2026 DOM Education Day: a celebration of high-value education innovation
February 27, 2026, was the annual University of Wisconsin Department of Medicine (UW DOM) Education Day.
The signature event—which drew roughly 150 faculty, staff and learners this year—is a full-day showcase of DOM-led initiatives and innovations centered around undergraduate and graduate medical education.
"Education Day is an opportunity to showcase some of the excellent education-related work going on in our department," says Katherine Vaughan, MA, continuing education specialist, who played a key role in coordinating the event. “I hope attendees left the day energized to try something new, reflect on their practice, and feel connected to the education community in the department.”
Watch the highlights [YouTube video]:
Grand Rounds
The event opened with a Grand Rounds presentation [video recording] by Richard Wardrop III, MD, PhD, MACP, SFHM, FAAP, chief medical officer and professor of internal medicine and pediatrics at Northeast Ohio Medical University. Dr. Wardrop spoke about identifying and promoting high value interventions in graduate medical education.
Education Awards
Laura Zakowski, MD, professor, General Internal Medicine, and the outgoing DOM Vice Chair for Education, received the prestigious Bennett Vogelman Excellence in Education Mentoring Award, given for her nearly 30-year career in academic medicine and her impact on hundreds of School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH) graduates, trainees, faculty and staff.
Dr. Zakowski is retiring in May.
The Excellence in Education Mentoring Awards recognize faculty and advanced practice providers (APPs) who are actively engaged in education mentorship of junior or peer educators. The 2026 recipients:
- Sarah Ahrens, MD, clinical professor, Hospital Medicine
- Maria Mora Pinzon, MD, MS, assistant professor, Geriatrics and Gerontology
The Inspirational Educator Awards recognize faculty and APPs who display unparalleled energy, passion and skill for educating students, residents and/or fellows. The 2026 recipients:
- Ian Grimes, MD, MS, associate professor, Gastroenterology and Hepatology
- Justin Levinson, MD, MBA, assistant professor, Rheumatology
- Joseph McBride, MD, MA, assistant professor, Infectious Disease
- Karen Reece, PhD, clinical assistant adjunct professor, DOM Administration
The Staff Excellence in Education Awards honor University or Academic staff who demonstrate extraordinary dedication to the growth and professional development of others. The 2026 recipients:
- Erica Mishek, MBA, MS, graduate medical education program manager, Infectious Disease
- Katherine Vaughan, MA, continuing education program manager, DOM Administration
Poster session
Later in the morning, attendees were able to peruse poster presentations of work by faculty, staff and trainees. Three presenters won awards for excellence:
- “Cultivating Self-Compassion to Foster Internal Medicine Resident Well-Being” by Sarah Floden, MD, assistant professor, General Internal Medicine
- “¿Que? A unique approach to teaching residents how to improve their communication skills with patients with limited English proficiency” by Gabriel Moreno, MD, PG-3, Internal Medicine Residency
- “Ventilator Boot Camp - Preparing New Critical Care Fellows with Case-Based Ventilator Simulation” by Brandon Temte, DO, assistant professor, Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
View the full list of poster titles and their presenters [PDF].
Workshops and plenary session
Interactive breakout sessions followed the poster session and continued into the afternoon.
- "Guiding the Next Generation: Mentorship for Learner Success" presented by Laura Maursetter, DO, associate professor, Nephrology
- “Measuring What Matters: Designing Assessment Tools” presented by Christine Sharkey, MD, clinical associate professor, Rheumatology; Swapnil Lanjewar, MD, clinical assistant professor, Infectious Disease; Jessica Tischendorf, MD, MS, assistant professor, Infectious Disease; Elizabeth Chapman, MD, clinical associate professor, Geriatrics and Gerontology; and Ferial Ebrahim-High, graduate medical education program manager, DOM Administration
- “From Learner to Leader or Residents as Leaders? You Betcha!” led by Grand Rounds speaker Richard Wardrop III, MD, PhD
- “Collaborations as Care: Interprofessional Learning in the Clinical Environment,” presented by Jacqueline Kruser, MD, MS, assistant professor, Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine; Jami Simpson, MS, ACC, fellowship program manager, Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine; and Kristen Panther, NP
The educational portion of the day closed with a plenary session led by Peter Kleinschmidt, MD, associate professor, General Internal Medicine, titled “I Read It on OpenEvidence: Teaching Medicine with AI in the Loop.”
“I'm very proud of our department and all of the incredible work showcased by our educators across the spectrum of undergraduate and graduate medical education,” concludes Tiffany Lin, MD, associate professor, Rheumatology, and the new DOM Vice Chair of Education. "We hope to see everyone again next year!”