Dec 19, 2025
Mader receives VCU Excellence in Pedagogical Innovation Award
Kerry Mader, OTD, OTR/L, CLA, c/NDT, assistant professor in the VCU Department of Occupational Therapy, was named among the inaugural recipients of the university’s Excellence in Pedagogical Innovation Award (EPIA) on September 10. The new honor recognizes faculty who transform the classroom with creative, research-informed strategies that deeply engage students.
One of 25 EPIA honorees this year, Mader was recognized for moving beyond traditional lectures, instead using immersive simulations to sharpen students’ critical thinking and professional reasoning in clinical settings. Her approach focuses on pairing realistic scenarios with guided feedback sessions to help students make decisions in real time.
Mader’s innovative near-peer model pairs second-year doctoral students with third-year students to guide pre-briefing and debriefing during clinical simulations. Former students frequently return as standardized patients and facilitators, helping the next cohort grow.
“For third-year students, it’s almost a rite of passage to come back and guide the process they went through a year prior,” Mader said. “This helps the second-year students be more receptive to feedback, because it’s coming from people who were very recently in their shoes.”
The recognition is highly affirming for Mader after over a decade of commitment to this method. “I’ve been working on this approach since 2014, refining it each year to enhance interactive learning moments,” she said. “I’m so excited that the passion, energy and love that I have to educate students is being recognized. It’s very heartfelt.”