Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine

Faculty Awards

A man with a grey beard and mustache wearing a tweed blazer and brown pants shakes hands with a man wearing glasses and a black suit and tie as he accepts an award

  • The following faculty members were recognized with these awards of excellence at the annual Cummings School Dean’s Dinner on May 19, 2023.

    Artemis Award For Clinical Excellence
    Dr. Claire Fellman, associate professor, Department of Clinical Sciences

    Established by the Lazlo N. Tauber Family Foundation to recognize excellence in clinical practice, the recipient is selected based on their exemplary patient care, client communication, service, and professionalism from nominations by faculty peers.  

    Dr. Fellman teaches pharmacology and clinical pharmacology and is highly dedicated to the responsible use of antimicrobials.

    To quote one of her nominators: “Dr. Fellman goes above and beyond in researching cases and finding the most recent and relevant literature … She does this for both chronic and new cases, ensuring that all of her patients receive the best and most up-to-date care as possible.”

    Henry E. Childers, D.V.M., Award
    Rachel Prestigiacomo, V21, teaching affiliate

    The Childers Award is given in honor of a former part-time faculty member “for sustained and extraordinary contributions to the education of Cummings School veterinary students by a part-time instructor."  Childers was an extraordinary part-time faculty member at Cummings and this award recognizes his contributions as well as the recipient.

    After serving as the 2021–2022 Tufts Veterinary Field Service intern, Dr. Prestigiacomo helped teach the equine portion of Clinical Skills 1 this year, reworking the course material, and bringing enthusiasm, motivation, dedication, and tremendous teaching skill to the course, Dean Cribb shared.

    Zoetis Award For Veterinary Research Excellence
    Dr. Saul Tzipori, professor, Department of Infectious Disease & Global Health

    Based on research accomplishment of the last three years, the Zoetis Award for Veterinary Research Excellence recognizes outstanding research efforts in any field of research. Faculty peers select the recipient from those nominated based on productivity and innovative approaches to problem-solving.  

    Dr. Tzipori's career-long mission has been and continues to be the prevention and mitigation of infectious diseases of global importance. Most recently, his team has focused on developing innovative methods for intervention to treat C. difficile, models for studying cryptosporidiosis, and most recently he has studied COVID-19, according to Dean Cribb. Dr. Tzipori has led major multi-institutional efforts in Global One Health and Emerging Threats.

    One nominator shared, “Saul is a collaborative researcher who has worked consistently with faculty across our department, and to attract research interests to the school. His over 250 publications and long research career are demonstrations of his passion and love for research and scholarship in veterinary and human medicine.”

    Zoetis Distinguished Veterinary Teacher Award
    Dr. Patrick Skelly, professor, Department of Infectious Disease & Global Health

    Nominated by both students and faculty members, the Zoetis Distinguished Veterinary Teacher Award recognizes outstanding instructors who, through their ability, dedication, character, and leadership, contribute to the advancement of the profession.

    Highly collaborative and quietly passionate, Dr. Skelly has earned the trust and engagement of students and faculty over more than two decades, says Dean Cribb. Students consistently evaluated him as the top or among the top-rated instructors at Cummings School.

    A nominators shared, “Dr. Skelly is really good at answering questions and teaching the big-picture takeaways from lectures. I really enjoy his lectures because he clearly puts time into making content interesting and entertaining so we can recall more easily.

  • Artemis Award For Clinical Excellence
              Emily Tompkins Karlin, D.V.M., V08, assistant professor of clinical sciences

    Henry E. Childers, D.V.M., Award
              Ruth Marrion, D.V.M., Ph.D., ophthalmologist

    Zoetis Award For Veterinary Research Excellence
              Melissa Mazan, D.V.M., V93, professor of clinical sciences

    Zoetis Distinguished Veterinary Teacher Award
              John Rush, D.V.M., professor of clinical sciences