Each year, the AASM Board of Directors selects the recipients of four AASM awards – the Nathaniel Kleitman Distinguished Service Award, the Excellence in Education Award, the William C. Dement Academic Achievement Award, and the Mark O. Hatfield Public Policy or Advocacy Award. Several leaders in the field of sleep medicine, along with one senator, were selected as recipients of the 2019 AASM awards. The award recipients are:
Patrick J. Strollo, Jr., MD
Established in 1981, the Nathaniel Kleitman Distinguished Service Award honors individuals dedicated to the sleep field who have made significant contributions in the areas of administration, public relations, and government affairs.
Dr. Strollo is a professor of medicine and clinical and translational science at the University of Pittsburgh. He is the chairman of medicine at the VA Pittsburgh Health System and vice chair of medicine for Veterans Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Strollo served as president of the AASM from 2010 to 2011 and chair of the NHLBI Sleep Disorders Research Advisory Board. Dr. Strollo’s research has involved team science with an emphasis on translational investigations.
“I am deeply honored to be selected for the AASM 2019 Nathaniel Kleitman Award. The fact that I am receiving this recognition in San Antonio carries special significance to me. I began my career in sleep medicine at Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center when we established the first sleep center in the US Air Force. ”
Loretta Colvin, ACNP-BC
Established in 2002, the Excellence in Education Award is presented to those individuals who have made outstanding contributions in the teaching of sleep medicine. The award serves to recognize and honor dedicated individuals who have skillfully taught and enhanced the knowledge of professional and lay people in the areas of sleep and sleep medicine.
Loretta Colvin is an assistant professor at Maryville University and a nurse practitioner at SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital in St. Louis. She has held many roles, including as an advanced care provider, sleep team member, patient educator, public speaker and program coordinator. She is a member of the AASM Diversity & Inclusion Task Force and has previously served as chair for the AASM APRN/PA Task Force.
“Receiving this award is a true honor. For me, it symbolizes the accomplishments of all of the collaborations I have been a part of, beginning with the AASM APRN/PA Task Force. I am grateful to the many colleagues, mentors and friends who have taught and inspired me.”
Sonia Ancoli-Israel, PhD
Established in 1994, the William C. Dement Academic Achievement Award recognizes members of the sleep field who have displayed exceptional initiative and progress in the areas of sleep education and academic research.
Dr. Ancoli-Israel is professor emeritus of psychiatry and a professor of research at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine. She is certified in sleep medicine and in behavioral sleep medicine and is a fellow of the AASM and of the Gerontological Society of America. Dr. Ancoli-Israel is a past president of the Sleep Research Society (SRS) and is published regularly in medical and psychiatric journals, with more than 500 publications in the field.
“My overarching goal was always to improve quality of life by improving sleep, particularly in older adults, in neurogenerative disease and in cancer, whether through teaching, through my research or through treating patients. Receiving this award and being recognized for my contribution in these areas is a totally unexpected but great honor.”
Senator Anthony Portantino
Established in 1996, the Mark O. Hatfield Public Policy or Advocacy Award acknowledges an individual who has developed public policy that positively affects the healthy sleep of all Americans. The contribution is unique, yet vital, to the advancement of the field.
Senator Portantino represents California’s 25th State Senate District. He recently reintroduced SB-328, “Pupil attendance: school start time,” which made it all the way to the governor’s desk in 2018 before being vetoed. The bill would require the school day for middle schools and high schools in the state to begin no earlier than 8:30 a.m., which is in agreement with an AASM position statement. The bill demonstrates that legislation promoting healthy sleep for teens can garner bi-partisan support, and it provides a model for other state legislators throughout the country.
Award Ceremony
The awards will be presented Monday, June 10, during the plenary session of SLEEP 2019, the 33rd annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, LLC (APSS) in San Antonio.
This content was published in the Spring 2019 issue of Montage, the official membership publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM). To read more content from this issue, click the button below!
