Awards - W T Aikins

Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching

The W. T. Aikins Awards are named after Dr. W.T. Aikins, the first Dean of the University of Toronto, Temerty Faculty of Medicine after it was reorganized in 1887. These awards are the Faculty's most prestigious awards for sustained commitment to and excellence in undergraduate teaching. The Award winners are selected from nominees in a Faculty-wide process that requires support from both faculty and students. This teaching award is given serious consideration in the academic promotions process.

All faculty members are eligible for nomination, with a minimum of 10 years of teaching service in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, for their teaching performance in the undergraduate medical (MD) program. Please note that teaching performance in Arts and Science, graduate, and post-graduate medical programs will not be considered for the Aikins award. Both faculty members and students are welcome to submit nominations. The deadline to complete the on-line nomination form and submit accompanying nomination letters is EXTENDED to Friday, February 2, 2024. The MD Program Teaching Awards Committee will review and evaluate all nominations. Each award winner will receive a framed certificate and a crescent glass award at the 22nd Annual Education Achievement Celebration event in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine scheduled on Wednesday, May 15, 2024. Awardees will also have their names inscribed on the Aikins plaque on the wall, situated in the Medical Sciences Building foyer.

The award categories are:

Award Criteria:

Any faculty member in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine with a minimum 10 years of teaching service within the faculty are eligible to be nominated for their teaching performance in the undergraduate medical (MD) program in one of the following categories. Summary data from at least 3 years of formal student evaluations are required in consideration for these awards. Please note that a previous winner may be nominated for an Aikins Award in the same category as the previous award only after a lapse of five years. A previous winner may be nominated for an Aikins Award in a different category from a previous award at any time.

The minimum number of nominators required for each nomination, and who can nominate, depends on the category as follows:

To submit your nomination:

  1. Fill out and submit a preliminary nomination form (PDF) by Friday, February 2, 2024.
  2. Attach a letter indicating why this individual is being nominated in the selected category. Letters that are the most helpful address the criteria for the award and present evidence supporting the nominee's excellence in those criteria.

If you have any questions, please contact md.reception@utoronto.ca.

W. T. Aikins Award Winners

Foundations

  • 2023  Barathi Rajasri Sreenivasan, Department of Medicine
  • 2022  Hosanna Au, Department of Paediatrics
  • 2022  Hani Amad, Department of Medicine
  • 2021  Not Awarded
  • 2020  Laurence Biro, Department of Family and Community Medicine
  • 2019  Joyce Nyhof-Young, Department of Family and Community Medicine

Clerkship

  • 2023 Yayi Huang, Department of Medicine
  • 2023 Yonah Krakowsky, Department of Surgery
  • 2023 Mark Wheatcroft, Department of Surgery
  • 2022  Fuad Moussa, Department of Surgery
  • 2021  Tamina Eapen, Department of Psychiatry
  • 2020  Edsel Ing, Department of Ophthalmology & Vision Sciences
  • 2020  Amar Uxa, Department of Medicine
  • 2019  Fayez Quereshy, Department of Surgery

Course/Program Development and Coordination

  • 2023    Anne McLeod, Department of Medicine
  • 2022    Nirit Bernhard, Department of Paediatrics
  • 2021    Seetha Radhakrishnan, Department of Paediatrics
  • 2020    David K. Chan, Department of Medicine
  • 2020    Angela Punnett, Department of Paediatrics
  • 2019    Marcus Law, Department of Family and Community Medicine
  • 2018    Not awarded
  • 2017    Jacqueline James, Department of Medicine
  • 2016    Pamela Coates, Department of Paediatrics
  • 2015    Barbara (Dee) Ballyk, Division of Anatomy, Department of Surgery
  • 2015    David K. Chan, Department of Medicine
  • 2014    Susan Goldstein, Kymm Feldman and the evolving members of the FMLE Course Committee; Department of Family and Community Medicine
  • 2013    Eleanor Latta, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology
  • 2012    Anita Rachlis, Department of Medicine
  • 2011    Jodi Lofchy, Department of Psychiatry   
  • 2010    Not awarded
  • 2009    Vincent Chien, Department of Medicine
  • 2008    Not awarded
  • 2007    Not awarded
  • 2006     J. Banack
  • 2005     J. Ali
  • 2004     D. Elman, M. Schreiber, R. Freeman, R. Hooks, D. Tabak
  • 2003     I. Johnson
  • 2002     J. Bradley
  • 2001     Not awarded
  • 2000     Not awarded
  • 1999     Not awarded
  • 1998     F. Silver, M. Silverman
  • 1997     D. Reid, T. Rutledge, D. Wasylenki
  • 1996     Dr. Gasner; D.E. Isenman and D. Painter, D.G. White and the Department of Family & Community Medicine Undergraduate Education Committee
  • 1995     P. Brubaker, D. Gray, M. Pare; Group Award: C. Whiteside, N. Byrne, D. Alli
  • 1994     M. Vearncombe, P. McCleary
  • 1993     R. Schneider
  • 1992     A. Gotlieb
  • 1991     Not awarded
  • 1990     D.J. Amato, A. Biringer
  • 1989     W.J. Weiser
  • 1988     J.R. Ross
  • 1987     P.H. McCleary, J.L. Provan, R.M. Shier
  • 1986     D.L. Shaul, I.M. Taylor
  • 1985     D.W. Chamberlain (inaugural recipient)

