Amy L. Bauernfeind, PhD

2023 Dean’s Impact Award Recipient

For outstanding work in medical education during the pandemic, the Department of Neuroscience recognizes Amy Bauernfeind, PhD, the department’s vice chair for education, and her fellow anatomy faculty members: Assistant Professor Kari L. Allen, PhD, Professor Krikor T. Dikranian, MD, PhD, Instructor Ahmad Jezzini, PhD, Assistant Professor Ashley C. Morhardt, PhD, and Assistant Professor Kristen A. Prufrock. The pandemic came at a particularly difficult time for our education team, as it prepared for the continued rollout of the MD Gateway Curriculum while also teaching the legacy curriculum. The pandemic required virtual learning — a particular challenge for a practical-based dissection curriculum. Their history of developing innovative teaching approaches allowed them to rapidly adapt, and our medical students progressed in their training without compromising educational quality. Among their many adaptations, the most impactful is arguably the roughly 12 anatomy videos they created. The videos feature previously dissected cadavers and instructor narration to explain important anatomical relationships and clinical relevance of the anatomy. The format was so effective that students continued to request video tutorials even as they returned to the anatomy lab in person, and to this day there is a demand for recorded material. Always receptive to student feedback, the team continues to produce high-quality videos that help students prepare for lab or review for retention. This team is a shining example of the ingenuity, dedication and collaboration that pulled the department through this challenging time and created durable solutions that continue to benefit our medical students.