2026 AAPA Award Recipients
The AAPA Awards Committee has announced the recipients of the 2026 Awards, which honor PAs and PA students who have served their patients, their communities, and the PA profession with great distinction. The awards are the highest recognition bestowed on members by the Academy.
Eugene A. Stead Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award
This award is AAPA’s most prestigious, and honors a lifetime of achievement that has had a broad and significant impact on the PA profession.
Howard Straker, PA-C, EdD, MPH, is the 2026 Recipient of the Eugene A. Stead Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award. Throughout his career, Straker has championed health equity within the PA profession and has empowered generations of PAs to serve communities in need. Read More
PA of the Year Award
This award honors a PA who, within the course of a one-year period, demonstrates exemplary service to the community; exemplifies the PA profession’s philosophy of providing accessible, quality healthcare to all; and furthers the image of the profession in a positive, meaningful way.
Viet T. Le, DMSc, MPAS, PA-C, is the 2026 recipient of the PA of the Year Award. As a clinician, Le prioritizes clear language to effectively communicate with his patients, collaborates on research projects to bring new knowledge to the bedside, and is an active advocate for the PA profession. Read More
PA Student of the Year Award
This award honors a PA student who furthers the image of PAs and PA students; gives self-sacrificing time and effort in service to community; demonstrates leadership and professionalism; and exemplifies the PA profession’s philosophy of providing accessible, quality healthcare to all.
Nichole Geist is the 2026 recipient of the PA Student of the Year Award. As a PA student at the Rutgers School of Health Professions, Geist leads multiple efforts to improve health outcomes for patients and support her fellow PA students. Read More
Military Service Award
This award recognizes a veteran or active duty PA who demonstrates exemplary healthcare service and exemplifies the PA profession’s philosophy of providing accessible, quality healthcare to current members of the military, veterans, or a medically underserved community.
Colonel Sharon L. Rosser, DSc-PA, MSS, PA-C, is the 2026 recipient of the Military Service Award. Across combat zones, research institutions, and leadership roles, Rosser has dedicated her career to advancing military medicine and the PA profession. Read More
Diversity Award
This award recognizes a PA or PA group that serves as a champion of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within the PA profession and/or the patient population or community that they serve.
EDGE-PA is the 2026 recipient of the Diversity Award. Launched in 2021, EDGE-PA (Empowering Diversity, Growth, and Excellence in PA Education) is a pipeline program supporting students of all genders, races, and ethnicities who have faced significant challenges on their path to PA education. Read More
Humanitarian Service Award
This award recognizes a PA or group of PAs that has completed altruistic service to their community by expanding access to care for vulnerable and underserved populations, and/or populations in crisis. This service demonstrates clear, lasting dedication to human rights and advancing accessible care, and may have been completed anywhere inside or outside the United States.
Jamie Lytton, DMSc, PA-C, is the 2026 recipient of the Humanitarian Service Award. Through leadership and community engagement, Lytton works to address some of the most pressing healthcare challenges in Alaska’s underserved communities. Read More
AAPA/PAEA Preceptor of the Year Award
This award honors a preceptor who demonstrates exemplary service in the clinical education of PA students as a mentor, role model, and instructor; and furthers the image of PAs by exemplifying the PA profession’s philosophy of providing accessible, quality healthcare.
Dustin T. Keenan, PA-C, APA-C, CAQ-OS, is the 2026 recipient of the AAPA/PAEA Preceptor of the Year Award. Over the course of his career, he has trained more than 120 students and aspiring providers, and mentors enlisted medical personnel to help them pursue careers as PAs. Read More
Publishing Award
This award is granted to a PA who published, during the prior calendar year, a new clinical or research article expressing original and/or scientifically rigorous ideas substantiated by best practices, and contributing to the advancement of the PA profession.
Michael S. Gerlach, DMS, PA-C, is the recipient of the 2026 Publishing Award as the lead author of the article, “Prostate cancer screening guidelines and their alignment with recent literature,” an analysis examining guideline consistency and evidence‑based opportunities to improve patient‑centered care. Read More
Outstanding Student Society
This award recognizes one student society for outstanding service to the profession in the areas of public education and advocacy; public service and outreach; promotion of diversity; and professional involvement.
The 2026 Outstanding Student Society is the Mercer University Godsey-Matthews Student Society, for its members’ continuous commitment to community service and inclusive, patient-centered care that extends far beyond the classroom. Read More
CO Outreach and Advocacy
AAPA’s Outreach and Advocacy Awards are presented each year to recognize constituent organizations (COs) for their outstanding programs, projects and initiatives.
The recipient of the 2025 CO Outreach and Advocacy Award is the LBGT PA Caucus for advancing health equity, strengthening PA leadership, and fostering inclusive professional communities. Read More