Three School of Medicine employees were recognized this spring by Larry J. Shapiro, M.D., executive vice chancellor and dean of the School of Medicine, for their outstanding contributions and exceptional commitment and dedication to the school.
The Dean’s Distinguished Award went to Michael Royal, staff pharmacist in the Department of Internal Medicine – AIDS Clinical Trials Unit. Royal has been a staff pharmacist in the AIDS Clinical Trials Unit since 1998.
“During this time Michael has served with distinction acting as both a valuable patient and staff resource but also has served as a clinical preceptor for literally scores of pharmacy students,” said David B. Clifford, M.D., Melba and Forest Seay Professor of Clinical Neuropharmacology in Neurology and professor of medicine, and Michael K. Klebert, research instructor in medicine, in support of Royal’s nomination. “Michael consistently performs at a high level, readily seizing the initiative and moving projects forward. His service to the HIV community is well recognized as he has presented at and attended numerous support groups, been active in local AIDS service organizations, and served nationally as a leader among the AIDS Clinical Trials Group. His contributions have been integral to the success of our unit, and have contributed in a significant way to the development of modern HIV therapeutics.”
The Dean’s Research Support Award went to Mary Hoffmann, clinical research nurse coordinator in the Department of Internal Medicine – Renal.
Hoffman, who joined the School of Medicine in 1998, is extremely dedicated and always on task, said Anitha Vijayan, M.D., associate professor of medicine, in support of Hoffman’s nomination. “During the national study meetings, Mary was recognized by the Study Chairman as the ‘go-to’ coordinator and was asked to advise other coordinators on how to improve recruitment,” Vijayan said. “In addition to her commitment, what has struck me (and others) about Mary is her compassion. She takes extra time to spend with families to alleviate their anxiety about their loved ones. One can tell that she truly takes pride in her work and cares about the patients and families. She is truly a motivational figure for all of us and Washington University should be proud to have her on its staff.”
The Dean’s Operations Staff Award went to Jacquelyn Fleming, coordinator of clinical/research/lab/office/education in the Department of Surgery. Fleming joined the Department of Surgery in 1991.
John Kirby, M.D., assistant professor of surgery (General Surgery), said of Fleming, “Jackie really does more than coordinate the Surgical Clerkship Program. She is an effective administrator and regularly exceeds her job specifications in difficult situations. She is the first person that students turn to with problem in their rotations. Jackie has also transformed the way in which we are able to look at our survey data of our students. She has put this together for a research project to improve the quality of surgical rotations nationwide, and this is now before the Human Research Protection Office Internal Review Board.”
Earlier this year, Matia D. Bryant, medical assistant II in the Department of Internal Medicine, Medical Oncology, received the Guiding Star Award for the Clinical Employee of the Year.
Special retiree recognition went to Shirlene Taylor, data entry operator II in the Department of Neurology.