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AAPath Academy of Distinguished Pathology Educators

Purpose

The Academy of Distinguished Pathology Educators (the "Academy") recognizes and assembles the most accomplished pathology educators who work closely and collaboratively with the education committees of the Association for Academic Pathology (AAPath) and with PRODS and UMEDS to:

  • Advance excellence in pathology pedagogy.
  • Support scholarship and innovation in pathology education and training.
  • Develop educational leaders to serve within their medical schools, as well as national organizations.
Goals

Inspired by the American College of Surgeons’ Academy of Master Surgical Educators and the University of Texas’ Shine Academy, the Academy of Distinguished Pathology Educators is more than just an honorific society.  Elected members are active contributors to AAPath’s educational mission to advance, support and extend the activities of the AAPath’s UME and GME Committees, PRODS and UMEDS.  Academy members:

  • Serve as thought-leaders who identify and shape emerging trends in pathology education and training
  • Foster innovation and collaboration
  • Support faculty development in pathology education, including national recognition of pathology educators through mentorship and sponsorship
  • Bring visibility to the critical importance of education and training in pathology and laboratory medicine to all healthcare professionals
  • Inspire future pathology educators through the recognition and contribution of the most accomplished educators in pathology
Examples of activities that the Academy may undertake include:
  • Position papers on trends and topics in pathology education
  • Workshops and seminars at the annual meeting or other AAPath-sponsored events (virtual or in-person)
  • Mentorship and sponsorship of early- and mid-career faculty with high-potential to be educational leaders in pathology
  • Peer-reviewed resources on education, including faculty development within education
  • Formal strategies for careers in education, mentorship resources, and educational techniques
  • Consultations to organizations and individuals re: pathology education
  • Promotion of pathology education as a valued career path 
Work Products
The Academy members have been engaging with AAPath to produce work products. The work products reflect the goals of the academy and the members are actively growing the material available: 
  • June 2025 Publication: Pathobiology — Can We Do Without It? | New England Journal of Medicine

    Authors: Deborah E. Powell, M.D., L. Maximilian Buja, M.D., Richard Conran, M.D., Ph.D., J.D., Avrum Gotlieb, M.D.C.M., and Vinay Kumar, M.D.

  • 2025 AAPath Annual Meeting Session: Looking Under the Assessment Rock: What Is Really There? The session content is material for the upcoming Academy's Fundamentals in Medical Education Program produced by the Academy. Currently, the recording is only accessible to meeting registrants.
  • 2025 AAPath Annual Meeting Session: Large Language Models Hands-on Workshop: Empowering Pathology Educators through A.I. There are no recorded materials for this event as the session was a hands-on workshop for participants.
Criteria for Membership
Applicants will be evaluated for membership based on demonstrated recognition and distinction for impactful, high-quality contributions to the educational mission within medicine and health care in the following domains, and for demonstrating a commitment to and promising trajectory for ongoing contributions to the educational mission within AAPath.
  1. Educational scholarship demonstrated by:
    1. A sustained record of creative work, which may include peer-reviewed articles, textbooks, invited educational reviews, digital educational products and technology.
    2. Major educational grants from Macy Foundation, Stemmler, or other organizations.
  2. Educational administration and leadership:
    1. National educational organizations including RIME, GEA (of AAMC), ABP, ACGME, Macy Foundation, NAM and NAS, etc.
    2. Home institution, such as vice dean for education; senior associate dean for academic affairs; etc.
    3. Pathology and lab medicine professional organizations (including AAPath, PRODS, and UMEDs)
    4. Other healthcare educational institutions or programs including schools of allied health, nursing, pharmacy, etc.
  3. Curriculum and/or instructional design innovations that may include transformational change locally and/or innovations that are disseminated or adopted outside the home institution. National dissemination of innovative curricular designs is desirable.
  4. Mentorship, specifically in medical education, educational scholarship and educational leadership:  These mentorship activities should be accompanied by examples of mentee success in medical education such as publications, grants, leadership positions, etc.
Application Process
Applications are currently solicited from AAPath membership every two years. Only individuals from AAPath member institutions shall be considered for membership in the Academy. The following application components listed below must be submitted in ONE PDF package by the deadline of Friday, October 31, 2025, at the AAPath Submission Dropbox link: http://www.dropbox.com/request/cikOC1cjka3ZHAIjcQoE. Please format the filename of the PDF file in the following manner: LastName,FirstName-2026AcademyApplication.pdf (Example: Washington,George-2026AcademyApplication.pdf). Questions may be directed to awards@academicpathology.org.
  1. A personal statement from the applicant describing how the applicant envisions supporting and contributing to the goals of the Academy, including a commitment to active participation in the activities of the Academy to advance the educational mission of AAPath. The applicant should also include their interests and expertise and how these could contribute to the potential work of the Academy. Finally, if the applicant wishes to be considered for Associate Membership (details below*), please indicate in the personal statement.
  2. An abbreviated CV (5 pages or less) focused on educational accomplishment that includes:
    1. Education and academic career/employment history
    2. Creative work (publications, educational tools/technology or other innovations)
    3. Major presentations/courses/workshops
    4. Education grants received
    5. Education-related awards
    6. Examples of mentorship
  3. Two letters of recommendation that address the criteria outlined above from individuals familiar with the applicant’s work.  (Note: A letter from non-pathologists or former trainees may be included.)
Selection Process
  • Applications will be reviewed by the Membership Committee of the Academy.
  • The Academy Board will approve applications for membership based on recommendations from the Academy's Membership Committee.
  • The approved list of new members will then be forwarded to the AAPath Council for final review and approval.
*In 2025, the Academy established an Associate Membership category. For those applicants not selected as a Regular Member, the willingness of the applicant to be considered at the Associate Member level should be stated in the personal statement. 
Associate Member: A regionally or locally recognized pathologist-educator who demonstrates a strong trajectory of accomplishment in the criteria listed below who is deemed likely to achieve Regular Membership within five years.
Regular Member: A nationally or internationally recognized pathologist-educator who demonstrates the highest levels of accomplishment in the criteria listed below and who is committed to advancing the future direction of pathology education through active participation in the activities of the Academy.
 
Timeline for Selection:
  • October 31, 2025: Deadline for applications
  • November: Review and recommendation by Academy Membership Committee to the Academy Board.
  • Mid-December: Final review and approval by AAPath Council
  • Late-December: Notification to new Members
  • New Members to join recurring monthly calls on the 1st Mondays of the month at 1:00pm-2:00pm (ET) starting January 5, 2026.
Please direct any program inquiries to the AAPath Office at [email protected].

 

Congratulations to the inaugural Members selected in 2023!

  • Peter Anderson, DVM, PhD
  • Scott Anderson, MD
  • Candice Black, DO
  • W. Stephen Black-Schaffer, MD, MA
  • Michael Borowitz, MD, PhD
  • Philip Boyer, MD, PhD
  • L. Maximilian Buja, MD
  • Richard Conran, MD, PhD, JD
  • Andrea Deyrup, MD, PhD
  • Melina Flanagan, MD, MSPH
  • Robert Folberg, MD
  • Melissa George, DO
  • Avrum Gotlieb, MD
  • Richard Haspel, MD, PhD
  • Vinay Kumar, MD, MBBS
  • Kamran Mirza, MD, PhD
  • Deborah Powell, MD
  • Suzanne Powell, MD
  • Barbara Ritschel, MD
  • Bruce Smoller, MD