Jana Lazor Emerging Leader in Faculty Development Award

Nominations are open.

Submit nominations by December 15, 2025.

About

Dr. Jana Lazor was a pioneering force in faculty development and a transformative leader, serving as Director of Faculty Development at the University of Toronto’s Mississauga Academy of Medicine and later in the MD Program from 2010 to 2025. Through her mentorship of both faculty and learners, she inspired and empowered others, fostering the professional growth of hundreds of educators and frontline teachers. Deeply dedicated and accessible, she was generous with her time, consistently present, and unwavering in her commitment to ensuring no one was left behind.

This award recognizes an emerging leader who demonstrates excellence and dedication to faculty development within health professions education at the University of Toronto. The recipient’s approach to faculty development should be marked by innovation, creativity, and compassionate leadership, as well as by the enthusiasm they bring to every teaching and learning encounter. By cultivating psychologically safe and inclusive spaces, they ensure that every voice is heard and valued. Their efforts help others enhance their effectiveness as educators, contributing to a culture of excellence in health professions education.

Eligibility Criteria

The nominee must be a faculty member within the Temerty Faculty of Medicine who is within the first seven years of appointment with the Temerty Faculty of Medicine (not including any leaves of absence such as parental leave) and is cultivating their emerging identity as a faculty developer.
An individual can receive this award only once.

Selection Criteria:

The nominee will be evaluated based on evidence of:

Innovation in faculty development. This may include but is not limited to:

Creating, revising, or developing curricular, assessment, evaluation, or teaching innovations, programs, tools, or resources that advance faculty development.

Emerging excellence in and commitment to faculty development. This may include but is not limited to:

Peer testimonials, evaluations, and/or awards that recognize contributions to faculty development.
Peer-reviewed grants and publications, invited presentations, workshops, posters and abstracts relating to faculty development, as well as ongoing education research
Certificates of completion and records reflecting a commitment to self-driven faculty development and lifelong learning.

Advocating for an inclusive culture of faculty development. This may include but is not limited to:

Peer testimonials, evaluations and/or awards that reflect a commitment to leading in a way that creates a psychologically safe and inclusive space where diverse perspectives shape decision making, within their faculty development offerings and activities.
Contributing to faculty development communities of practice, including through working groups, committees, and mentorship (informal or formal)

Creativity and compassionate leadership. This may include but is not limited to:

Peer testimonials, evaluations, and/or awards that recognize a creative and compassionate approach to leadership—one that truly values a diversity of ideas, meets them with curiosity, and provides support in developing them

How to Submit a Nomination

Nominations will open on October 15, 2025 and be accepted until December 15, 2025 at 11:59 pm.

All nominations must be submitted using the online nomination form. Nominations can be completed by anyone within the Temerty Faculty of Medicine with knowledge of the nominee’s work.

When completing the form, you will be asked to provide the following:

Impact Statements

Short statements (up to ~300 words each) describing how the nominee meets each of the criteria listed above (expand the award category above to review the relevant criteria). For each, include examples of impact. Impact as it relates to each criterion may include but is not limited to: changes in knowledge, perspectives, practices, or policy; scaling/replication; innovation; advancing EDIIA.

Confirmation of Leadership Support

When completing the nomination form, you will be asked to confirm that the Department Chair or Vice Chair, Education is aware of and supports this nomination on the basis that the nominee's accomplishments align with the award criteria. There is no limit on how many nominations per department.

Two peer testimonies

Provide two short peer testimonies of up to ~300 words each. These personal testimonies should be provided by a colleague, collaborator or supervisor and should describe the writer’s support for the nomination. This is not meant to be a summary of the nominee's merits and accomplishments but rather highlight specific experiences the writer has had with the nominee, and how these impacted them or a group, institution or discipline. Examples are stronger than adjectives.

CV

Standard U of T format.

Selection Process

Nominations will be reviewed and ranked by a sub-committee of the Temerty Faculty of Medicine Education and Teaching Awards Committee. The nominating Department Chair and winner will be notified in February. The award winner will be recognized at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine’s Education Achievement Celebration, taking place annually in the Spring.

If you have any questions, please contact the Office of the Vice Dean, Medical Education. 