
Faculty Awards
Welcome to the Faculty Awards overview page at the Department of Internal Medicine! Here, you can explore the achievements of our outstanding faculty members. Discover various award categories, meet the exceptional awardees, and even nominate colleagues who deserve recognition. Stay informed about upcoming ceremonies as we come together to celebrate excellence within our department. Join us in honoring the dedication and contributions that make our academic community thrive!

The Guy A. Zimmerman, MD Faculty Mentoring Award is given annually to an associate or full professor who demonstrates excellence in the mentorship of junior faculty, fellows, and other trainees in the areas of research, education, and/or clinical care, as evidenced by the academic and career achievements of their mentees.
Past recipients:
- 2024 – Molly B. Conroy, MD, MPH, FASCM, FAHA, General Internal Medicine
- 2023 – Neeraj Agarwal, MD, Oncology
- 2022 – Michael A. Rubin, MD, PhD, MS, Epidemiology
- 2021 – Stavros Drakos, MD, PhD, FACC, Cardiovascular
- 2021 – Award Creation

The Thomas H. Caine, MD Award for Clinical Excellence is given annually to a faculty member in the Department of Internal Medicine who demonstrates excellence in clinical practice through quality care, excellent patient experience and/or other measurements of clinical success.
Past recipients:
- 2024 – Hanadi M. Farrukh, MD, General Internal Medicine
- 2023 – Mary Beth Scholand, MD, Pulmonary Medicine
- 2022 – Barry M. Stults, MD, General Internal Medicine
- 2021 – Deepika Reddy, MD, Endocrinology and Metabolism
- 2020 – Jo Abraham, MD, MPH, FASN, Division of Nephrology & Hypertension
- 2019 - Barbara Cahill, MD, Division of Respiratory, Critical Care, and Occupational Pulmonary Medicine
- 2018 – Carole Baraldi, BA, MD, Division of Geriatrics

The John R. Hoidal, MD Senior Investigator Award is given annually to a tenured professor in the Department of Internal Medicine who continues to demonstrate excellence in research, and who has made a significant research contribution toward advancing the field of medicine as demonstrated by new grant funding, prestigious publication of research findings, or other areas of excellence.
Past recipients:
- 2024 – Mary Jo Pugh, PhD, RN, Division of Epidemiology
- 2023 – Adam J. Gordon, MD, MPH, FACP, DFASAM, Epidemiology
- 2022 – Matthew T. Rondina, MD, MS, General Internal Medicine
- 2021 – Tianxin Yang, MD, PhD, Nephrology
- 2020 – Andy Weyrich, PhD, Division of Respiratory, Critical Care & Occupational Pulmonary Medicine
- 2019 – Matthew Samore, MD, Division of Epidemiology
- 2018 – Russel Richardson, PhD, Division of Geriatrics

The William D. Odell and Margaret F. Odell Junior Investigator Award is given annually to an assistant professor who is demonstrating leadership potential to become an academic or political leader in Internal Medicine, and who already demonstrates honesty, integrity, and maturity in personal interrelations with peers, administrators, students and patients.
Past recipients:
- 2024 – Alan Taylor Kelley, MD, MPH, MSc, General Internal Medicine
- 2023 – Nirupama Ramkumar, MD, MPH, Nephrology & Hypertension
- 2022 – Valerie M. Vaughn, MD, MS, FHM, FACP, General Internal Medicine
- 2021 – Megan Vanneman, PhD, MPH, Epidemiology
- 2020 – Benjamin A. Steinberg, MD, MHS, FACC, FHRS, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine
- 2019 – Andrew Gawron, MD, PhD, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
- 2018 – Aylin Rodan, MD, PhD, FASN, Division of Nephrology & Hypertension
- 2017 – Rashmee Shah, MD, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine
- 2016 – Tracy Frech, MD, MS, Division of Rheumatology
- 2015 – Samuel Brown, MD, MS, Division of Respiratory, Critical Care & Occupational Pulmonary Medicine
- 2014 – Kalani Raphael, MD, MS, Division of Nephrology & Hypertension
- 2013 – Amnon Schlegel, MD, PhD, Endocrinology
- 2012 – Matthew Rondina, MD, MS, General Internal Medicine
- 2011 – Josef Stehlik, MD, MPH, Cardiovascular
- 2010 – Neeraj Agarwal, MD, Oncology
- 2009 – Kevin Whitehead, MD, Cardiovascular
- 2008 – Nassir Marrouche, MD, Cardiovascular
- 2007 – Michael Rubin, MD, PhD, MS, Epidemiology
- 2006 – Thai Cao, MD, Hematology
- 2005 – Srini Beddhu, MD, Nephrology
- 2004 – Michael Battistone, MD, Rheumatology
- 2003 – Matthew Topham, MD, Pulmonary
- 2002 – Dale Abel, MD, PhD, Endocrinology
- 2001 – Barbara Cahill, MD, Pulmonary
- 2000 – Dean Li, MD, PhD, Cardiovascular

2024 Recipient
The Department of Internal Medicine Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes faculty with distinguished careers within the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Utah. Open to all department faulty. Typically given to tenured faculty who have had the greatest sustained impact on the members of the Department over the span of their career. Awardee to be determined by the chair.
Past recipients:
- 2024 – Robert Paine III, MD, Respiratory, Critical Care, and Occupational Pulmonary Medicine
- 2023 – Martin Gregory, MD, PhD, Nephrology
- 2022 – Saundra S. Buys, MD, Oncology
- 2021 – John Ward, MD, Oncology
- 2020 – David J. Bjorkman, MD, Gastroenterology
- 2019 – John R. Hoidal, MD, Pulmonary
- 2018 – Guy A. Zimmerman, MD, Respiratory, Critical Care, and Occupational Pulmonary Medicine
2024 Recipient
The Department of Internal Medicine Resident Mentor of the Year Award was established to recognize individuals who provide guidance, motivation, emotional support, and role modeling. Senior residents are asked to nominate mentors who have helped them on their journey to this point in their careers, launching out of residency and into a job or fellowship.
Past recipients:
- 2024 – Douglas Sborov, MD, MS, Hematology and Hematologic Malignancies
- 2023 – Michael Battistone, MD, Rheumatology

2024 Recipient
The Department of Internal Medicine Service to the Department Award recognizes faculty who have given valuable service to the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Utah. Open to all department faulty. The specific area of focus for this award is at the discretion of the chair. Awardee to be determined by the chair.
Past recipients:
- 2024 – John Phillips, PhD, Hematology and Hematologic Malignancies
- 2023 – Estelle Harris, MD, Respiratory, Critical Care, and Occupational Pulmonary Medicine
- 2022 – Christopher G. Jackson, MD, Rheumatology
- 2022 – Jeanette P. Brown, MD, PhD, Respiratory, Critical Care, and Occupational Pulmonary Medicine
- 2021 – Emily Spivak, MD, MHS, Infectious Disease
- 2021 – Elizabeth Middleton, MD, Respiratory, Critical Care, and Occupational Pulmonary Medicine
- 2020 – Nathan D. Hatton, MD, Respiratory, Critical Care, and Occupational Pulmonary Medicine
- 2020 – Katherine Lappe, MD, General Internal Medicine
- 2020 – Sonja Raaum, MD, FACP, General Internal Medicine
- 2020 – Nathan A. Wanner, MD, General Internal Medicine
- 2019- Alfred K. Cheung, MD, Nephrology
- 2019 – G. Paul Eleazer, MD, FACP, AGSF, Geriatrics
- 2018 – N. Lynn Henry, MD, PhD, Oncology
- 2018 – Corrine K. Welt, MD, Endocrinology and Metabolism