Dean's Excellence Award Spotlight: 2025 winners

Sara Gombash Lampe, PhD, assistant clinical professor of Neuroscience, received the Foundational Science Educator Award for her innovative thinking and academic course development. Her redesign of the History of Neuroscience and Neurological Disease moves beyond traditional content delivery to create a more integrated learning experience that connects neuroscience to students lived experiences. 

What does receiving this award mean to you?

As someone who was trained primarily as a researcher, my transition into education came relatively late in my career, driven by an intuitive sense that I belonged in the educational space and the profound joy I experience when working with students. This award represents a meaningful validation of both my career pivot and my pedagogical approach. 

What’s your approach to enhancing curriculum?

I focus on incorporating affective learning approaches that engage students' emotions, motivations, and personal connections to the material so they can retain and apply knowledge more effectively. I intentionally integrate several pedagogical strategies: reflective journaling allows students to process and personalize their learning; multi-perspective instruction helps them understand neuroscience through diverse lenses; peer teaching reinforces their understanding while building communication skills; and storytelling makes complex concepts more accessible and memorable.

Do you have any words of encouragement to others to nominate someone for the 2026 awards?

I would absolutely encourage colleagues to nominate deserving educators, as many work quietly behind the scenes, and do not realize the impact they're having on students' lives and learning. A nomination can reveal work that deserves broader recognition and can validate approaches that might feel unconventional or risky.

Debbie Pond director of the Center for Faculty Advancement, Mentoring and Engagement (FAME), received the Administrator of the Year Award for her strategic direction and coordinated efforts within the college to create professional development opportunities for more than 2,700 faculty members.

Under your leadership, FAME has become a national model for enhancing faculty pedagogy and leadership skills. What sets your efforts apart?

I’ve focused on launching and expanding a variety of innovative initiatives, including launching two professional development podcasts, the university’s OAA Faculty Affairs Leadership Podcast and FAME’s very own FAMEcast podcast. In addition to our extensive leadership program offerings, we are implementing other innovative ways to bring professional development opportunities including asynchronous programs and FAME2Go which brings high-quality, ready-made faculty development sessions directly to our faculty in their units. These initiatives help our faculty build the skills needed to continue to face rapid change and lead an innovative health care delivery system.

The college is committed to developing leaders and staff who can meet the current and future needs of the organization. How do your efforts build staff skills and competencies that move us to national eminence?

I think by continuing to serve as a stanch advocate for staff advancement and professional growth that is designed to develop leaderships skills and career growth. I am one of the founding members of the college’s Staff Advisory Committee, a working group of engaged employees who identify and lead efforts to enhance the staff experience and workplace culture.

Phillip G. Popovich, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Neuroscience, received the Distinguished Professor Award, for his achievements as an international leader in neurotrauma and neuroimmunology. He also serves as executive director of the Belford Center for Spinal Cord Injury and as director of the Center for Brain and Spinal Cord Repair.

When did your research at Ohio State begin?

It started in 1999, and it has continued to develop better treatments for brain and spinal cord injuries, leading to groundbreaking discoveries, including the crucial role of immune cells in regulating spinal cord injury and repair processes. I received an R35 Outstanding Investigator Award from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke which will fund my research program through 2027.

How has your success with remarkable research been translated into teaching and mentoring learners at all academic levels?

I developed and taught a neuroimmunology course that after 25 years, remains an educational centerpiece of the Neuroscience Graduate Program. My purpose has been to influence the college’s education mission by mentoring hundreds of trainees at all levels, high school, undergraduate, graduate and postdoc and in professional degree programs. I’m honored that my efforts have made an immeasurable impact on others and have continued to support our efforts to drive seminal advancements in the field of neuroscience.