The David A. Harrison Distinguished Educator Award 2017

Congratulations, Dr. Derewenda and Dr. McGahren!

“Over his tenure at UVA, Dr. Derewenda embarked on a unique and unprecedented mission to build opportunities for young scientists and to change the course of their lives in ways that would never happen through formal programs. Many credit their careers directly to their first meeting with Dr. Derewenda.” – Colleagues

“I believe that no one had a stronger influence on my career path than Professor Derewenda. His mentorship set me on a very successful career path.” – Student

“It is my sincere hope that I may affect students in my professional life as profoundly as he has affected me.” – Student

“His enthusiasm for and dedication to teaching combined with immense knowledge of the subject made more challenging concepts comprehensible for almost everyone, thus sparking interest in structural biology among faculty and students from diverse disciplines.” – Student

“Clearly, Zygmunt’s efforts have led to and continue to build a future generation of scientists and educators who will significantly impact biomedical sciences.” – Colleague

“Perhaps one of the clearest indications of how much he cares about the students is that he pretty much remembers every single student who has been in the program, knows where most of them continued their careers after being in the program, and keeps in touch with many of them.” – Colleague

“Dr. McGahren is the epitome of the role model that all of us who teach and seek to influence our impressionable young trainees should aspire to be.” – Colleague

“Providing that perfect mix of teaching, supervision, and autonomy requires a very intentional and repetitive evaluation of the learner. This is one of the areas in which Dr. McGahren excels.” – Student

“With no exceptions, he has consistently demonstrated the highest level of commitment to the education of every individual medical student on his service. While not all students are created equal, he gives equally of himself to give each of them the best learning opportunities possible.” –Student

“As an educator, he has excelled at bedside teaching, administration of the clerkship in Surgery, and as a thoughtful member of several important committees dedicated to medical education at UVA.” – Colleague

“Dr. McGahren’s career as a surgical educator has been defined by unparalleled consistency, quality, and empathy. Even more impressive, he has upheld this level of dedication for more than two decades. He has sacrificed countless hours to build effective clinicians, and it is largely because of his tireless efforts that graduates of the University of Virginia are some of the most sought-after candidates across the country.” – Resident