University of California San Francisco
UCSF School of Medicine UCSF Medical Center

Boyden Award

The new Clarendon Trailhead panels were unveiled at an event with members of Sutro Stewards, UCSF, and Bay Area Ridge Trail. Funded by UCSF and a Community Challenge Grant, the Clarendon Trail and Mount Sutro serves as a connection piece in Bay Area Ridge Trail. Attendees planted native grasses in the habitat restoration near the trailhead.

The Jaclyne Witte Boyden Award honors and recognizes exemplary service by staff in support of health professions education.

2024 Recipients

  • Early-Level: Kristi Abrahamsen, Administrative Clinic Supervisor, School of Dentistry

  • Mid-Level: Suria Sadat, Fellowship Administrator, Department of Pathology

Named for former Vice Dean Jackie Boyden, a strong advocate for the Academy’s establishment, two recipients and a team are awarded and recognized annually at the Academy’s Celebration of New Members. The awardees for 2024 will be recognized at the Celebration of New Members on Wednesday, September 11, 2:30 - 5 pm. Next year's timeline will be announced in Spring 2025

We welcome nominees from all levels and sites and in all areas that support health professions education, such as: departmental education staff, residency coordinators, essential and clinical core staff, and Dean's Office staff. We especially encourage nominations of front-line employees who directly impact the school's education mission (e.g. "the unsung heroes"). Not sure if your nominee is eligible? Please email Karen Brent, [email protected].

Please review eligibility criteria prior to submitting online.

Eligibility and Selection Criteria

The Boyden Award recognizes two outstanding health professions education staff members for their exemplary service to UCSF health professions education:

  • Call Dates for 2024:  June - July 26, 2024 
  • An award is given for each category:
    • Early Career Staff with five or fewer years of service at UCSF
    • Mid-Level Career Staff with more than five years of service at UCSF
    • Team Award of Appreciation for teams of 2 to 10 people
  • Recipients and nominees will be notified in August.
  • Excludes Office of Medical Education (OME), School of Medicine staff. OME staff are eligible for the Exceptional Service in Medical Education Award

Nominators must cite examples of how the nominee’s performance supports each of the following statements:

  1. Contributes to their job description for activities, programs or events resulting in increased educational value for learners.
  2. Serves as a role model for teamwork and service to others.
  3. Makes the school and/or department/unit a better place to work and to learn by consistently demonstrating an open and helpful attitude, and by communicating and working cooperatively with students, residents, colleagues, and faculty.
  4. Demonstrates a commitment to excellence and inspires others to excel.
  5. Demonstrates and provides examples of how the nominee exemplifies UCSF PRIDE Values (Professionalism, Respect, Integrity, Diversity, and Excellence) - https://diversity.ucsf.edu/PRIDE-values

Any faculty member may complete a nomination form online (one per faculty member per year). A committee comprised of Academy members and staff will review nominations and select awardees.
Recipients Receive

Early and Mid-Career Recipients:

  • Supported expenses for one health profession education-related professional development activity up to $1500 max or payroll deduction for the recognition award (subject to tax deduction) of $1500.
    • This may cover registration fees, coach air, ground transportation, subsistence, and lodging, per UCSF policy, with the following requirements:
    • The home department is expected to provide paid release time (not vacation leave).
    • In lieu of reimbursement, payroll distribution is an option (per UCSF policy, this amount is taxable).

Team Award of Appreciation Recipients:

  • Appreciation gift certificates of $75 for each team member.

Awardee submits funding request in advance to [email protected], for review by Boyden committee chair and AME director. Funds must be used by June 30 annually, following award announcements. Reimbursement requests must be filed within three weeks following the activity or travel. Award recipient also serves the following year on the Boyden committee to select the 2022 recipients for the exceptional service and Boyden staff awards.
Past Recipients

  • 2023

    • Early-Level: Tammy Ryan, CST, JD, LLM, Clinical Placement Supervisor, Dean's Office, School of Nursing

    • Mid-Level: Debbie Bain Brickley, Director of Learning, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics

    • Team: Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science
      • Stephanie Wallace, Director of Education
      • Amy Lou, Program Manager
      • Angela Shoga, Student Affairs Coordinator
      • Christian Mendoza, Academic Programs Coordinator
      • Michael Tressel, Admissions and Recruitment Specialist

  • 2022 Recipients

    • Early Career: Sydney Rusconi - SJV PRIME F2 Coordinator and Academic Advisor, UCSF Fresno, Undergraduate Medical Education
    • Mid-Level Career: Ariana Zaghmouri, Residency Coordinator, Emergency Medicine (Fresno)
    • Team Award: Orthotics & Prosthetics Residency Mentors, Orthopaedic Surgery, SOM
      • Aarti Deshpande, CPO, MS; Nicole Henry, MS; Chrysta Irolla, MS; and, Adrian Ravitz, CO

  • 2021 Recipients:

    • Adrienne Mathis, Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship Program Coordinator

    • Leanna Lewis, MSW, LCSW, Administrative Director for PRIME-US at UC Berkeley-UCSF Joint Medical Program (JMP), Associate Director of the JMP, and Manager of Cultural Humility Initiatives for the Department for Community Health and Engagement, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland

    • SON Education Technology and Innovation Hub Staff: XinXin Huang, Educational Technologist; Kaori Keller, Instructional Designer; and Peter Wright, Instructional Designer

  • 2020 Recipient: Office of Education and Instructional Services (OEIS) Team, School of Pharmacy

    • Rickey Bauman, Experiential Education Coordinator
    • Elbert Brooks, Admin Officer
    • Stephen Bruer, Business Systems Analyst
    • Tia-Jane Desplancke, Program Assistant
    • James Ferguson, Experiential Education Administrator
    • Evelyn Garcia, Education Coordinator
    • Erin Harrison, Residency and CE Program Manager
    • Sara Hoover, Curriculum Planner
    • Kylie Leung, Experiential Education Coordinator
    • Neha Narayankar, Information Systems Analyst
    • Cali Nguyen, Education Coordinator
    • Tuan Nguyen, Education Coordinator
    • Shezar Saifee, Education Coordinator
    • Alexa Tan, Instructional Designer
    • Rodney Yun, Education Analyst
    • Cynthia Zarate, Interim Director

  • 2020 Recipient: Sandra Lieu, Education Programs Manager, Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine

  • 2019: Cindy Flores Gaytan and Twinkle Patel

  • 2018: Sandi Borok and Dawnee Wong
  • 2017: Kimberley Chan and Laura Pliska
  • 2016: Bertha Dominguez and Michelle Libberton
  • 2015: Bonnie Hellevig and Eva Lo
  • 2014: Eve Dinh and Allison Ishizaki
  • 2013: Elaine Chow and Sylvia Decourcey
  • 2012: Lisa Carella and Aisha Queen-Johnson
  • 2011: Maureen Mitchell
  • 2010: Marie Lim
  • 2009: Chandler Mayfield
  • 2008: Katherine Judish
  • 2007: Gloria Medina
  • 2006: Lloyda French
  • 2005: Kevin Souza
  • 2004: Kathy Healy  

For questions or assistance, contact [email protected].