Zoetis Distinguished Teacher Award: Elizabeth Woodward

This year’s Zoetis Distinguished Teacher Award was presented to Elizabeth Woodward. The Zoetis Distinguished Teacher Award is the most prestigious teaching award in veterinary medicine. It is presented annually to a faculty member at each college of veterinary medicine in the United States. Its purpose is “to improve veterinary medicine education by recognizing outstanding instructors who, through their ability, dedication, character and leadership, contribute significantly to the advancement of the profession.” The entire Penn Vet student body votes on the recipient. 

Elizabeth Woodward joined the department of biomedical sciences in 2016 as a clinical assistant professor. Before her faculty appointment, she held postdoctoral research appointments in the Reference Andrology Laboratory at New Bolton Center and at the University of Kentucky’s Gluck Equine Research Center, where she also earned her doctorate studying equine reproductive physiology. At Penn Vet, she is the course organizer for physiology, teaches anatomy, and serves on several committees. Her research interests are in the field of reproductive physiology, specifically in the areas of sperm physiology and equine endometritis.

A student said, “she strikes a perfect balance of teaching and supervision while encouraging us to push our boundaries and be ever more involved in cases with her.” Another said, “her constant hard work was really inspiring, and it makes me want to be a better doctor and person.”

William B. Boucher Award: Laurence Leduc

The Boucher Award honors a house officer at New Bolton Center for excellent teaching, as was exemplified by William Boucher over four decades at Penn Vet. The graduating class votes on the recipient.

This year’s winner is Laurence Leduc, a third-year large animal medicine resident. Dr. Leduc completed her veterinary medicine degree and large animal rotating internship at University of Montréal. After her residency, she will return to the University of Montréal to pursue a PhD in equine asthma. Her main interests are respiratory physiology, neonatology and cardiology. Dr. Leduc takes particular pride in student learning and developing the next generation of veterinary minds.

A student said, “Dr. Leduc has a perfect way of knowing exactly when to push students and when to offer more encouragement. I really cannot describe how much working with her developed my confidence and made me realize how much I enjoy internal medicine, neonatology, and working with production animals.” Another said, “Dr. Leduc has great client and student communication skills and is always available to answer questions about her patients while giving encouraging feedback on students’ knowledge and skillsets. She does an incredible job of letting you make decisions on your patients.” 

Class of 2022 Philadelphia Campus Teaching Award: David Holt and Marc Kraus 

David Holt is a soft tissue surgeon in the department of clinical sciences and advanced medicine. He obtained his veterinary degree from the University of Sydney and worked in mixed and small animal practices in Australia before completing an internship and surgery residency at Penn Vet. His current research investigates using near-infrared imaging to visualize tumors, their margins, and metastatic lesions during surgery.  

A student said, “Dr. Holt is so invested in the education of his students! One time he had me pull up a step stool behind him during a surgery, outside of the sterile field, so that I could observe, even though I was not the student on the case. On a case where I was the primary student, he explained every step of the procedure to make sure I was following. He’s an incredible teacher.”

Marc Kraus is a professor of clinical cardiology at Ryan Hospital. He received his DVM degree from the University of Georgia and completed his specialty training in Internal medicine at the University of Georgia, then completed his cardiology training at Cornell University. Dr. Kraus has extensive experience in treatment and management of congestive heart failure, interventional cardiology, and cardiac biomarkers. He has close collaborations with faculty at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Dr. Kraus is the author of more than 100 scientific articles, abstracts, book chapters, and a book on ECG interpretation.

A student said, “Dr. Kraus dedicates his time and effort to ensure that each student he works with learns with every case. I know I am going to learn something whenever working with him.”

Class of 2022 New Bolton Center Teaching Award: Marie-Eve Fecteau

Marie-Eve Fecteau is an associate professor of farm animal medicine and surgery in the department of clinical studies at the New Bolton Center. Dr. Fecteau is a diplomate of the American College of Large Animal Internal Medicine. In 2004, she joined Penn Vet as a clinician-scientist and farm animal specialist.  Her research interests are centered on the study of paratuberculosis (also known as Johne’s disease) in cattle and other ruminants. With collaborators at Penn Vet and Penn Medicine, she has also investigated the disease similarities and possible links between Johne’s disease and Crohn’s disease. 

A student said, “Dr. Fecteau leads by example with immense compassion and clinical skill. She encourages students daily on the clinical floor. Dr. Fecteau is one of the most patient and kind clinicians at NBC, even when working with non-food animal-oriented students. When she’s not performing surgery, she even doubles as a D barn housekeeper and removes the random objects that her students leave on the stall walls to prevent her patients from developing GI foreign bodies!”

