Halliday Named 2024 Stanton L. Young Master Teacher

Dr. Nancy Halliday, a David Ross Boyd Professor in the Department of Cell Biology in the College of Medicine has been named the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine’s 2024 Stanton L. Young Master Teacher.

Created by the late Mr. Stanton L. Young, and his wife, Barbara, the award is given to a truly inspiring teacher, one who goes beyond excellence in conveying knowledge, touching lives and changing attitudes. Master Teachers are respected for their professionalism, excellence in their discipline, and their strong personal involvement with students. They inspire by the example of their commitment as physicians and scientists and by their qualities as human beings. It comes with a $15,000 award.

Dr. Halliday, who also serves as the vice chair of education, is a member of the OU College of Medicine Academy of Teaching Scholars and has received the Outstanding Teacher Award for the college every year since 2018.

“Dr. Nancy Halliday’s dedication to education and her unwavering commitment to excellence embody the spirit of the Stanton L. Young Master Teacher Award,” said Ian F. Dunn, M.D., executive dean of the OU College of Medicine. “Her impact extends far beyond the classroom, shaping the future of medicine through her mentorship and inspiring leadership. We are proud to recognize her as the 2024 recipient of this prestigious honor.”

One student nomination praised Halliday, writing that she is ”...kind beyond measure, passionate beyond compare, wise beyond words, and patient beyond time, but most importantly, she sees something wonderful in each of us.”

Another student wrote that Halliday “shaped my introduction to medical school and greatly influenced my love for learning medicine during that first semester, and I will always appreciate her for that.”

Halliday joined the OU College of Medicine faculty in 2010, where she is course director for the Human Structure course for MS1 students. She has been nominated numerous times for the

Aesculapian Award for Excellence in Teaching the Basic Sciences and has been the recipient of that award four times over the past 12 years.

In 2020, she was awarded the Edgar W. Young Lifetime Achievement Award by the College of Medicine Student Council. She has also received several teaching awards across the OU Health Sciences campus, including the 2014 Regents’ Award for Superior Teaching and Outstanding PA Lecturer Award, and the 2018 Robert Magarian Faculty Award. Halliday was awarded the David Ross Boyd Professorship in 2018.

In addition to teaching the anatomical disciplines to first- and second-year medical students, she mentors MS4 students in an advanced anatomy elective. Halliday is also involved in the education of professional students across the OU Health Sciences campus.