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Faculty members with the Covenant HealthCare College of Medicine at CMU were recognized for their contributions to medical education on Thursday, October 8, at the annual Faculty Awards Ceremony. Each year, this celebration honors the faculty who generously share their expertise and skills to provide essential pre-clinical education and training to our learners.
The college’s faculty is comprised of excellent educators and health care practitioners, researchers, mentors, advisors and role models who are all committed to teaching learners to become knowledgeable, capable, and compassionate physicians. Members from several of the college’s clinical partners were in attendance, including CMU Health, CMU Medical Education Partners, Covenant HealthCare, MyMichigan Health, Memorial Health, McLaren Health, the Children’s Hospital of Michigan and University Pediatricians.
First to be recognized were the Community and Clinical Engaged Learning preceptors, the new Academy of Medical Educator members and grant recipients, and the recently promoted faculty members. Kelly Levasseur, D.O., from University Pediatricians, and Carol Delahanty from CMU Medical Education partners were also recognized as the 2026 recipients of the Dr. George E. and Mona Kikano Leadership in Medical Education Faculty and Staff Awards.
The college then presented several Excellence in Teaching Awards to recognize faculty members who demonstrate instructional expertise and exemplary teaching in their respective disciplines and the Excellence in Research Awards to recognize outstanding faculty research initiatives. The recipients of these awards have demonstrated their commitment to the mission, vision and values of the college.
Next was the presentation of the Dr. Debasish and Chinu Mridha Spirit of Teaching Award. This award honors outstanding faculty accomplishments and highly effective teaching by recognizing the contributions of faculty members who strive to maintain and enhance the reputation of the college and rewarding faculty who inspire, stimulate, challenge and motivate their students in exemplary ways. This award was presented to Oleg Kinaschuk, M.D., director of the Internal Medicine Clerkship, for his dedication and superb teaching style. Students say he is an outstanding clinician, committed instructor and passionate leader. He receives high praise for his encouraging demeanor, forthcoming feedback and exceptional mentorship.
The highlight of the evening was the presentation of a Lifetime Achievement Award to honor a faculty member whose distinguished career has demonstrated sustained achievement and lasting impact within the basic or clinical sciences and the broader medical community, with contributions recognized at the national or international level. The Lifetime Achievement Award is only given occasionally, and this year’s highly esteemed recipient was Edward McKee, Ph.D.
McKee has provided leadership and mentorship to advance medical education, administration and research at CMU for more than 14 years. During his tenure, he has served in several roles, including professor of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Genetics, the founding chair of the Foundational Sciences Discipline, and the founding senior associate dean for Research. Although he retired in 2026 with professor emeritus status, he is currently serving the college again as the interim senior associate dean for Research.
He was also the driving force in developing the college’s research enterprise by connecting scholars from the Mount Pleasant and Saginaw campuses, fostering collaboration with other research groups and local health care systems. He was instrumental in creating the infrastructure to support the college’s basic science research in Mount Pleasant and he helped launch the annual Research Symposium and Research Forum, which have become important initiatives in the college’s research culture. His mentorship, integrity, and commitment to collaboration have had a lasting impact on our institution.
