Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award recipients
Dr. Aditee Ambardekar
Associate Professor of Anesthesiology and Pain Management
Teaching philosophy: “My philosophy for teaching stems from an understanding of adult learning. Experiences must be relevant, deliberate, and learner-guided. Every learner has motivations, and even these evolve. This holds true for medical students, residents, fellows, and faculty learners. I seek to understand these motivations in real time. In doing so, together we develop discreet learning goals and daily objectives to make learning efficient. This allows actions and learning to become observable, assessable, and amenable for formative feedback.”
Research: Her research interests include understanding how best to teach all levels of learners using simulation and other experiential techniques.
Other honors: James D. Griffin, M.D. Medical Student Teaching Award (2017); induction into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society (2004). She is currently a nominee for induction into the Southwestern Academy of Teachers (SWAT).
Did you know? Dr. Ambardekar’s husband, Dr. Sumeet Chhabra, is a Plano cardiac electrophysiologist, and she has two sons: Arjun, 7, and Aarav, 4.
Dr. Elizabeth Brickner
Professor of Internal Medicine
Teaching philosophy: “Teaching has become one of my favorite parts of this job, both in the classroom and in the clinical areas. I want to convey my love of medicine to our students, and to help make accessible and manageable the torrent of information that our students receive. Memorizing facts is not the goal. Having the appropriate medical knowledge, the skills to apply that knowledge, and the desire to seek out new knowledge is what is important for physicians.”
Research: Her research interests include congenital heart disease in adults and echocardiography.
Other honors: A Cary College mentor since inception of the UTSW Academic Colleges Program, she is a member and former president of the Southwestern Academy of Teachers (SWAT). She has received Outstanding Teacher Awards and the Socrates Award from medical students. In 2016, she received the UTSW Distinguished Clinical Educator Award and was elected to the UT Kenneth I. Shine, M.D., Academy of Health Science Education. Dr. Brickner is Director of the Audre and Bernard Rapoport Center for Cardiovascular Disease Research, which focuses on adult congenital heart disease, and she holds the Charles B. Mullins, M.D. Professorship in Clinical Practice and Teaching in Cardiology.
Did you know? Dr. Brickner is an avid Green Bay Packers fan and part owner of the team. “I have two shares of stock – along with the 360,759 other shareholders.”
Dr. Laura Lacritz
Professor of Psychiatry and Neurology and Neurotherapeutics
Teaching philosophy: “I strive as an educator to help each student reach their highest potential by affording opportunities for growth and providing support to help them reach their own personal goals. I hope to serve as a role model for lifelong learning, dedication, and contribution to the field. I find that if you love what you do and have enthusiasm for the work, both teaching and learning is enhanced.”
Research: Her research interests include risk factors for dementia and patterns of neuropsychological functioning and assessment of change across neurological disorders.
Other honors: She is a Past President of the National Academy of Neuropsychology, a UTSW Distinguished Teaching Professor (2016), and a member of both the UT Kenneth I. Shine, M.D., Academy of Health Science Education (2016) and Southwestern Academy of Teachers (2015). Within the Clinical Psychology Program, she received the Distinguished Alumni Award (2008), Outstanding Teacher Award (2009), and Most Influential Mentor Award (2013), as well as was a selected delegate for the American Psychological Association Leadership Institute for Women in Psychology (2011-2012).
Did you know? Dr. Lacritz enjoys the art of storytelling, sharing funny or introspective stories about herself. She enjoys using her skills as a teacher and lecturer in fun, creative ways.
Dr. Craig Rubin
Professor of Internal Medicine and Chief of Geriatric Medicine
Teaching philosophy: “I strive to provide a supportive learning environment, concentrating on evidence-based medicine while stressing compassionate and empathetic care.”
Research: Dr. Rubin developed and implemented the UT Southwestern Aging and Geriatrics Education (UT SAGE) program. His research interests focus on the efficacy of outpatient geriatric assessment, Alzheimer’s disease, and age-related osteoporosis.
Other honors: In 2012, Dr. Rubin was the inaugural recipient of the UT Southwestern Innovation in Medical Education Award. He holds The Margaret and Trammell Crow Distinguished Chair in Alzheimer’s and Geriatric Research, the Seymour Eisenberg Distinguished Professorship in Geriatric Medicine, the Sinor/Pritchard (Katy Sinor and Kay Pritchard) Professorship in Medical Education Honoring Donald W. Seldin, M.D., and the Walsdorf Professorship in Geriatrics Research.
Did you know? Before attending medical school, Dr. Rubin worked at Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) in inner-city Atlanta as a social worker assisting underprivileged children and their families.
Dr. Lona Sandon
Assistant Professor of Clinical Nutrition
Teaching philosophy: “As a teacher, I am here to help guide the learning process in a nonthreatening environment and help learners to succeed in the world beyond the classroom. I can tell learners everything I know, but they will learn best through practice and by applying the information themselves.”
Research: Her interests include nutrition and exercise-related health promotion and disease prevention, behavioral strategies for weight management, energy and anthropometric assessment, educational technology, sports nutrition, and nutrition strategies for autoimmune conditions.
Other honors: In 2017, she was recognized as an Outstanding Dietetics Educator by the Nutrition and Dietetic Educators and Preceptors division of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Since 1997, she has been a member of the Texas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, which named her Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year in 2005.
Did you know? Dr. Sandon is a certified group fitness instructor who enjoys yoga, road cycling, resistance training, and roller skating in her spare time.
Dr. Alisa Winkler
Associate Professor of Cell Biology
Teaching philosophy: “As an anatomist, I am personally fascinated by the structure and function of the human body, and never cease to be amazed by what our students discover in the laboratory. As a teacher, I hope some of that ‘thrill’ of discovery is contagious, and that this spark will ignite or continue to feed a lifelong interest in learning and discovery in whatever specialty they choose to pursue.”
Research: Dr. Winkler maintains an active research program in mammalian vertebrate paleontology through Southern Methodist University. Her research focuses on taxonomy, paleobiogeography, paleoecology, and functional morphology of small-mammal fossils up to 20 million years old, primarily from East Africa.
Other honors: From first-year medical students, she has received a Kathryn Howe Muntz Teaching Award in Human Anatomy, plus multiple Outstanding Teacher awards. She also was awarded an Outstanding Educator Award, Health Care Sciences, from students in the UT Southwestern School of Health Professions.
Did you know? Dr. Winkler’s research has taken her all over the world in international collaborations. To date, she has excavated for fossils in Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Malawi, Israel, and Pakistan.
