The Annual SDPA Awards recognize Society members for outstanding achievements in clinical practice and patient outcomes, volunteer work, education, and more. Nominations were open to SDPA members, with final selections made by the SDPA Membership Committee.

The 2021 Annual SDPA Award winners are pictured to the right along with SDPA Board President Renata Block, MMS, PA-C. From the left: Joe Monroe, MPAS, PA; Jaime Dunn, PA-C; Renata Block, MMS, PA-C (SDPA Board President); Mallory Aycock, MPA, PA-C; Erik Sorenson, MPAS, PA, is not pictured. 

The award winners are:

The Joe Monroe Lifetime Achievement - Joe Monroe, MPAS, PA

When developing a lifetime achievement award for SDPA’s new annual awards program, the Membership Committee saw a clear choice not only for the inaugural awardee, but also for the namesake of the award itself: SDPA founder and first president Joe Monroe.

Monroe graduated from the University of Oklahoma PA program in 1978, and by 1985 was practicing dermatology exclusively, as he does to this day.

He developed an interest in connecting with other dermatology PAs, and ultimately formed what was then called the Physician Assistants in Dermatology (PAD) in 1992. Monroe worked with a few other founders to place recruitment ads in medical journals, eventually finding about a dozen members. In February 1995, in New Orleans, the group held its first meeting, where the name was officially changed to the SDPA and Monroe was elected president of the board of directors.

After leading the growing Society through its early years, Monroe remained involved, eventually becoming president a second time in 2005. Since then, Monroe has continued to focus on PA education by publishing numerous articles on dermatology topics, serving as a speaker at conferences, and engaging in other related activities.

Today, SDPA has 4,300 members thanks to the forethought of Joe Monroe.

Dermatology PA of the Year - Jaime Dunn, PA-C

Jaime Dunn, a Dermatology PA-C in Birmingham, Alabama, is a founding member and the 2017 President of the Alabama Society of Dermatology Professionals.

In founding the society, she sought to create a collaborative forum for assistance, advice, education, networking, and growth amongst Alabama’s Derm PAs and NPs. While the group began with a few members meeting in Dunn’s living room, it quickly gained momentum under her leadership and grew to exceed 70 members statewide.

The Alabama society established a popular fall meeting and remained an educational resource for its members during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dunn has successfully led the Alabama society’s advocacy work, to include testifying before the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners on its decision to remove outdated restrictions placed on PAs when they inject Botox for hyperhidrosis. She is committed to continuing this momentum to advance the PA profession through her personal goals of joining the Alabama Society of Physician Assistants Board next year and working on the state’s Board of Medical Examiners PA Liaison committee.

Dunn’s remarkable and ongoing leadership has been a huge boon to the Dermatology PAs of her state. Her peers and colleagues expressed their immense gratitude for her work when they nominated her for this award.

Educator of the Year - Mallory Aycock, MPA, PA-C

After serving as a practicing PA for four years, including three years in dermatology, in November 2015 Mallory Aycock joined the Mercer Physician Assistant Program Faculty in Atlanta, Georgia. She began teaching in the spring of 2016, and has proven to be an outstanding educator, researcher, and advisor.

Aycock has received rave reviews from her students and remains the highest rated professor in her department. She teaches more than 20 courses, including some for the school’s Dermatology Module, mentors PA students and has served as a senior seminar advisor for 20 student projects.

Outside of the classroom, she has accepted numerous leadership roles at Mercer as a course director and developer, enhancing each course along the way with her exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail. Aycock has also served as a grant reviewer, challenge bowl coach, student group advisor, and as a member of several faculty committees.

Aycock’s commitment to education goes beyond her students and her university. Her CV features an impressive list of peer-reviewed published works, presentations at CME conferences, and CME course development, including as a contributor to SDPA’s Diplomate Fellowship program.

In all areas of her work, Aycock has demonstrated a dedication to delivering excellent education and enhancing the future of the PA profession.

Service Award - Erik Sorenson, MPAS, PA

Over the last two decades, Erik Sorenson has taken time out of his busy schedule as a dermatology PA in Lakewood, California, to volunteer behind the scenes for SDPA in ways members may be unaware of. During the 2000s, he was the moderator of SDPA’s first online forum, and in 2007, he produced an educational module for the Society on the cutaneous manifestations of systemic disease.

Sorenson’s most impressive contribution to the SDPA and its members began in 2005, and only ended this fall with the launch of the new SDPA Career Center. Over the course of 16 years, Sorenson served as the administrator of the SDPA Job Board, reviewing and approving new postings submitted by employers. This involved Sorenson logging on several times each week to review new submissions and ensure that relevant, high-quality job postings from across the country were being presented to SDPA members.

In this role, Sorenson has served as one of SDPA’s most prolific, long-standing volunteers. SDPA thanks him for his commitment and dedication to serving the membership.

Do you know a great Derm PA? Nominations for the 2022 awards open next summer!