2026 Faculty Achievement Awards
This year, UNT Health Fort Worth’s Faculty Achievement Awards looked a little different. Instead of having a finalist from each college with one winner, the awards were expanded to five categories. The categories are the Provost’s Outstanding Teaching, Outstanding Research, Outstanding Service, Outstanding Clinical, and Outstanding Community Engagement.
From these five award recipients, one winner of the President’s Distinguished Faculty Award will be announced on April 21 at the Presidential Awards Dinner.
Each award recipient will receive a $2,500 taxable monetary award, and the President’s Distinguished Faculty Award winner will receive an additional $7,500 in addition to a physical award. The President’s Distinguished Faculty Award winner will also be given a special medal to wear with their commencement regalia.
The 2026 award recipients are:
- Outstanding Teaching Award – Dr. Crystal Hodge
- Outstanding Research Award – Dr. Abe Clark
- Outstanding Service Award – Dr. Adenike Atanda
- Outstanding Clinical Award – Dr. Christina Robinson
- Outstanding Community Engagement Award – Dr. Emily Spence
Learn more about each category recipient:
Outstanding Teaching Award: Dr. Crystal Hodge
Hodge is an associate professor of infectious disease in the UNT System College of
Pharmacy.
“Over the past seven and a half years, Dr. Hodge has consistently distinguished herself as an exceptional academic and leader in infectious disease pharmacotherapy,” said Meenakshi R. Ramanathan, PharmD, BCPS, BCIDP, Associate Professor of Pharmacotherapy. “Excellence in teaching is one of Dr. Hodge’s defining strengths. She is widely recognized by students for her compassionate approach, engaging instructional style and exceptional ability to translate complex infectious diseases concepts into accessible and clinically relevant material.”
“Dr. Hodge is an educator whose teaching excellence is evident not only in student outcomes, but in the thoughtful design, continuous refinement, and scholarly evaluation of her instructional practices,” said Adenike Atanda-Oshikoya PharmD, BCACP, CDCES, CTTS, associate dean of pharmacy student success and academic performance, and associate professor of pharmacotherapy. “She has demonstrated exceptional impact in teaching while also contributing meaningfully to scholarship, service, clinical education, community engagement and professionalism.”
Outstanding Research Award: Dr. Abe Clark
Clark is a FARVO professor in the North Texas Eye Research Institute and a Regents
Professor of pharmacology and neuroscience for the College of Biomedical and Translational
Sciences.
“Dr. Clark is a globally recognized leader in glaucoma research whose scientific contributions have transformed the field,” said Raghu R. Krishnamoorthy, Ph.D., FARVO, professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience. “Dr. Clark is a scientist of remarkable vision whose discoveries have reshaped the understanding of glaucoma pathogenesis and driven the development of new therapeutic strategies,” said Nathalie Sumien, Ph.D., chair and professor of pharmacology and neuroscience. “Equally important is the profound impact Dr. Clark has had on the next generation of scientists. He has mentored a large number of graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and junior faculty, many of whom now occupy influential academic and industry positions. His mentoring is coupled with a sincere dedication to helping young scientists achieve independence.”
Outstanding Service Award: Dr. Adenike Atanda
Dr. Adenike Atanda-Oshikoya is an associate professor of pharmacotherapy and assistant
dean of pharmacy student success, and director of introductory pharmacy practice experiences
in the UNT System College of Pharmacy.
“Dr. Atanda’s service contributions far exceed expectations and are defined by leadership and measurable institutional impact,” said Crystal Hodge, PharmD, BCIDP. “Over her career, and particularly in the past three years of the award period, Dr. Atanda has demonstrated sustained, exemplary service, distinguished by institutional leadership, national professional engagement, and community-focused initiatives, while maintaining excellence across teaching, scholarship, clinical practice, community engagement and professionalism.”
“One of Dr. Atanda’s most distinctive strengths is her ability to translate complex accreditation and assessment expectations into actionable, faculty‑friendly communication that meaningfully improves teaching, learning, and student outcomes,” said Robert C. Haight, PhD, MPA, vice provost for university assessment and accreditation and professor of pharmacotherapy. “What distinguishes Dr. Atanda above all is her unwavering dedication to mission‑driven service. She embodies the ideals of collaborative leadership, integrity, and a student‑centered ethos. Her work is always informed by evidence, grounded in best practices, and guided by a clear vision for long-term excellence.”
Outstanding Clinical Award: Dr. Christina Robinson
Dr. Christina Robinson is the medical director of the Pediatric Mobile Unit and associate
professor for pediatrics and women’s health in Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine.
“I am so pleased to nominate Dr. Christina Robinson for the 2026 UNT Health Faculty Achievement Award for clinical practice,” said Emily Spence, PhD, MSW, CPH, associate dean for community partnerships and practice and professor in the Department of Population and Community Health. “Dr. Robinson exemplifies the award criteria of advancing patient care, health outcomes, mentorship, program development and patient safety. Dr. Robinson has provided 13 years of service to the Department of Pediatrics and is the founding medical director for the Pediatric Mobile Clinic. She is well-regarded within and outside of UNT Health as a collaborative team member who is passionate about delivering high quality health care, particularly for communities that face substantial barriers to obtaining care.”
Outstanding Community Engagement Award: Dr. Emily Spence
Dr. Emily Spence is the associate dean for community partnerships and practice and
professor in the Department of Population and Community Health.
“Dr. Spence’s career exemplifies the highest ideals of engaged scholarship grounded in reciprocity, driven by community priorities, and producing measurable, lasting impact across education, research and service,” said Teresa Wagner, DrPH, associate professor of Health Administration and Policy in the College of Public Health and personalized health and well-being in the College of Health Professions. “One of Dr. Spence’s most significant accomplishments is her leadership in creating the Community Corps within the College of Public Health. Over the past two years, she facilitated the development of both the Community Corps Member Registry and the Community Corps Governance Council, working alongside community partners, faculty, staff, students and alumni. In 2023–2024, this diverse group collaboratively mapped an infrastructure designed to foster strategic, long-term partnerships between community organizations and UNT Health stakeholders.”
Congratulations to each of our Provost’s Outstanding Faculty Award winners! Thank you for all you do to live out our mission and vision at UNT Health. Stay tuned for the overall winner for the President’s Distinguished Faculty Award that will be announced on April 21!