Gaddy Receives Outstanding Woman Faculty Award

By Jon Parham

 Dana Gaddy, Ph.D., was presented the 2012 Outstanding Woman Faculty Award by the College of Medicine Women's Faculty Development Caucus.
Dana Gaddy, Ph.D., was presented the 2012 Outstanding Woman Faculty Award by the College of Medicine Women’s Faculty Development Caucus.
Finalists for the award included (from left next to podium): Gaddy, Laura Lamps, M.D., Laurie Barber, M.D., and Sara Tariq, M.D. Not pictured is Suzanne Klimberg, M.D.
Finalists for the award included (from left next to podium): Gaddy, Laura Lamps, M.D., Laurie Barber, M.D., and Sara Tariq, M.D. Not pictured
is Suzanne Klimberg, M.D.

Gaddy, a professor of physiology and biophysics and of orthopaedics in the College of Medicine, received the award April 5 at the Women’s Caucus spring dinner.

Gaddy was nominated by four colleagues and was elected by a vote of the entire caucus for outstanding contributions in mentorship, leadership, scholarship and achievement.

“Dr. Gaddy is “tireless in her work to support the career development of many junior faculty members, fellows, graduate students and medical students….She has taken a leadership role in curriculum reform – one of many examples of her willingness to embrace change and make important progress in education,” the nomination letter said.

Speaking in 2010 at the annual Career Day for the Biomedical Sciences, Gaddy talked fondly about her work as a researcher: “Although this is a roller coaster, I’m having a blast. This is a great life; it’s incredibly rich. You’d have to pay me a lot of money to do anything else.”

Gaddy is a nationally recognized, funded, and well-published research scientist whose work focuses on the hormonal and age-dependent regulation of bone metabolism and bone cell differentiation. She is a past-president of the Women’s Caucus.

Among the many projects she undertook within that role was her leadership of a study to explore possible barriers to the academic promotion of women. She also is a leader in the UAMS Faculty Senate.

Other 2012 nominees included: Laurie Barber, M.D.; Suzanne V. Klimberg, M.D.; Laura Lamps, M.D.; and Sara Tariq, M.D.

Past Outstand Woman Faculty Award winners are:
Stacie Jones, M.D. (2011)
Mary Aitken, M.D. (2010)
Gwen Childs, Ph.D. (2009)
Linda Worley, M.D. (2008)
Jeannette Shorey, M.D. (2007)
Cynthia Kane, Ph.D. (2006)
Jeanne Wei, M.D., Ph.D. (2005)
Jeanne Heard, M.D. (2004)
Laura Hutchins, M.D. (2003)
Teresita Angtuaco, M.D. (2002)
Debra H. Fiser, M.D. (2001)

Women’s Faculty Development Caucus officers are Sara Tariq, M.D., president; Wendy Ward, Ph.D., vice president; and Laura Sisterhen, M.D., secretary.