PA Program Awards

2025

Virginia PA Student of the Year (Jordan Andre, Class of 2025). Virginia Academy of PAs.

National Student Society of the Year: JMU Physician Assistant Student Society (PASS). Ashley Skelly, Faculty Advisor. American Academy of PAs.

Student Organization Awards & Recognition (SOAR Award). Outstanding Student Organization: JMU Physician Assistant Student Society (PASS). Ashley Skelly, Faculty Advisor.  Office of Student Life, JMU.

2020

Graduate Student Association IMPACT Award, 2019-20. The JMU graduate student association recognizes the Physician Assistant Program for the outstanding impact this program has had on the JMU graduate student community.

2019

Graduate Student Association IMPACT Award, 2018-19. The JMU graduate student association recognizes the Physician Assistant Program for the outstanding impact this program has had on the JMU graduate student community.

2017

AFP’s Youth in Philanthropy Award. JMU PA program students and faculty participated in a local video “mannequin challenge” for which they won the top prize of $5,000. Students then voted to donate the prize money to the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Free Clinic. For these efforts, the Association of Fundraising Professionals awarded the JMU Physician Assistant Program with the 2017 “Youth in Philanthropy” award.

Faculty/Staff Individual Awards

2026

Distinguished IPE and IDE Award: Abby Massey & Whitney Simmons. The College of Health and Behavioral Studies (CHBS) at JMU has a long-standing commitment to preparing future professionals for collaborative, interprofessional, and interdisciplinary practice in varied settings. Each year, in recognition of superlative achievement and contribution in interprofessional education (IPE) and interdisciplinary education (IDE) and/or practice, CHBS identifies one faculty member or a faculty team within the college as the recipient.

2023

Alger Family Faculty Endowment Award: Sharon Maiewski. This award honors a faculty member who possesses a record of achievement in engaged learning, civic engagement or community engagement as defined by the university.

2020

CHBS Distinguished Service Award: Jerry Weniger. Annually awarded to a single faculty member within the College of Health & Behavioral Studies at James Madison University. The honoree has demonstrated a depth and breadth of outstanding service at the university, local, regional, and/or national level. They have also taken on a variety of roles and responsibilities including leadership positions at these different levels.

2019

Diversity, Inclusion, & Social Equity Award for Public Service Excellence: Sharon Maiewski. This award recognizes a public service project or programming excellence performed by an employee at a government or nonprofit organization in the Shenandoah Valley which demonstrates high public impact that elevates community social equity, the application of skilled professional expertise, and the utilization of a strong public service ethic.  JMU School of Public and International Affairs.

Research & Scholarship Outstanding Faculty Award: Jerry Weniger. In recognition of excellence in student development in patient centered care. James Madison University Office of Sponsored Programs, Research and Scholarship Unit.

2018

Humanitarian of the Year Award: Sharon Maiewski. This award honors a PA in Virginia who has demonstrated exemplary service to their community and has made significant contributions to improving access and quality of healthcare to underserved patient populations. Virginia Academy of PAs.

2017

Research & Scholarship Outstanding Faculty Award: Jerry Weniger. In recognition of excellence in community partnership. James Madison University Office of Sponsored Programs, Research and Scholarship Unit.

3rd Place Award: Kristy Liskey & Jerry Weniger. The Society of Army Physician Assistants 19th Annual Clinical and Professional Poster Session. Fayetteville, NC. Poster titled: “Student-Engaged Medical Clinic”.