Anna Mae Diehl, MD, the Florence McAllister Professor of Medicine (Gastroenterology) and professor of molecular genetics and microbiology in Duke University School of Medicine, has won the Beckman Trust Award. She and seven other distinguished professors from around the United States were honored at a ceremony at the Grand Hyatt Atlanta in November.
The Beckman Trust Award, recognizes higher education faculty members who have inspired their students to make a difference in society. The award is given by the Elizabeth Hurlock Beckman Award Trust.
Former student Manal Abdelmalek, MD, professor of medicine (Gastroenterology), nominated Dr. Diehl for the award in collaboration with Dr. Jude Oben, another former Diehl student.
“As an educator and mentor, Dr. Diehl has inspired me and many former mentees, trainees and students to think big, challenge ourselves to create, innovate and discover, all for the purpose of making a lasting difference in the world around us and for the patients that we serve,” said Abdelmalek. “Dr. Diehl has the ability to see the talents of her students and help them navigate a course to their destination—a destination which likewise, leaves a lasting impression on the field of medicine and liver disease.”
Diehl, a renowned hepatologist, is the recipient of numerous National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants and the author of more than 250 peer-reviewed articles. She has received multiple national awards, and in November 2017 received the Distinguished Faculty Award from the Duke Alumni Association. She is passionate about educating people about liver disease in order to combat stigma surrounding the condition.
When Diehl talks about the students she’s mentored over the years, she likens it to bragging about children or grandchildren. Her former students have earned academic positions all over the world, many of them focusing on liver disease.
“I am so humbled and grateful to my students for this award,” she said. “And I am so proud of them.”
“Ultimately, the success of any teacher is measured by the success of her/his students,” said Abdelmalek. “Dr. Diehl has modeled her values and inspired her students, not through words, but through her deeds and actions—she is a role model for all and particularly, for women in academic medicine.”