Faculty awards
The Faculty Senate recognizes faculty for meritorious teaching, service or mentoring at its annual meeting, which this year will be at 4 p.m. on April 20 in the Durham Research Center Auditorium.
Awardees are:
Outstanding Teacher Award
- Justin Mott, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor & medical assistant director, biochemistry and molecular biology, College of Medicine;
- Diego Torres-Russotto, M.D., associate professor, neurological sciences, College of Medicine;
- Catherine Binstock, instructor, College of Nursing-Omaha Division; and
- Dawn Venema, Ph.D., assistant professor, physical therapy education, College of Allied Health Professions.
Outstanding Faculty Mentor of Graduate Students Award
- Corri Hanson, Ph.D., associate professor, medical nutrition education, College of Allied Health Professions
Outstanding Faculty Mentor of Junior Faculty Award
- Iraklis Pipinos, M.D., professor, surgery-general surgery, College of Medicine
- Bernice Yates, Ph.D., professor, College of Nursing-Omaha Division
Justin Mott, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor & medical assistant director, biochemistry and molecular biology, will receive the Outstanding Teacher Award at the April 20 annual faculty meeting.
- Name: Justin Mott, M.D., Ph.D.
- Title: Associate professor
- Joined UNMC: October 2011
- Hometown: Denver
What are the greatest rewards of teaching?
I really want to thank the students — they provide the rewards for teaching. Our students have an energy and enthusiasm that is contagious. Also, you never really know a topic until you have to teach it. I have learned a lot about what I don’t know.
Describe a moment in your career when you realized you had picked the right occupation.
I have been lucky to have the right teaching mentors who have helped motivate me to improve my teaching approach and style. I enjoy the student interaction and the mentoring I get. That is very satisfying.
What are the biggest challenges you face as a teacher?
Students naturally want to learn. But they can become disenchanted by the process. My biggest challenge is not getting in their way and not discouraging them.
How do you know when you’ve been successful as a teacher?
The students let you know. When they seek you out for help, or say in passing they learned a lot, it matters. It feels good. Sometimes, you find out they have said nice things about you to others. It is heartwarming.
My favorite comment is when a student writes: “I wish he could lecture more!”
Justin, well-deserved. Congratulations!!
Outstanding! Proud of you.
Congratulations – a very well-deserved award to a great teacher!
I feel incredibly lucky to have you as a colleague. This is a well-deserved award; I have heard many good things about you from the students.
Congratulations Dr. Mott! You very well deserve for this award!
Congratulations, Justin! Thanks for all of the teaching and mentoring you do for our MD/PhD students!
Congratulations Dr. Mott, a Well-deserved honor!!
Congratulations!! A well-deserved recognition, my friend! So proud of you!!