The UF College of Medicine has honored two of our faculty members with a 2023 Exemplary Teacher Award. Within the department of Health Outcomes and Biomedical Informatics (HOBI), the winners are Stephanie Staras, Ph.D., and Jessica Ray, Ph.D. This award honors members of the faculty with a teaching role, nominated by a department chair, who earn high evaluations of their courses from graduate students and demonstrate leadership within the department.

Stephanie Staras, Ph.D.
Dr. Staras, an associate professor in Health Outcomes and Implementation Science, teaches a core departmental course on Translational Research Design. An expert on human papillomavirus vaccine implementation, Staras lectured on the topic this year to undergraduate students and to teachers of middle and high school students. This year she became HOBI’s first Associate Chair of Faculty Development, which involves mentoring and guiding other faculty members to improve their craft.
Jessica Ray, Ph.D.

Dr. Ray is an assistant professor in HOBI’s division of Biomedical Informatics. Over the past summer, she collaborated with Bruce Vogel, Ph.D., to deliver the department’s Ph.D. Research Seminar, bringing together graduate students to discuss important concepts and methodological issues. Since joining the division in January 2022, Ray has been highly engaged, going above and beyond to mentor graduate students. Ray also chairs the HOBI Curriculum Committee.
Congratulations to these two winners of the Exemplary Teacher Award.