Straatsma Award for Excellence in Resident Education | Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology

Honoring and celebrating an outstanding Program Director in ophthalmology, the award recognizes the critical role of the Program Director and celebrates the contributions of the awardee.

The Straatsma Award for Excellence in Resident Education (the “Straatsma Award”) was established through the generosity of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), the Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology (AUPO) and private funds to recognize and celebrate an outstanding Program Director in ophthalmology. The award carries the name and honors the accomplishments of Bradley R. Straatsma, MD, JD, former Chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology at UCLA and former Director of the Jules Stein Eye Institute. The award is presented annually at the Annual Meetings of the AAO and the AUPO and includes a cash prize.

The nomination period is open now through April 15.

Submit Nomination

2024 Straatsma Award Recipient

Dr. Pratap Challa is a Clinician-Scientist and Professor of Ophthalmology at Duke University. He received his medical degree from the University of Florida College of Medicine where he also completed Ophthalmology Residency Training. He pursued a combined clinical and research glaucoma fellowship at Duke University under the mentorship of David Epstein, MD and Rand Allingham, MD. Dr. Challa has served as the Residency Program Director at the Duke Eye Center since 2001 and attributes the success of the residency program to outstanding chairman and faculty who are passionately dedicated to training the next generation of Ophthalmologists.

As a physician-scientist investigator, Dr. Challa has a special research interest in the genetic basis of inherited eye diseases. He has NIH funded projects investigating the cellular pathways associated with glaucoma development. This includes the genomic and proteomic profiling of ocular tissues to identify novel glaucoma pathways. Along with David Epstein, MD, Vasanth Rao, PhD, and Eric Toone, PhD, he helped develop a Rho-kinase inhibitor to treat glaucoma. In addition to basic science research, he has educational research interests including evaluating residency training and surgical outcomes. He has over 100 peer-reviewed publications and over 50 invited speaking engagements, several of which are related to residency training. Dr. Challa has a special interest in mentoring clinician-scientists and initiated several curricular changes at the Duke Eye Center to facilitate the early career development of trainees.

Dr. Challa has served on several education and quality committees at Duke University focusing on resident and trainee education. Nationally, he has served on several committees including the AAO’s residency and online education committees as well as the ACGME’s milestones 2.0 and standing panel for appeals committees. He has been a Board examiner for the ABO for over 2 decades including serving on exam development and prop development committees. He is currently an ABO board member and the ABO’s representative on the AAO council.

Award Information

Eligibility

Nominees for the Straatsma Award must fulfill the following criteria:

Be a Member of AUPO and a Member or Fellow of the AAO
Have served as a Program Director at an ACGME-accredited AUPO member program for a minimum of 3 years
Currently serve as the Program Director
Embody the qualities of:
- Commitment to resident education
- Dedication to the residency training process
- Active engagement in program leadership
- Innovation in and/or advancement of residency education in Ophthalmology at the Regional, National or AUPO level
Be the consummate teacher/mentor/advisor

Special consideration in the selection process will be given to:

current activities, not simply to length of service or to contributions made many years previously
nominees who have published in peer-reviewed literature on subjects related to residency education
innovative work
those who have achieved a leadership role in medical education
achievement in mentoring other educators/future educators

Nominations

Candidates must be nominated by their Department Chair
The Application Packet must include the following items (10 pt. font or greater):
- A nomination form completed by the Chair
- One (1) supporting letter (each not to exceed two pages) from an ophthalmologist who is not a current trainee
- A copy of the Nominee’s current Curriculum Vitae
- A list of peer-reviewed publications by the Nominee that are relevant to residency education
- A signed letter from the Nominee (not to exceed two pages) summarizing the Nominee’s accomplishments as Program Director and plans for future activities. The Nominee must also agree in the letter to present at the AUPO Annual Meeting on a topic related to residency training if chosen as the Awardee.
The application packet must be compiled by the Department Chair and submitted electronically by April 15.

Selection Process

All completed applications will be reviewed by a Selection Committee and a recommendation forwarded to the AUPO Board of Trustees for approval and the AAO Board of Trustees for approval.
The Awardee will be notified by July.

Past Straatsma Award Recipients

2023

Fasika Woreta, MD Straatsma Award Winner — Fasika Woreta, MD
John Hopkins Hospital, Wilmer Eye Institute

2022

Laura K. Green, MD Straatsma Award — Laura K. Green, MD
Sinai Hospital of Baltimore

2021

Evan 'Jake' Waxman, MD, PhD — Evan (Jake) Waxman, MD, PhD
University of Pittsburgh
UPMC Eye Center

2020

R. Michael Siatkowski, MD, MBA
University of Oklahoma
Dean McGee Eye Institute

2019

Susan Culican, MD, PhD
University of Minnesota
Graduate Medical Education

2018

Preston Blomquist, MD
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

2017

Shahzad Mian, MD
University of Michigan
Kellogg Eye Center

2016

Steven Gedde, MD
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
Bascom Palmer Eye Institute

2015

Tara Uhler, MD Thomas Jefferson University Wills Eye Hospital — Tara Uhler, MD
Thomas Jefferson University
Wills Eye Hospital

2014

Laura L. Wayman, MD Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Vanderbilt Eye Institute — Laura L. Wayman, MD
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Vanderbilt Eye Institute

2013

Andreas K. Lauer, MD Oregon Health and Sciences University Casey Eye Institute — Andreas K. Lauer, MD
Oregon Health and Sciences University
Casey Eye Institute

2012

Thomas A. Oetting, MD University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine — Thomas A. Oetting, MD
University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine

2011

- Richard A. Harper, MD University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences — Richard A. Harper, MD
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

2010

Maria M. Aaron, MD Emory University School of Medicine Emory Eye Center — Maria M. Aaron, MD
Emory University School of Medicine
Emory Eye Center

2009

Mark S. Juzych, MD Wayne State University Kresge Eye Institute — Mark S. Juzych, MD
Wayne State University
Kresge Eye Institute

2008

Paul D. Langer, MD New Jersey Medical School — Paul D. Langer, MD
New Jersey Medical School

2007

James P. Dunn Jr., MD Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Wilmer Eye Institute — James P. Dunn Jr., MD
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Wilmer Eye Institute

2006

Karl C. Golnik, MD, Med University of Cincinnati College of Medicine Cincinnati Eye Institute — Karl C. Golnik, MD, Med
University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
Cincinnati Eye Institute

2005

Anthony C. Arnold, MD University of California, Los Angeles Jules Stein Eye Institute — Anthony C. Arnold, MD
University of California, Los Angeles
Jules Stein Eye Institute

2004

Nicholas J. Volpe, MD University of Pennsylvania Health Systems Scheie Eye Institute — Nicholas J. Volpe, MD
University of Pennsylvania Health Systems
Scheie Eye Institute

2003

Alfredo A. Sadun, MD, PhD University of Southern California Doheny Eye Institute — Alfredo A. Sadun, MD, PhD
University of Southern California
Doheny Eye Institute