UT San Antonio

LSOM Academy of Educational Scholars Master Educator Awards


Mission: The Academy of Educational Scholars is pleased to announce a call for nominations for two LSOM Academy of Educational Scholars Master Educator Awards. These awards were created to recognize faculty members who have demonstrated commitment to teaching and delivering academic excellence.

Two awards are offered annually:

  • LSOM Academy of Educational Scholars Master Clinical Educator Award
  • LSOM Academy of Educational Scholars Master Pre-Clinical Educator

Description: Each award will be given annually to one winner. Each winner receives:

  • A monetary one-time payroll distribution
  • UT Health San Antonio LSOM (and non-UT Health San Antonio) publicity
  • Commemorative award certificate conferred by the LSOM Dean
  • Nameplate affixed to the LSOM Master Educator Award commemorative plaques

Eligibility Criteria:  Nominees must hold a primary faculty appointment to the Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine and must be at the faculty rank of Associate Professor or above.

  • Each department may only nominate one candidate for each award.
  • Currently holds at least a 50% LSOM faculty appointment.
  • Must demonstrate sustained excellence in education during the previous 5 years.
    • The Master Clinical Educator Award is intended for faculty who demonstrate sustained excellence in the education of residents, fellows, and medical students in the clinical phases of training (typically years 3 and 4).
    • The Master Pre-Clinical Educator Award is designed to recognize excellence in education during the foundational, pre-clinical years (typically years 1 and 2).
    • We recognize that many faculty contribute across the educational continuum. If a nominee’s contributions significantly span both pre-clinical and clinical education, the nominator should select the category they believe best reflects the nominee’s predominant impact. The Awards Committee retains the discretion to contact the nominee to recommend the category that best aligns with their achievements.
  • Has not won the same LSOM Academy of Education Scholars Master Educator Award in the past 5 years (2024 is the inaugural year of the award).
  • Is not serving as Department Chair nor in any ‘Dean’ titled position.

Criteria: For both awards, potential indicators of excellence in education include, but are not limited to, the demonstrated enhancement of medical student or trainee learning through:

  • Developing creative approaches and innovations responsive to learner needs.
  • Pursuing effectiveness, innovation, and creativity in the classroom or other teaching setting.
  • Demonstrating the use of strategies that actively engage the learner.
  • Creating opportunities for experiential learning.
  • Adapting educational methods to improve teaching and learning.
  • Striving to learn and improve one’s own teaching and learning.
  • Being an inspiring leader in education by having a positive impact on learners’ desire to learn and teach, and on colleagues’ teaching.
  • Publication or dissemination of innovative teaching methods or outcomes
  • Mentorship of learners or other educators with measurable outcomes

 Nomination Submission:

The nominees should work with the LSOM academic home department chair to compile the nomination packet comprising the following listed materials into a single PDF for submission by the Chair’s office and emailed to aes@uthscsa.edu by August 7, 2025.

    • AES Award Nomination Form
    • Nomination letter from Chair of the primary appointing academic (home) department
    • Three letters of recommendation (2-page limit each), including at least one from a learner. Letters may be from students, house staff, faculty colleagues (internal or external), or administrators familiar with the nominee’s educational work.
    • Personal Statement limited to 3 pages, 11 font Arial, describing the applicant’s teaching philosophy. Summarize how your own educational accomplishments demonstrate excellence. Describe your foundational concepts of teaching and learning. How does that framework inform your teaching style(s) and pedagogical approaches. How do you engage your learners in getting/giving feedback? Why do you teach? Please include examples that reflect the criteria stated in the previous section.
    • Nominee’s UTHSA format CV with all education and teaching activities, funding, awards, and honors highlighted from the prior 5-year period.
    • Data: Summaries of learner ratings and other measurable outcomes
      • Summaries of learners’ ratings of the nominee’s courses, classes or other teaching. Ratings and feedback summaries are helpful when available. Please provide numerical summaries and selected students’ comments for the past five years only. These summaries should be reflective of the nominee’s courses in either the 1st or 2nd year for pre-clinical or the 3rd, 4th, and postgraduate training for the clinical awards.
      • Evidence can also include scholarship such as publications, presentations, curricula, posters, presenter/invited speaker, educational grants, mentorship and leadership.
      • Any other measurable outcomes demonstrating excellence in education.

Review Process: Nominations will be evaluated by the Academy of Education Scholars (AES) of LSOM based on a scoring rubric that assesses commitment to education, innovation and creativity, engagement and experiential learning, leadership and dissemination, and overall impact. Please note: The Master Educator Awards celebrate outstanding contributions to teaching and learning. While we welcome and value all nominations, the award is intended to recognize truly exceptional achievements. As such, it may not be presented every year if nominations do not meet the established criteria for excellence.