Academic Excellence
The Nelson Order
The Norman C. Nelson Order of Teaching Excellence (The Nelson Order) was established in 2004 by the Office of the Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. The purpose of The Nelson Order is to honor our institution's best teachers, as selected by students, by their peers, and recommended by the deans of their respective schools annually.
The organization's namesake is Dr. Norman Crooks Nelson, Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs and Dean of the School of Medicine from 1973 to 1994. In his first faculty appointment at Louisiana State University, he was named “Most Inspirational Teacher” in 1966 and 1968, “Best Clinical Teacher” each year from 1967 through 1971, and inclusive and outstanding teacher of the senior class in 1970.
By the time he came to the UMMC faculty in 1973, he had firmly established his reputation as a master teacher. As Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs and Dean of the School of Medicine, he used his native teaching skills and those he developed to set a standard to which many of our faculty have aspired.
The inductees of The Nelson Order are recognized at the annual UMMC Commencement. Additionally, inductees of The Nelson Order are eligible for the Regions Bank T.E.A.C.H. Prize. The Nelson Order past inductees are on display in the Verner S. Holmes Learning Resource Center.
Class of 2024
- Katherine Artman, PharmD, BCCCP, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice (UM School of Pharmacy)
- Barbara Brent, MSAH, RDH, Assistant Professor and Clinic Director, Dental Hygiene (School of Dentistry)
- Lee Brown, DHA, RT(R)(N), ARRT, CNMT, RHIA, Associate Professor and Program Director, Radiologic Sciences Traditional Program (School of Health Related Professions)
- Wade Christopher, MD, Assistant Professor, Surgery-Transplant (School of Medicine)
- Jorri Davis, DNP, FNP, Assistant Professor, Nursing (School of Nursing)
- Yuanyuan Duan, PhD, MS, BDS, Associate Professor and Director of Admissions Biomedical Materials Science (School of Dentistry)
- Angela Duck, PhD, MSN, Associate Professor, Nursing (School of Nursing)
- Charly Edwards, DDS, Assistant Professor and Chair, Endodontics (School of Dentistry)
- Peter Wayne Giroux, PhD, MHS, OTR/L, FAOTA, Professor, Occupational Therapy (School of Health Related Professions)
- Joey P. Granger, PhD, Professor, Physiology & Biophysics (School of Graduate Studies in the Health Sciences)
- Tiffany Griffin, DNP, RN, PMHNP-BC, Assistant Professor, Nursing (School of Nursing)
- Jonah Gunalda, MD, Associate Professor, Emergency Medicine (School of Medicine)
- Darrell "Mitch" M. Hutto, DMD, Associate Professor, Care Plan & Restorative Sciences (School of Dentistry)
- Presly Lowry, MSN, RN, CCRN-K, Instructor, Nursing (School of Nursing)
- Elizabeth Lutz, MD, Associate Professor, Obstetrics & Gynecology (School of Medicine)
- Vinayak Nahar, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Director of Research (John D. Bower School of Population Health)
- Ryan H. McGlawn, PT, DPT, EdD, OCS, Professor, Physical Therapy (School of Health Related Professions)
- Tawanda M. McNair, MSN, RN, Assistant Professor, Health Systems Administration (School of Health Related Professions)
- Susie Phillips, MD, Associate Professor, Pediatrics (School of Medicine)
- Stephen Stray, PhD, Professor, Cell & Molecular Biology (School of Medicine)
- Nathan Tullos, PhD, Associate Professor, Advanced Biomedical Education (School of Medicine)