The Arky Award

  • Ron Arky, MD Professor of Medicine and Director of the Francis Peabody Society at the Harvard University School of Medicine, has been a steadfast leader and supporter of medicine school learning communities.

    Ron has also been an important benefactor for the LCI, providing a generous gift to enable us to being as an organizations.

    This award is names after Dr. Arky as a means to continually appreciate his contributions to the LCI and to the learning communities movement. This award is given annually to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the development of learning communities in medical education.

  • Professor of Medicine

  • Assistant Dean for the Colleges

  • University of Washington, School of Medicine

  • She is passionate about learning communities in medicine; she is the past Chair and on the Board of Governors for the Learning Communities Institute (LCI).

  • 2024: Dave Hatem, MD

    2023: Jason Noah, MEd

    2022: Lars Osterberg, MD

    2021: James Wagner, MD

    2019: Amy Fleming, MD

    2018: Meg Keely, MD

    2017: Peter Denson, MD

    2016: Erika Goldstein, MD

    2015: Robert Shochet, MD

Susan Shultz Award for Professional Staff

  • Since the inception and formation of the LCI, Susan Shultz has played an invaluable role in contributing to the success of the organization. As the LCI Administrator, Susan has provided key organization support, as well as being a key member of the leadership team. Moreover, Susan has provided consistency to the organization, and serves a reminder that our most precious asset are the people who are part of the LCI, and she models the ideals of service, relationship, caring, and compassion, that are at the heart of the organization. 

    In 2021, Ron Arky, made a generous contribution to the LCI for the establishment of this award, to honor Susan’s legacy and to recognize professional staff, at the various LCI institutions, who make a significant contribution of the development of learning communities on their local campuses, in the LCI, and the broader medical education community.

  • 2024: Jennifer Vanecko

    2023: Julie Calcavecchia

    2022: Lauren Parker

    2021: Susan Shultz

  • Kathryn Pauli, MA, MEd

    Director of Learning Communities and Manager of Well-Being and Integrative Medicine

    UNLV Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine

  • Kathi has provided strategic leadership as Director of Learning Communities and Manager of Well-Being and Integrative Medicine. She played a central role in the design and launch of our school's comprehensive learning community framework in 2023, guiding its growth with vision, innovation, and a steadfast commitment to students' professional and personal development.

    Kathi's contributions extend well beyond University of Nevada Las Vegas. As Co-Chair of the Learning Communities Institute Administrator and Professional Staff Committee, she has elevated the voice and impact of professional staff nationally.

Louise E. Arnold Excellence in Research or Innovation Poster Session Award

  • This award honors Dr. Louise E. Arnold who was a key leader in the Learning Communities Institute since its inception and a luminary in medical education. Dr. Arnold made substantial contributions to the academic medical education literature, most notably in the area of professionalism for which she was a national and international expert.

    She generously gave her time, expertise, and kindness through mentoring countless students, residents, and faculty. This award is given in Louise’s spirit of innovation, generosity, and generativity. This award acknowledges and celebrates a poster that embodies excellence in innovation and/or research that advances or has the potential to advance learning communities in medical education.

2025 Winner:

How Group Closeness Shapes the Relationship Between Personality and Engagement in Medical School Learning Communities. 

Angela Herrera, Rubaab Wahid, Jasmin Kumar, Sunny Zhang, Amy Stone.

Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV.

2025 LCI Research Mini Grant Program Awardees

  • Retention and Attrition of Tutors in Learning Communities: Key Lessons from the Initial Years.  Research team led by Dr. Clare Guilding,  Professor of Pharmacology & Medical Education, University of Newcastle, UK. 

  • Cultivating Leaders: The Role of Learning Communities in Student Leadership Development.  Research team led by Dr. Shaundra Blakemore, Assistant Professor and Director Learning Communities Program at the University of Alabama Heersink School of Medicine.

The 2026 Mini Grant Call for Proposals will be available late September 2025, prior to the LCI annual meeting.