The Institute for Excellence in Teaching & Learning proudly announces the recipients of the Fall 2026 Shipley Academic Innovation Fund Award, recognizing faculty-led initiatives that focus on advancing innovation in health education through interdisciplinary collaboration and convergent approaches to complex health and healthcare challenges.

This was an exceptionally strong and competitive application cycle, with proposals representing a wide range of approaches to innovation in health and health professions education. Funding decisions reflected the strength of the educational innovation, interdisciplinary and interprofessional collaboration, feasibility and impact, and the potential for successful approaches to extend beyond their initial setting.

The formal selection committee included academic leaders from across Boston University, reflecting the interdisciplinary focus of this initiative – Hee Young Park, Interim Dean, Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine; Barbara Jones, Dean, School of Social Work; Jack Dennerlein, Dean, Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences; Penny Bishop, Dean, Wheelock College of Education & Human Development; Joe Bizup, Associate Dean, College of Arts & Sciences; and Wendy Colby, Vice President and Associate Provost, BU Virtual and the Institute for Excellence in Teaching & Learning.

Seed Grant Awards

Early-stage or pilot initiatives, course/module redesigns, proof-of-concept projects

• From Prompt to Patient: Harnessing Gen AI to Strengthen Clinical Reasoning for Medical students in Internal Medicine
  • Sonia Ananthakrishnan – Medicine, Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine (MED) |Paul McManus – Strategy & Innovation, Questrom School of Business | Catherine Sullivan – Medicine, (MED) | Katy Bockstall – Medicine, MED | Stuart Somers – Medicine, MED
• Putting Our Heads Together: Innovative Interprofessional Concussion Training for School Health Personnel
  • Patricia Elliott – Community Health Sciences, School of Public Health (SPH) | Michael Alosco – Neurology, Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine (MED) | Ilana Hardesty – BU Barry M. Manuel Center for Continuing Education, MED | Jackie Raco – Community Health Sciences, SPH | Alyssa Faria – Community Health Sciences, SPH | Kelsey Goostrey – BU CTE Center, MED | Rashmi Paudel – Community Health Sciences, SPH
• Developing 3D Printed Model for Endotracheal Intubation Training in Non-Human Primates
  • Tara Moore – Anatomy and Neurobiology, Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine (MED) | Colleen Thurman – BU Animal Science Center
• Transforming Neuropsychology and Health Education through Gamified Web-based Learning
  • Yakeel Quiroz – Psychological & Brain Sciences, College of Arts & Sciences (CAS) | Catarina Tristão-Pereira – Psychological & Brain Sciences, (CAS) | Brian Matute Diaz – Rajen Kilachand Center for Integrated Life Sciences & Engineering
• Exploration of Biomolecular Structures and Interactions Using Interactive Virtual Reality Demonstrations
  • Blair Szymczyna – Chemistry, College of Arts & Sciences (CAS) | Sorcha Martin – Physical Therapy, Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences (Sargent) | Kyle Landry Health Sciences, Sargent

Innovation Grant Awards

Larger-scale or program-level projects with measurable outcomes and clear potential for broader adoption

• Beyond Memorization – Drawing Feedback as a Tool for Systems Based Learning in Healthcare
  • Sarah Barnes – Health Sciences, Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences | Marisol Lopez – Pharmacology, Physiology & Biophysics, Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine (MED) | Aliza Stern – Dermatology, Physician Assistant Program, MED | Jonathan Wisco – Anatomy and Neurobiology, MED
• Multi Agent AI Framework for CPR Education
  • Deepti Ghadiyaram – Computer Science, College of Arts & Sciences (CAS) | Tehnaz Boyle – Pediatrics, Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
• SCT PREPARE Digital – An AI Enhanced Interprofessional Platform for Sickle Cell Trait Education
  • Jacey Greece – Community Health Sciences, School of Public Health (SPH) | Stacey Cunnington – Community Health Sciences, SPH | Corinna Schultz – Nemours Children’s Health | Teanika Hoffman – Sickle Cell Coalition of Maryland | Arturo Aguillar – BU Student Health Services
• BU Health Learning Studio: A Living Laboratory for Convergent Health Education
  • Thomas McKenna – Teaching & Learning, Wheelock College of Education & Human Development | Ioannis Paschalidis – BU Hariri Institute, ENG | Azer Bestavros – Computing & Data Sciences | Joshua Campbell – Computational Biomedicine, Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine | Ziba Cranmer – BU Spark!, Computing & Data Sciences | Lisa Sullivan – School of Public Health
• Interprofessional Digital Health & Telehealth Readiness Curriculum
  • Heather Miselis – Family Medicine, Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine | Craig Slater – Occupational Therapy, Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences
• AI Virtual Patients and Extended Reality
  • Hesham Nouh – General Dentistry, Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (DEN) | Meredith Bailey – General Dentistry, DEN | Cataldo Leone – Periodontology, DEN | Gail McCausland – Periodontology, DEN
• Smart Health: Wearables, Sensors and Clinical Applications
  • Maura Walker – Health Sciences, Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences | Nicole Spartano – Medicine, Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine | Huimin Cheng – Biostatistics, School of Public Health

Established in 2021 through the generosity of BU Trustee Emeritus Richard C. Shipley, the Shipley Academic Innovation Fund is executed by the Institute for Excellence in Teaching & Learning. The fund supports faculty efforts to advance academic innovation in teaching and learning, with a focus on effective student engagement.

Learn more about the Shipley Academic Innovation Fund!