Awards

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We at the American Association of Veterinary Anatomists wish to provide the greatest service to our members. The following describes the AAVA award programs that are aimed to both recognize AAVA members and to mitigate the shortage of qualified anatomists and improve Veterinary Education. 

Call for 2027 AAVA Award Nominations – The Executive Committee of the AAVA is excited to announce that we will be presenting the following awards at our upcoming meeting:  

• AAVA Rising Anatomist Visiting Award 
• AAVA Fellow Status Award 
• AAVA Distinguished Retiree Award 
• AAVA Technical Staff Excellence Award 
• AAVA Outstanding Veterinary Anatomist Award 

Please review criteria for each award below and submit applications here. 

Nomination Deadline:  December 15, 2026  

Notification of Award Recipients:  February 15, 2027  

Renomination: Any nominee not chosen for an award may be considered for the award in the following cycle if the nominee still meets the award criteria. It is the nominator’s responsibility to resubmit a nomination package prior to the next award’s deadline.

This award program provides a means to advance early career AAVA members by providing anatomy teaching support in a different institution than their home. Simultaneously, it provides a teaching aid to an institution needing temporary support due to a shortage of teaching personnel. This program is a bipartite application process. First, the early career AAVA applicant can apply either independently or in collaboration with a destination host institution. The applicant is typically a graduate student in the course of their work towards a Master's or Ph.D. program in anatomy or a related degree program. Second, an institution interested in hosting an early career AAVA member application should be submit an institutional application. The early career applicant should demonstrate teaching potential and be willing and able to collaborate with and support anatomy teaching at host institutions. The candidate will have been an AAVA member for at least one full calendar year before the application deadline. The institutional applicants should commit to and demonstrate a plan for mentorship of the Rising Anatomist and stipend support for the awardee based on local satisfaction criteria. The financial support should last for one or two semesters, based on a mutually agreed-upon set time. The AAVA will match the early career applicant and institution based on need and opportunity. The AAVA will provide travel support to the early career applicant for up to $500. The AAVA also encourages and recommends that the hosting institution pay for the individual applicant's travel support if possible. Only one application per institution will be allowed, except if more applicants than institutions have applied for the award. 

Individual Applications

• Letter of intent and teaching philosophy.
• Nominee's Curriculum Vitae including anatomy education and teaching experience.
• Letter of support from graduate program mentor.
• 2 letters of recommendation. Letters of recommendation do not need to come from AAVA members. 
• Desired hosting period and financial needs.

Institutional Applications 

• Letter of intent and teaching philosophy.
• Reason for the need for teaching support.
• Summary of the local environment, mentoring plan, and the potential career advancement benefits for a Rising Anatomist.
• List of all local AAVA members and/or AAVA anatomists trained at host institution.
• Commitment to and capacity for financial support, including the possibility of travel support.
• Desired hosting period

The AAVA Fellow Status recognizes the contribution of a distinguished AAVA member to anatomical sciences education and research. It highlights the accomplishments of a faculty member in anatomical sciences education and in advancing knowledge through scholarship. The AAVA Fellow Status will be awarded to a successful member who has maintained uninterrupted membership for more than ten years. 

Criteria: 

• AAVA member for more than ten years.
• Nominees must be full-time faculty at fully accredited colleges or universities.
• AAVA Involvement: Active membership, participation, and engagement in AAVA activities. 
• Teaching Excellence: Demonstrated exceptional teaching skills in anatomical sciences.  Evidence of teaching awards or outstanding teaching evaluations. Record of didactic and laboratory teaching.
• Research Contribution and Scholarly Achievements: Candidates will have significantly contributed to the anatomical sciences through primary anatomical studies or pedagogical research. Achievements will include the publication of at least 3 scholarly works that advance anatomical knowledge or teaching. 
• Self-nomination is accepted.  All members of the AAVA in good standing are invited to nominate candidates for this award.
  

Required application materials:

• Nominee's Curriculum Vitae.
• Letter of nomination, highlighting nominee's eligibility and AAVA Involvement, Teaching Excellence, Research Contribution and Scholarly Achievements.
• At least one supporting letter from a former faculty or graduate mentee and/or anatomy student. Letters of support do not need to come from AAVA members. 

Award: The AAVA Fellow will be recognized during the AAVA conference with a commemorative plaque and cash award. 

Previous AAVA  Fellow  Recipients: 

• 2024      Mahmoud Mansour    Auburn State University

The AAVA Distinguished Retiree award recognizes a retired faculty who made significant contributions to anatomical sciences education and scholarship over their career. 

Criteria:

• AAVA member for more than 15 years.
• Nominees must be retired from full-time faculty status at fully accredited colleges or universities.
• Previous AAVA Involvement: Previous evidence of active membership, participation, and engagement in AAVA activities. 
• Teaching Excellence: Demonstrated exceptional teaching skills in anatomical sciences.  Evidence of teaching awards or outstanding teaching evaluations. Record of didactic and laboratory teaching.
• Research Contribution and Scholarly Achievements: Candidates will have significantly contributed to the anatomical sciences through primary anatomical studies or pedagogical research. Achievements will include the publication of at least 3 scholarly works that advance anatomical knowledge or teaching. 
• Self-nomination is accepted.  All members of the AAVA in good standing are invited to nominate candidates for this award.

Required application materials:

• Nominee's Curriculum Vitae
• Letter of nomination, highlighting nominee's eligibility and AAVA Involvement, Teaching Excellence, Research Contribution and Scholarly Achievements
• At least one supporting letter from a former faculty or graduate mentee and/or anatomy student. Letters of support do not need to come from AAVA members. 

Award: The AAVA Distinguished Retiree will be recognized during the AAVA conference with a commemorative plaque and cash award. 

Previous AAVA Distinguished Retiree Recipients: 

• 2024    Thomas Caceci     Virginia Tech

This award recognizes a technician or instructional support staff for their exceptional support of anatomical sciences education. This award recognizes individuals who are committed to supporting anatomical sciences education in their own institution, and potentially others, through collaboration and professional development. 

Criteria:

• AAVA member for more than 3 years, with more than 5 years of experience significantly supporting anatomical sciences education.
• Nominees must be full-time employees at fully accredited colleges or universities. 
• AAVA Involvement: Evidence of active membership, participation, and engagement in AAVA activities. 
• Anatomical Excellence: Demonstrated exceptional skills in anatomical sciences. 
• Collaboration: Evidence of effective collaboration with faculty, staff, students and other colleagues at their institution, across institutions, or through the AAVA. 
• Professional Development: Demonstrated commitment to continuous personal professional development, advancement of excellence anatomical education, or the continuous learning of others through collaboration.
• Self-nomination or from any members of the AAVA in good standing will be accepted with institutional support. Nomination may also come from the institution's anatomy teaching team.

Required application materials:

• Nominee's Curriculum Vitae
• Letter of nomination, highlighting nominee's eligibility and AAVA Involvement, Anatomical Excellence, Collaboration, and Professional Development
• At least one supporting letter from a colleague, collaborator, or anatomy student. Letters of support do not need to come from AAVA members. 

Award:  The AAVA Technical Staff Excellence Awardee will be recognized during the AAVA conference with a commemorative plaque and cash award. 

Previous AAVA Technical Staff Excellence Award Recipients: 

• 2024       Abby Brown        Minnesota State University