Purpose and Background

The Leonard M. Schuman Award for Excellence in Teaching recognizes School of Public Health faculty and staff who have made sustained outstanding contributions to the education of public health students. The school recognizes its outstanding teachers, both as a tribute to their special qualities and their dedication, and also to bring to the attention of current and future students the names and faces of those so honored. With this award, the School emphasizes the importance of the teaching function in the university. As a professional school, we continue to place equal emphasis on research, teaching, and service, but recognize that the majority of our students seek professional rather than academic careers. In a short period of time students must learn a disciplinary language, a philosophy, and a broad body of knowledge as the fundamental tools for their careers. The task of imparting a professional education is a challenging one, and those who are superior in meeting this challenge deserve recognition.

The award was established in 1984 to honor the teaching record of Dr. Leonard M. Schuman, a physician and epidemiologist in the School of Public Health. Dr. Schuman was an innovative investigator and outstanding educator who established the first Ph.D. program in epidemiology and the first summer epidemiology continuing education program in the nation. He joined the School of Public Health in 1954 as an Associate Professor and led the Division of Epidemiology from 1954 to 1983. During his long and distinguished career, he served on more than 40 national committees and advisory boards, including the Surgeon General’s committee that issued the 1964 landmark report implicating tobacco in lung cancer and other diseases. Dr. Schuman’s research contributions were recognized internationally and included discovery of the cause of silo-filler’s disease, development of a long-term follow-up study for examining the relationship between diet and cancer, participation in the Tri-State Leukemia Study, and direction of the Third National Cancer Survey for the Twin Cities. In 1983 he was named Mayo Professor of Public Health, and his exceptional teaching abilities were later acknowledged with the creation of the Leonard M. Schuman Excellence in Teaching Award.

The Award

The recipient’s achievements will be commemorated with a plaque, a permanent display in the school’s administrative offices, and a cash award of $3,000. No more than one award will be given in any single year. Each years’ recipient also becomes a member of the SPH Recognition, Awards and Honors Committee in the following year. The award will be presented at the annual School of Public Health Faculty and Staff Recognition Celebration.

Eligibility

School faculty and staff with a record of at least five years teaching in the School of Public Health are eligible. Previous winners are not eligible for a second award.

Nominator

To nominate someone for this award, you must be a member of the School of Public Health faculty, staff, or student body.

Students acting as primary nominators are strongly encouraged to discuss the nomination with the program major chair, Director of Graduate Studies, an SPH faculty member, program major coordinators, or division assistant/administrator for assistance in documenting sustained excellence in teaching and gathering the nominee’s teaching record and teaching evaluations to complete the nomination packet.

Evaluation Criteria

“From a deep understanding of subject matter a good teacher offers articulate presentations and thought-provoking analyses. The good teacher creates a climate of learning from a base of mutual respect, sound rapport, and high expectations between teacher and student.”(Text from the Schuman Award plaque).

The successful nominee will demonstrate a sustained record of excellence including elements such as:

• Success in stimulating the intellectual growth and development of students
• Imparting a broad context and understanding of the entire field of public health, encouraging students to integrate knowledge beyond their own discipline
• Having an emphasis on teaching critical thinking and analysis
• Using of effective teaching practices and being an effective communicator
• Availability and accessibility to students that exceeds normal expectations

Nomination Process

Annual awards nominations for the 2025-2026 academic year should be submitted through the online nomination form. The submission deadline is April 6, 2026.

Nominations must include the following documentation:

• A letter of nomination of no more than three pages in length. The letter should advocate the case for the award and address how the nominee meets one or more of the evaluation criteria.
  • The letter may contain quotes from students, alumni, co-instructors, Student Ratings of Teaching (SRTs), or others with first-hand knowledge of the nominee’s excellence.
• A letter from the program major chair and/or Director of Graduate Studies documenting sustained excellence in teaching, including division/program context of the nominee’s teaching load and teaching assignments and summaries from SRTs for the following questions:
  • I have a deeper understanding of the subject matter as a result of this course.
  • My interest in the subject matter was stimulated by this course.
  • The instructor treated me with respect.
• The nominee’s complete teaching record, indicating for each course: dates of course, whether the course was a required MPH core course, the nominee’s role in teaching (if not sole instructor), and number of students.
• The syllabus for only one course.

The nominee’s permission must be received to obtain and include SRT quotes and summaries as part of the nomination package.

To facilitate evaluation, please have one person act as the primary nominator, compiling all of the letters of support and other material prior to submitting online for the review committee.

Excerpts from award recipients’ nomination letters may be read at the awards ceremony. Following the ceremony, the winner will receive a complete copy of the nomination submission.

Previous Recipients