September 02, 2016
In her 25-plus years on the Medical School faculty, Audrey F. Seasholtz, Ph.D., has seen many changes to the student curriculum. Some have been subtle, others dramatic. As the school begins to transition to its newest model over the next five years, Seasholtz is perfectly positioned to adapt and do what she has done successfully since 1989 — teach the physicians of the future.
Seasholtz has taught almost all aspects of biochemistry to first-year medical students over the last 25 years. A lecturer and director in the Normal Cells and Tissues sequence and lecturer in the CNS sequence since 2004, she also has played a key role in developing the biochemistry components of the the Molecular and Cellular Biology 501 course for medical students, the Normal Cells and Tissues sequence, and the Foundations of Molecular Medicine sequence of the new curriculum.
Over the years, her students have been very complimentary — not an easy thing to achieve in the evaluation process — on how she is able to relate clinical problems to the underling biochemistry, of the quality of her lectures and slides, and of her overall enthusiasm for teaching. One student said: “Many of the subjects she was tasked with teaching were complex and multifaceted, and she was consistently able to clarify even the most obscure details and communicate the materials in a way that was clear and systematic.”
Seasholtz received the 2015 Kaiser Permanente Award for Excellence in Pre-Clinical Teaching on Nov. 4 at the annual Faculty and Staff Awards Dinner.