2020-2021 Edward H. Holder Service Award recipients announced

The School of Osteopathic Medicine Student Government Association (SGA) announced Dr. Bonnie Brenseke (faculty recipient) and Mr. Dusty Barbour (staff recipient) as the Mr. Edward H. Holder Service Award recipients for the 2020-2021 academic year.

The Award was instituted by SGA in 2014 by the inaugural class as an opportunity for the student body to acknowledge a faculty member and a staff member who go above and beyond demonstrating the qualities of Mr. Eddie Holder, the beloved security guard of Levine Hall, who inspired the students to create the award as an ongoing way to appreciate all he does for the school as well as others who make the day-to-day aspects of medical school a little less trying and each day a little brighter with their kindness.

The students who nominated Mr. Barbour offered the following statements about why he should receive the award:

• He is always very friendly and brightens up my day;

• He is the unsung hero of CUSOM;

• I can’t even imagine everything he’s had to go through to make sure we get a complete clinical skills experience. Every time I see him, he is hard at work making sure we get the best experience. Especially during COVID, he has truly gone above and beyond, and is very pleasant just to simply hold a conversation with;

• He continuously puts student education first. He is friendly, professional, and knowledgeable; and

• All the members of the clinical skills staff deserve to be nominated this year. Dusty and the whole team have done an INCREDIBLE job adapting to COVID protocols and being incredibly innovative with our education.

Dr. Bonnie Brenseke (2nd from left) and Mr. Dusty Barbour (2nd from right) with SGA members.

The students who nominated Dr. Brenseke offered the following statements about why she should receive the award:

• Dr. Benseke constantly and consistently works with the students to create interactive and genuinely fun lectures that we can participate in and actually feel like we are a part of (which is definitely a struggle with online classes) as well as providing supplemental activities that we can use to study (Kahoot, crosswords, etc);

• She is an amazing advisor;

• I love her lectures! She is relatable and makes the learning fun, and no harder than it needs to be. I actually enjoy listening to her lectures and learning from her. I always retain the information the way she emphasizes and integrates it;

• She makes sure we understand what we are learning and makes it an enjoyable experience;

• She’s easy to talk to and has been very helpful any time I have had a question. She’s one of the smartest professors I’ve ever come across, as well; and

• Dr. Brenseke has been a shining light for me throughout my entire process – making sure I am taking care of myself and staying on top of my studies. Her actions have always gone beyond her job title, and it doesn’t go unnoticed! She is such a wonderful advisor to have and every conversation is always delightful and speaks so much to her personal character.

“This past academic year has been difficult for students and faculty as we transitioned to a new way of life,” shared Ankita Mishra, global health chair of SGA and award committee member. “Mr. Barbour’s and Dr. Brenseke’s dedication and support to students has been apparent, and the Student Government Association is excited to present this award to such deserving candidates. This is only a small token of our appreciation for the hard work and compassion they’ve shown students this year.”