Development and Use of Educational Innovations

  • 2023    Not awarded
  • 2022    Not awarded
  • 2021    Laurence Biro, Joyce Nyhof-Young and the LGBTQ Clinical Skills Team; Department of Family and Community Medicine
  • 2020    Glendon Tait, Department of Psychiatry
  • 2019    Jory Simpson, Department of Surgery

Small Group Teaching

(Note: This category was renamed in 2019 to Foundations)

  • 2018    Nadine Abdullah, Department of Medicine
  • 2018    Martin Schreiber, Department of Medicine
  • 2018    Justin Weissglas, Department of Psychiatry
  • 2017    Ariel Shafro, Department of Psychiatry
  • 2017    Graham Roche-Nagle, Department of Surgery
  • 2016    Carol Heck, Department of Physical Therapy
  • 2015    Fok-Han Leung, Department of Family and Community Medicine
  • 2014    Gemini Tanna, Department of Medicine
  • 2013    Not awarded
  • 2012    Robert Silver, Department of Medicine
  • 2011    David Jenkins, Department of Medicine
  • 2010    Peter Ferguson, Department of Surgery
  • 2010    Ron Kodama, Department of Surgery
  • 2010    Shirley Lee, Department of Family and Community Medicine
  • 2010    Yuna Lee, Department of Medicine
  • 2009    Adrian Brown, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • 2009    Robert Sargeant, Department of Medicine
  • 2008    Stacey Bernstein, Department of Pediatrics
  • 2008    Christopher Wallace, Department of Surgery
  • 2007    Sender Herschorn, Division of Urology, Department of Surgery
  • 2007    Ophyr Mourad, Department of Medicine
  • 2007    Michael Sved, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
  • 2006    W. Gold
  • 2006     R. Hilliard 2005     A. Agur (inaugural recipient)

Large Group Teaching

(Note: This category was renamed in 2019 to Clerkship)

  • 2018    Not awarded
  • 2017    Barbara (Dee) Ballyk, Department of Surgery
  • 2017    Philip Berger, Department of Family and Community Medicine
  • 2016    Not awarded
  • 2015    Not awarded
  • 2014    Not awarded
  • 2013    Jeffrey Wassermann, Department of Anesthesia
  • 2012    Dante Morra, Department of Medicine
  • 2011    Barbara (Dee) Ballyk, Division of Anatomy, Department of Surgery
  • 2010    Michael Wiley, Department of Anatomy
  • 2009    James Ingles, Department of Molecular Genetics
  • 2008    Lori Albert, Department of Medicine
  • 2007    Reinhart Reithmeier, Department of Biochemistry
  • 2006     C. Perumalla
  • 2005     S. Shumak (inaugural recipient)

Individual Teaching Performance

(Note:  This category was divided into two subcategories in 2005)

  • 2004     Not awarded
  • 2003     S. Shadowitz
  • 2002     W. Chapman
  • 2001     G. Olscamp
  • 2000     M. Kapral, R. Kodama
  • 1999     P. Bronskill, M. Cusimano, B. Liebgott
  • 1998     R. Baker, C. Bayliss, R. Hilliard, M. Schreiber
  • 1997     D. Brooks, D. Panisko, M. Sarin, M. Wiley
  • 1996     C.M. Deber, D.J. Gare, P. McKee
  • 1995     M. Goldberg, J. Butany, R. Richardson
  • 1994     A. Gotlieb, R.K. Murray, S. Mintz, I. Taylor
  • 1993     J. Keystone
  • 1992     R. Hyland, J. Tenenbaum
  • 1991     R. Reznick
  • 1990     E.J. Akesson, H. Ho Ping Kong
  • 1989     A. Agur, C. Chalin
  • 1988     J. Desmond, D.K. MacFadden
  • 1987     U. Ackermann, H.S. Himal
  • 1986     C. Whiteside
  • 1985     K.V. Robb, A. Roberts (inaugural recipients)

Development and Use of Innovative Instructional Methods

(Note:  This category was renamed in 2019 to Development and Use of Educational Innovations)

  • 2018    Not awarded
  • 2017    Not awarded
  • 2016    Not awarded
  • 2015    Not awarded
  • 2014    Not awarded
  • 2013    C. Perumalla, S. Matthews, and N. Kee (Group Award), Department of Physiology
  • 2012    Not awarded
  • 2011    Not awarded
  • 2010    Not awarded
  • 2009    Not awarded
  • 2008    Michael Wiley, Department of Surgery
  • 2007    Not awarded
  • 2006     Not awarded
  • 2005     Not awarded
  • 2004     M.J. Hohol, P.A. Stewart
  • 2003     Not awarded
  • 2002     Not awarded
  • 2001     M. Bell
  • 2000     Not awarded
  • 1999     Not awarded
  • 1998     Not awarded
  • 1997     Not awarded
  • 1996     W.J. Weiser
  • 1995     V. Watt
  • 1994     D. Cleave-Hogg, M. Wallace
  • 1993     I. Silver
  • 1992     M. Shier
  • 1991     Not awarded
  • 1990     R. Cohen, C.G. Jamieson, J.L. Provan (Group award)
  • 1989     R.A. Buckman, S. Mintz
  • 1988     Not awarded
  • 1987     M.L. Chipman
  • 1986     Not awarded
  • 1985     N. Ranganathan, B. E. Stubbs (inaugural recipients)

Special Contribution to Teaching

  • 1997     N. Camerman