Each year the American College of Rheumatology recognizes its members' outstanding contributions to the field of rheumatology through an awards program.
Awards of Distinction
Awards of Distinction recognize the following: Presidential Gold Medal, Distinguished Service, Distinguished Clinician Scholar, Distinguished Clinical Investigator, Distinguished Basic/Translational Investigator, Paulding Phelps, Henry Kunkel Early Career Investigator, Distinguished Fellowship Program Director, Excellence in Investigative Mentoring, Innovation in Clinical Care, International Rheumatology Professional.
Learn more about the Awards of Distinction
2021 Awards of Distinction
Stanley B. Cohen, MD Presidential Gold Medal
- Rheumatology Associates Dallas
- Dallas, TX
Michael Weisman, MD Distinguished Service Award
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
- Los Angeles, CA
Bryce A. Binstadt, MD, PhDExcellence in investigative Mentoring
- Uniersity of Minnesota
- Minneapolis, MN
Philip Seo, MD, MHSDistinguished Clinician Scholar
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
- Baltimore, MD
Mariana J. Kaplan, MD Distinguished Basic/Translational Investigator
Seoyoung C. Kim, MD, ScD, MSCEHenry Kunkel Early Career Investigator Award
- Brigham and Women's Hospital / Harvard Medical School
- Boston, MA
Amanda E. Nelson, MD, MSCR Henry Kunkel Early Career Investigator Award
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Thurston Arthritis Research Center
- Chapel Hill, NC
Jose U. Scher, MD Henry Kunkel Early Career Investigator Award
- NYU School of Medicine
- New York, NY
Richard K. Vehe, MD Paulding Phelps Award
- University of Minnesota
- Minneapolis, MN
Anne R. Bass, MD Distinguished Fellowship Program Director
- Hospital for Special Surgery
- New York, NY
Brian M. Feldman, MD, MSc, FRCPC Distinguished Clinical Investigator
- The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto
- Toronto, ON, Canada
Ida Dzifa Dey, MBChB, FWACP, FGCPS, MSC, SCE-RCP International Rheumatology Professional
- University of Ghana Medical School, Korle bu Teaching Hospital
- Accra, Ghana
Madelaine “Mattie” Feldman, MD Innovation in Clinical Care
- The Rheumatology Group
- New Orleans, LA
Distinguished Fellow Awards
The Distinguished Fellow Award recognizes up to ten clinical and research fellows who are in a rheumatology fellowship training program and have performed meritoriously. The Award is sponsored by the ACR and supported through the ACR Fellows Education Fund. ACR FIT members apply separately for the Distinguished Fellow Award and FIT Scholarship, however, those selected as a Distinguished Fellow Award winner will not be eligible to receive the FIT Scholarship in the same year.
Learn more about the Distinguished Fellow Awards
2021 Distinguished Fellows
Alfredo Aguirre, MD
Sokratis Apostolidis, MD
Rochelle L. Castillo, MD, MS
Nilasha Ghosh, MD, MS
Lesley Jackson, MD
Maximilian F. Konig, MD
Jacqueline Madison, MD
Alisa A. Mueller, MD, PhD
Naomi J. Patel, MD
Roseanne F. Zhao, MD, PhD
ACR Master Designation
Recognition as a Master of the American College of Rheumatology is one of the highest honors the College bestows. The designation of Master is conferred on ACR members, age 65 or older by October 1 of the year in which they are nominated, who have made outstanding contributions to the ACR and the field of rheumatology through scholarly achievement and/or service to their patients, students, and profession.
Learn more about the ACR Master Designation
2021 Masters
Alan N. Baer, MD
Daniel F. Battafarano, DO
Joel A. Block, MD
Maarten Boers, MD, PhD, MSc
Walter Winn Chatham, MD
Robert A. Colbert, MD, PhD
John J. Cush, MD
Gary S. Firestein, MD
Oliver FitzGerald, MD
John Hanly, MD
Joanne M. Jordan, MD, MPH
Yukiko Kimura, MD
Alex Limanni, MD
Paula Marchetta, MD, MBA
David A. McLain, MD
Rayfel Schneider, MBBCh
Gregg J. Silverman, MD
Robert William Simms, MD
Mohammed Tikly, MBBCh, FRCP, PhD
Orrin M. Troum, MD
Joan M. Von Feldt, MD, MSEd
Arthur Weiss, MD, PhD
Barbara White, MD