Two faculty members were presented teaching awards at this year’s graduation ceremony
Ryan Minster, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Human Genetics, is the 2023 James L. Craig Excellence in Education Award recipient. Established by University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health alumnus James L. Craig, MD, (EOH ’63), the award recognizes faculty who have excelled in educating and mentoring students. Pitt Public Health students are invited to nominate faculty members who have a primary appointment in the school through this annual process. One nominator noted that “Dr. Minster has always been one of the most approachable and friendly faculty members in the department. Despite having an extremely busy teaching schedule and creating a brand-new degree program in the department, he still takes time to answer any questions outside of class and to arrange for zoom or in‐person meetings to help any students.” Another said, “Dr. Minster lives and breathes Pitt Public Health. Although he is a genomic epidemiologist by trade, he makes sure that public health is brought into the picture to give students a more holistic education. You can tell right away that he really cares about his students and this department. I couldn't imagine the department being as well‐beloved without his presence.”
Ada Youk, PhD, associate dean for academic affairs and director of the Bachelor of Science in Public Health (BSPH) program, is the 2023 Bernard D. Goldstein Undergraduate Public Health Teaching Award recipient. Established by University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health Dean Emeritus, Bernard D. Goldstein, MD, this award recognizes classroom teaching excellence in the BSPH program. The 2022-2023 academic year marks the first time this award has been bestowed. One undergraduate student noted, “I've never been good at math or statistics, so I was a little nervous when I signed up for biostatistics. However, Dr. Youk did an amazing job helping me understand the content and never making me feel like I wasn't smart enough for the class. Fall semester was a hard time for me personally and Dr. Youk was just so flexible, and she was able to extend due dates for me and help with everything I needed.” Another student commented on how grateful they are for Dr. Youk, “She might not know it, but she definitely helped me through tough times by being flexible and easy to talk to. I never had to worry about that class, and I just want to thank her for that.”
