sustainability of projects initiated, and recognition by community members and/or organizations).
References
1.Lautenberger, D., & Dandar, V. The State of Women in Academic Medicine. Exploring Pathways to Equity. Wahington, DC: 2019.
2. Plank-Bazinet, J. L., Heggeness, M. L., Lund, P. K., & Clayton, J. A. (2017). Women's Careers in Biomedical Sciences: Implications for the Economy, Scientific Discovery, and Women's Health. Journal of women's health (2002), 26(5), 525–529. https://doi.org/10.1089/jwh.2016.6012
3. Pérez-Sánchez, S., Madueño, S. E., & Montaner, J. (2021). Gender Gap in the Leadership of Health Institutions: The Influence of Hospital-Level Factors. Health equity, 5(1), 521–525. https://doi.org/10.1089/heq.2021.0013
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A full list of past recipients by award can be found here.
2025 Award Recipients
CHRISTINE K. CASSEL, MD ’76 FACULTY SCHOLAR AWARD: Tara Kumaraswami, MD, MPH
EARLY CAREER ACHIEVEMENT IN SCIENCE AND HEALTH AWARD: Jamie Faro, PhD, MS
EXCELLENCE IN CLINICAL SERVICE AWARD: Abita Raj, MD
SARAH STONE EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION AWARD: Vandana Nagpal, MD
SCIENCE AND HEALTH ACHIEVEMENTS AWARD: Amy Walker, PhD
OUTSTANDING COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD: Wynne S. Morgan, MD
OUTSTANDING MENTORING AWARD: Kristen Matteson, MD, MPH