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From left: UNMC Student Senate Vice President Mike Chapman, Adah Earle, Eric Scholar, M.D., and UNMC Student Senate President Nick Behrendt. |
A professor in the Department of Pharmacology and the Eppley Institute, Dr. Scholar co-developed the game to help students with pharmacology review questions. It’s one example of how the UNMC professor of 30 years connects well with students.
Last week, UNMC students produced another example by naming him the 2004 recipient of the Alvin M. Earle Outstanding Health Sciences Educator Award.
The only award initiated and given by UNMC students, the Alvin Earle award is presented to an instructor who has demonstrated sincere interest in his discipline, involvement with students and excellence in the quality of instruction. Award recipients receive a $500 honorarium and have their name added to the Alvin M. Earle plaque in the Wittson Hall lobby.
“Dr. Scholar fulfills an extremely important niche here as the primary educator for graduate students and medical students in pharmacology,” a nominator said. “This entails organizing and administering the entire course, including small groups, mini-quizzes, exams and arranging lectures for the course. While this is no small task for 240 students taking the course per year, he is able to give individualized attention to those who need it.”
Dr. Scholar has embraced new technologies involved with teaching, creating many problem-based learning courses and developing Web sites and Web courses dedicated to education. “These have been well received by students,” his nominator said.
Also nominated for the 2004 award, along with excerpts from student nomination letters, were:
Joyce Black, Ph.D. – “Dr. Black brings a passion and sense of humor to serious matters that I have never encountered before. She also does a great job of leading by example and teaching that it is OK, and sometimes helpful, to use humor appropriately in the hospital setting.”
James Newland, M.D. – “From diabetes and cholesterol to environmental toxins, students always knew that pathology with Dr. Newland was going to be a learning adventure! Dr. Newland’s lectures tied together in-depth professional knowledge with personal experience which created the perfect learning environment.”
Devin Nickol, M.D. – “His hard work in the ICE course is not the only way in which Dr. Nickol exemplifies the ideals of the Alvin Earle Award. Dr. Nickol regularly volunteers at the SHARING clinic in south Omaha, where medical students are given the opportunity to have more responsibility in the care of patients, as well as to serve those who do not regularly have access to medical care.”
Dean Collier, Pharm.D. – “Dr. Collier is not here to tell students whether they were right or wrong on exams, but instead he is more concerned about whether we have grasped the material. He sets up several focus groups a year to make sure students are finding the material conducive to their course of study. Dr. Collier is truly an outstanding educator.”
Leslie Gleaves – “She is an extraordinary teacher as well as an extraordinary person..she is an expert in the area of pediatrics and is a great clinical instructor, making sure you always feel very comfortable.”
Audrey Nelson, Ph.D. – “Dr. Nelson exhibits a high level of expertise in pediatrics and nursing research. It takes a truly gifted instructor to be able to pass this knowledge to students. Dr. Nelson is one of those gifted instructors.”
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Grace Johnson – “Grace’s willingness to share her enthusiasm for life and the field of physical therapy with those around her is unstoppable. A typical day in the classroom with Grace is one of versatility. The expectations of her students are high and unwavering, and her excitement is contagious.”
Surinder Batra, Ph.D. – “One thing students appreciate about Dr. Batra’s teaching style is that he uses diagrams and illustrations more than the written text, which really helps us understand the material. Another great thing about his lectures is that he explains a lot of practical applications of the principles he is teaching in class.”
In 1968, Dr. Earle joined UNMC, where he taught neural sciences to students in all five of the colleges. During his tenure, he received numerous teaching awards. When he retired in 1994, the UNMC Student Senate established the award in his name to recognize outstanding teaching and mentoring.