The national recognition highlights the School of Graduate Studies professor’s contributions to advancing interprofessional education.
Karen Gordes, PhD, PT, DScPT, professor and director, MS and Teaching Certificate in Health Professions Education (HPE), University of Maryland School of Graduate Studies (UMSGS), was recently inducted as a Distinguished Fellow into the National Academies of Practice (NAP) as a member of the Class of 2026.
This honor recognizes leaders who have made significant and enduring contributions both in their profession and in interprofessional education, practice, and research.
NAP is a nonprofit organization founded in 1981 to advise governmental bodies on the health care system. As an inductee, Gordes joins a distinguished group of health care professionals who are honored for their outstanding achievements and are recognized as leaders in their professions.
As one of the program directors for the HPE program at UMSGS, Gordes focuses on providing advanced training in education, research, and leadership within the health professions. Through HPE’s certificate and master’s offerings, she teaches enrolled faculty and clinicians best practices for engaging in evidence-based teaching, conducting educational research, and leading educational programs in the health professions.
Gordes’ impact is reflected in her program’s alumni. Mark D. Macek, DDS, DrPH, MS, FICD, assistant dean for curriculum innovation and scholarship at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry, said many clinicians enter academia with strong clinical experience but little formal preparation in teaching. “The HPE Master’s program gave me the opportunity to build those skills, and I’m so glad that I enrolled.”
UMSGS is fortunate to have Gordes, who is recognized as a leader in her field, share her vast knowledge and expertise as she educates students within the health profession education degree programs.
“I feel so fortunate to have been inducted into the National Academies of Practice,” Gordes said. “I recognize the tremendous opportunity I now have, which is to take advantage of the expansive network of experts within the NAP community to build connections for collaboration on education-oriented research in interprofessional education. I also see an opportunity to learn how other experts in the field are spearheading initiatives to support current and future health care needs through interprofessional education, which I can then bring to our educational community to serve as a guiding reference.”