Honorary Awards
What unites this year’s Honorary Award recipients is a shared commitment to advancing dermatology—through education and research, clinical excellence, and the compassionate care of patients. Each has made a singular impact on the field, and the Dermatology Foundation proudly recognizes their outstanding contributions through its Honorary Awards Program.
There are four distinct award categories: Lifetime Career Educator, Practitioner of the Year, the Clark W. Finnerud Award, Discovery Award, and the Distinguished Service Award, which has been bestowed only seven times.
A Master Educator, Mentor
and Scientist
Dr. Vincent DeLeo, the 2025 recipient of the DF Lifetime Career Educator Honorary Award, has devoted his life to education, mentorship, and innovation. And he has awards, distinctions, honors, and the respect of many colleagues to prove it. DeLeo is a globally recognized expert in contact dermatitis, environmental dermatology, and photomedicine. He received his first…
An Infectious Commitment to Medical Education
James Troy, MD, is the recipient of the 2024 DF Clark W. Finnerud Award. This Dermatology Foundation award recognizes his devotion over the course of a long career to voluntarily teach and mentor residents while running a thriving dermatopathology private practice. Dr. Troy is Clinical Professor of Dermatology at the Medical College of Wisconsin in…
A Country Doctor by Any Other Name
Dr. Robert Brodell, DF 2024 Practitioner of the Year, prides himself on being “just a country doctor.” Providing access to care in rural America has been the cornerstone of his career. Devoted to patient care, academics, his family, and volunteerism since he received his medical degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and…
The Art of Teaching Care Aesthetics
For more than 40 years, Dr. Lupo has dedicated her career to a robust cosmetic dermatology practice in New Orleans, as well as teaching and mentoring dermatology residents and fellows. “I’m honored to accept this award because the Foundation is so well-respected and their only agenda is to do good things for people,” Dr. Lupo…
Through the Lens of Education
Timothy T. Berger, MD, has always been a visual person and likes the stories art can tell. He understands something in the clinic better when he can draw a picture of it. Dr. Berger was Professor of Clinical Dermatology in the Department of Dermatology at the UCSF School of Medicine and, for his dedication to…
In Step With Patients and Residents
For more than 40 years, whether in a clinical setting or within university walls, Dr. Jeffrey Herten, the 2023 DF Clark W. Finnerud Award recipient, has been able to convey his love of the specialty and his compassion towards patients. He graduated from the Medical School of the University of California, Irvine, (UCI) in 1972…
Remarkable Career Yields Long-term Benefits for Dermatology
In every field of medical science, there are a handful of leaders recognized by their peers as giants. Dr. John Voorhees, MD, FRCP (London), is one such leader. In an illustrious career spanning several decades, Dr. Voorhees has advanced medical knowledge through dermatologic research, developed innovative approaches to psoriasis treatment, taught and mentored dozens of…
The Value of Connection
In the 38 years he has mentored residents, lectured on dermatology, and run a clinical practice, Dr. Goldfarb has advocated the value of human connection with patients and residents. He believes it inspires trust, enables learning, creates a reciprocal environment of care, and is the central element to bring to a lecture hall, a clinical research unit, or a patient clinic.
The Diversity of Skin
In March 2022, Dr. Callender received the Dermatology Foundation’s Clark W. Finnerud Award presented to an individual who “most skillfully blends clinical practice with writing and teaching dermatology, thereby serving as a mentor and role model.”
An Advocate for Dermatology
The Distinguished Service Medallion is the highest honor the Foundation confers on a colleague in recognition of exemplary leadership and service to the specialty of dermatology.