2021 Stritch Faculty Awards

Each year, Stritch School of Medicine students recognize the faculty who have made the biggest impact on their medical education. Congratulations to all the faculty honored in Spring 2021! 

Class of 2021 

The graduating class awards the titles of Outstanding Classroom Educator and Outstanding Clinical Educator to two Stritch faculty. They received their awards during the virtual Match Day celebration on Friday, March 19. Learn more about Match Day 2021.  

Dr. Kamran Mirza – Outstanding Classroom EducatorPhotograph of Director of Molecular Pathology Kamran Mirza 

Kamran Mirza, MD, PhD, is an associate professor of pathology at Stritch, as well as the director of molecular pathology at Loyola University Medical Center. He completed his medical school training at Aga Khan University in Karachi, Pakistan, and fulfilled his residency and fellowship requirements at the University of Chicago Medical Center. While Mirza’s training and expertise have qualified him for numerous awards, it is his impact on the Stritch M4 class that earned him the Outstanding Classroom Educator Award.

“This recognition is doubly special since my last direct interaction with these students was two years ago, and the idea that my teaching left a mark, however small or indirect, that led them to select me for this award, means the world,” he says. Mirza emphasizes that he is constantly inspired by the enthusiasm, intelligence, tenacity, and resilience of his students, especially over the past year. “As a physician, my work is meaningless without my patients; as an educator, it is meaningless without students,” says Mirza. “My students are my wellness.”

Dr. Rick Gill – Outstanding Clinical EducatorPhotograph of Assistant Professor of Neurology Rick Gill

Rick Gill, MD, is an assistant professor of neurology at Stritch and a unit medical director at Loyola University Medical Center, specializing in treatment of patients with life-threatening neurological conditions. He attended Saint James School of Medicine on the Caribbean island of Bonaire and first came to Loyola in 2012 to complete his residency. Before returning to Maywood, he fulfilled his fellowship requirement at the University of Pennsylvania. It was the “rigorous yet incredible experience” that Gill experienced during his residency that he said drew him back to Loyola six years later.

For Gill, receiving the Outstanding Clinical Educator Award is “truly an honor,” and adds that it is “without a doubt, the achievement [he is] most proud of since first coming to Loyola.” Gill describes how the Class of 2021’s determination mirrors that of the larger Loyola community. “The pandemic tested every facet of [the medical school and hospital’s culture] in the last year, and this class faced unique challenges during their M3 year,” he says. "What stands out is their ability to adapt and persevere through the uncertainty, all while enjoying themselves and building lasting friendships with future colleagues.”

Class of 2024

  • Educator of the Year: Dr. Kimberly Foreman
  • Distinction in Compassion: Ministry Department

Class of 2023

  • Lecturer of the Year: Dr. Kamran Mirza
  • Facilitator of the Year: Dr. Amy Kule
  • Excellence in Student Support: Dr. Ameet Kini

Class of 2022

  • Attending of the Year: Dr. Sean Ruland
  • Intern of the Year: Dr. Cassie Ward
  • Resident of the Year: Dr. Erin Fielder
  • Interprofessional of the Year: Iris Nunag, PA

OSR Representative

Student representatives of the Association of American Medical College's Organization of Student Representatives award the Humanism in Medicine title.

  • Humanism in Medicine Award: Dr. Amy Blair