Now accepting nominations for the 2026 Rehabilitation Medicine Mentoring Awards

February 11, 2026

The Department of Rehabilitation Medicine is now accepting nominations for the 2026 Mentoring Awards, which recognize outstanding mentorship across our academic, research, and clinical programs. These awards honor faculty who make a meaningful difference in the professional growth of students, trainees, clinician-scientists, and clinical faculty within the department.

Nominations are open only to members of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. Faculty, students, trainees, and colleagues are encouraged to submit nominations for mentors who have demonstrated exceptional commitment, leadership, and support in their mentoring roles.

Nominate via: 2026 Mentoring Awards survey

Nomination deadline: March 6, 2026, at 5 p.m. PT

Questions? Dawn Ehde, PhD, at ehde@uw.edu

Department of Rehabilitation Medicine Mentoring Awards Program Overview

Mentorship of students, trainees, and faculty is the foundation of academic medicine. Mentors are people who invest time, energy, and resources in the next generation of rehabilitation professionals and faculty. Mentors not only foster the professional development and success of individual mentees but also contribute to the overall strength and advancement of the field of rehabilitation medicine. A Mentoring Awards Program was launched in 2023 to recognize excellence in mentorship in the UW Medicine Department of Rehabilitation Medicine.

Kathryn M. Yorkston, PhD, Award for Excellence in Student / Trainee Mentorship

2023 Awardee: Carolyn Baylor, PhD

2024 Awardee: Chet Moritz, PhD

2025 Awardee: Tracy Jirikowic, PhD, OTR/L

Mentorship of students and trainees is at the very heart of the mission of any academic institution. Mentors dedicate countless hours and endless energy in teaching, guiding, advising, and paving the way for students and trainees. The purpose of this award is to recognize and honor outstanding mentors for the time and effort that they invest in their students and trainees. This award will be presented annually to one faculty member in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. That faculty member can be from any of the categories of teaching, clinician-scientist, clinician-educator, clinical, or clinical practice faculty tracks. The faculty member will be someone working with PhD students, students in our clinical training programs, or professional trainees (residents / fellows). This award focuses more on the individual mentor / mentee format of mentoring as opposed to classroom teaching. Nominations for the award can be made by students (who are individual mentees of a faculty member), trainees, or other faculty in the department. The recipient will be chosen by a selection committee that has representatives from multiple faculty tracks and disciplines (and at least one student representative). The selection committee should consider the following criteria, although they may weight them variably depending on the situation, as not all of these will apply to all nominees (e.g. a nominee may excel in one or possibly more of the following):

A faculty member who has shown sustained dedication to mentoring over a long period time, for example consistently taking new PhD students to mentor year after year.
A faculty member who has taken on extra duties or responsibilities, particularly at a time of considerable need to help at a particularly pivotal moment either in the department or in a mentee’s trajectory (this criterion would recognize someone who ‘saves the day’ in an extraordinary circumstance).
A faculty member who has shown excellence in mentoring through advancing innovations in education and/or mentorship.
A faculty member who embodies the interprofessional mission of rehabilitation, demonstrating efforts to mentor across disciplines for the benefit of students, the department, and the field of rehabilitation.
A faculty member who has contributed significantly to the financial support of students, such as consistently providing grant funding or other sources of funding to support students

Joseph M. Czerniecki, MD, Award for Excellence in Clinician-Scientist Mentorship

2023 Awardee: Brian Hafner, PhD

2024 Awardee: Mark Jensen, PhD

2025 Awardee: Jeanne Hoffman, PhD, ABPP-RP

Mentorship plays a vital role in helping clinician-scientists navigate the myriad challenges, such as securing research funding, and achieve success in the role of clinician-scientist. Successfully mentoring clinician-scientists requires a substantial longitudinal time commitment and selfless dedication. The purpose of this award is to recognize and honor outstanding mentors of clinician-scientists. This award will be presented annually to one faculty member in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. Nominations for the award can be made by mentees or other faculty in the department. The selection committee shall consider the following criteria, although they may weight them variably depending on the situation as not all of these will apply to all nominees (e.g. a nominee may excel in one or possibly more of the following):

A faculty member who has demonstrated sustained dedication to mentoring clinician-scientists.
A faculty member whose mentorship has had a particularly positive impact on the career of their mentees.
A faculty member who embodies the interprofessional mission of rehabilitation, demonstrating efforts to mentor across disciplines for the benefit of students, the department, and the field of rehabilitation.
A faculty member who has advocated for, and promoted a positive environment for, junior clinician scientist leaders through advocacy roles in national/international professional organizations

Teresa L. Massagli, MD, Award for Excellence in Clinical Mentorship

2023 Awardee: Ny-Ying Lam, MD

2024 Awardee: Cindy Lin, MD

2025 Awardee: Deborah Crane, MD

Mentorship is a cornerstone of academic medicine, fostering clinical proficiency, skill development, and professional growth. Skilled mentors impart invaluable knowledge and insights, helping mentees navigate the complexities of academia and patient care, ensuring the continual advancement of medical science and practice. The purpose of this award is to recognize and honor faculty who are outstanding in their mentorship of faculty engaged in clinical care, which may include clinical teaching. This award will be presented annually to one faculty member in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. Nominations for the award can be made by mentees or other faculty in the department. The committee will consider the following criteria, although they may weight them variably depending on the situation, as not all of these will apply to all nominees (e.g. a nominee may excel in one or possibly more of the following):

A faculty member who has demonstrated sustained dedication to mentoring faculty engaged in clinical care and/or clinical education.
A faculty member whose mentorship has had a particularly positive impact on the career of their mentees.
A faculty member who embodies the interprofessional mission of rehabilitation, demonstrating efforts to mentor across disciplines for the benefit of students, clinical teams, the department, and the field of rehabilitation.
A faculty member who has advocated for, and promoted a positive environment for, early career faculty engaged in clinical care through advocacy roles in national/international professional organizations.
A faculty member from the clinical, clinician-educator, or clinical practice track who has contributed significantly to the development of mentees’ skills in clinical education, leadership, and/or program development.

Award decision process

The award recipients will be chosen by the Faculty Development Committee, which represents multiple faculty tracks, ranks, and disciplines. For the Yorkston award, input from trainees and students will also be considered in the selection.