2020 President’s Medal was presented by President Mark Nielsen to…

Valerie O’Loughlin

As HAPS President it is my great privilege to select the President’s Medal Award winner. The President’s Medal is an award that honors a HAPS member who has demonstrated exemplary service to our wonderful organization. I am honored to present the 2020 HAPS President’s Medal award to the amazing Valerie O’Loughlin.

It can be said that Valerie wears many hats. She is a professor of anatomy, cell biology, and physiology at the Indiana University School of Medicine – Bloomington, where she also is the assistant director of undergraduate education. She teaches a pedagogical methods course and mentors MS and PhD students pursuing anatomy education research. She has received numerous teaching awards from Indiana University and she is a fellow in the American Association for Anatomy and received the AAA Basmajian Award for excellence in teaching gross anatomy and outstanding accomplishments in scholarship in education. Top this off with the fact that she is an outstanding textbook author.

Now, add to this busy day job her tireless and relentless service to HAPS. Val joined HAPS in 2000 and attended her first conference in Maui in 2001 and has not missed a conference since her initial conference. She quickly got involved in HAPS leadership as she served on the Cadaver Use Committee from 2003 to 2007. From 2006 to 2009 she was the co-chair of the Membership Committee. In 2007 she was part of the task force involved with the restructuring of HAPS management. From 2007 to 2011 she served on the Partner Associations Committee. She was a member of the Foundation Oversight Committee from 2009 to 2010 and then became the chair of this committee from 2010 to 2012. For the next three years she served as the HAPS President-Elect, President, and Past President. During her term as President she was instrumental in promoting HAPS nationally and spotlighting pedagogical research in our society. From 2014 to the present Val has been instrumental in HAPS Task Forces in A&P Testing, Human Anatomy Testing and has been the Testing Committee Co-Chair from 2015 to 2017 and is currently the Exam Program Panel lead. She does not rest!

More important than this impressive list of HAPS service is Val’s genuine concern for HAPS. As I have served on committees with Val and observed her over the years, I have witnessed an inspiring dedication to HAPS. Valerie is constantly promoting HAPS through tweets, participation, and I am willing to bet that Val is directly responsible for brining more strong members into HAPS than any other HAPS member.

When I think of Valerie O’Loughlin the following statement comes to mind: There is a difference between INTEREST and COMMITMENT. When you are INTERESTED in doing something, you do it only when it is convenient. When you are COMMITTED to something, you accept no excuses; only results! This statement, in my observation, describes Valerie O’Loughlin’s service to HAPS.