In June, Northwestern Health Sciences University held its annual Faculty Excellence Awards ceremony. Two of this year's awards were presented to faculty at the university's Minnesota College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (MCAOM) -- Tao Gong, MS, and Mei Wang, PhD, MMed.
Dr. Wang, an associate professor at MCAOM, won the award for excellence in teaching, based on her innovative methods of delivery, demonstrated mastery of content and communication skills. Although not fluent in English when she arrived in the U.S., she modified her teaching style and has dedicated herself to holding special training sessions for students, which has resulted in her becoming one of the college's most effective teachers.
Ms. Gong, an assistant professor and clinic supervisor at MCAOM, won the award for clinical excellence, due to her skills as a consultant, instructor, mentor, role model, observer, and evaluator, and her standards of professionalism and patient care. "I love teaching and supervising students," Gong said as she accepted her award. "I came here a year and a half ago, and had no idea I would enjoy it so much. This award just makes it better."
The Faculty Excellence Awards are held each year to recognize faculty members who have made outstanding educational contributions to the university. Faculty are nominated by fellow faculty members, and are selected by an advisory committee from the Center for Teaching, Learning and Assessment, a university organization designed to promote, encourage and support professional development opportunities for faculty through collaboration, feedback, and dedicated resources. Previous winners include Yong Ping Jiang, an associate professor at MCAOM and author of the "Ask Dr. Jiang" column for Acupuncture Today.