Class of 2023 Lecture Teaching Award: Amy Johnson

Amy Johnson graduated from Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine and completed an internship at B. W. Furlong and Associates in Oldwick, NJ. She then completed both a large animal internal medicine residency at Cornell and neurology residency at Penn Vet. Dr. Johnson is currently an associate professor of large animal medicine and neurology in the department of clinical studies at New Bolton Center, and she is section chief of internal medicine and ophthalmology. Her primary research focus is improving antemortem diagnosis of neurologic disease in horses in a quest to keep her patients away from the pathologists.  She has a special interest in infectious diseases, including EPM and Lyme neuroborreliosis, as well as in non-infectious diseases, such as EDM, that are prevalent in her caseload. 

A student said, “I am so happy to see that Dr. Johnson was voted best lecturer! It is clear she takes care to create thoughtful, organized lectures, and she presents the material in a way that is very easy follow. I always looked forward to her lectures and appreciate her efforts!”

Class of 2023 Laboratory Teaching Award: Heather Rudolph

Heather Rudolph is a certified veterinary technician who received her training from Harcum College.  As the teaching lab coordinator, Ms. Rudolph has developed and manages the hands-on Clinical Skills Lab for students at Penn Vet. The students have access to models to practice skills such as restraint, venipuncture, gowning and gloving, clinical pathology, and suturing. Before coming to Penn Vet, Ms. Rudolph worked in emergency and critical care at Crown Veterinary Specialists and Quakertown Veterinary Clinic.

A student said, “Heather is so patient with students in clinical skills labs. She has no problem going over something several times because her main goal is having us understand the techniques and rationale. She does a phenomenal job organizing the labs.”

Class of 2024 Lecture Teaching Award: Mark Oyama

Mark Oyama is currently a professor of cardiology and the Charlotte Newton Sheppard Endowed Chair of Medicine at Penn Vet’s Ryan Hospital. He has recently been appointed the chair of the department of clinical sciences and advanced medicine. Dr. Oyama received his undergraduate and veterinary degrees from the University of Illinois. He interned at the Animal Medical Center in New York City and completed his cardiology residency at the University of California Davis. Since coming to Penn Vet, he has trained over 20 cardiology residents. He earned a master of science in clinical epidemiology from the Perelman School of Medicine in 2015. Also at Perelman, he currently holds an associate scholar position in the Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, which he finds particularly rewarding. Dr. Oyama received the Zoetis Distinguished Teacher Award in 2016. 

A student said, “Dr. Oyama is an excellent lecturer. He ensures that his lecture materials are clear and clinically relevant, and that they convey the most important points of the lecture. His thoroughness in answering questions and frequent clinical references make learning much easier.”

Class of 2024 Laboratory Teaching Award: James “Sparky” Lok

Dr. Lok received a PhD in medical entomology from Cornell University in 1981 and did postdoctoral training in parasitology at Penn. He joined the faculty of Penn Vet in 1983, where he now holds the rank of professor of parasitology. In addition to his commitment to teaching second- and third-year veterinary students, Dr. Lok is also an active member of the microbiology/virology/parasitology component of the Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Group at Penn. Dr. Lok was a 1999 winner of a Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching. Dr. Lok also received the 2014 Zoetis Distinguished Teacher Award. His research interests are in the molecular and neuronal control of the infective process in parasitic nematodes.

A student said, “Dr. Lok is especially deserving of this award, given his incredible enthusiasm about and passion for Parasitology! Moreover, Dr. Lok was an amazing lab instructor – not only was he willing and able to clarify any concepts that students were struggling with during the lab, but he’d also stay after the lab was over to answer questions about the class’s lecture content.”

Class of 2025 Lecture Teaching Award: Rose Nolen-Walston

Rose Nolen-Walston was a professional dressage rider and riding teacher before she graduated with her DVM from the University of Georgia in 2001. She completed an internship and residency in large animal internal medicine at Tufts University. Dr. Nolen-Walston spent a year there doing research in adult stem cell biology in mice, then joined the faculty at Penn Vet, where she has been teaching and practicing internal medicine at New Bolton Center. She received the Class of 2023 Lecture Teaching Award in 2020, the Zoetis Distinguished Teacher Award in 2017 and a Lindback Award in 2014.

A student said, “Dr. Nolen-Walston is an extremely engaging professor [who has] an incredible ability to create participation in the classroom and kindle a passion for learning in the students by her positive attitude and entertaining anecdotes.”

Class of 2025 Laboratory Teaching Award: Paul Orsini

Paul Orsini has served as director or co-director of Veterinary Gross Anatomy at Penn Vet since 1995 and has taught the course since 1987. He received his veterinary degree from Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine and completed specialty training programs in veterinary surgery and dentistry at Penn Vet, obtaining diplomate status in both disciplines. His love of veterinary anatomy started as a first-year student in Cornell’s department of anatomy. Dr. Orsini has authored scientific articles, abstracts, and book chapters in the fields of veterinary surgery, dentistry, and anatomy, and books in both equine and ruminant anatomy. He continues to enjoy teaching anatomy and performing veterinary dentistry and oral surgery.   

A student said, “Dr. Orsini is incredibly enthusiastic about anatomy, and his positive attitude and energy is contagious. He is always willing to answer questions, and he gives the best demonstrations/chalk talks that help with understanding.”