Dr. Coral Matus has been selected as The University of Toledo’s recipient of the 2023 Mid-American Conference Outstanding Faculty Award for Student Success.
Matus, who joined the University in 2016, is associate dean for foundational sciences and an associate professor in the College of Medicine and Life Sciences. She’s also a practicing family medicine specialist with The University of Toledo Medical Center.
Matus
Now in its fourth year, the Outstanding Faculty Award for Student Success recognizes one full-time faculty member from each Mid-American Conference institution who supports and develops students inside and outside of the classroom.
“Being recognized for mentoring and teaching our students really means a lot to me,” Matus said. “I’m a clinician and an administrator, but I’m also a teacher, and I think that’s what I feel most passionate about. So many people mentored and helped me along the way, and I feel it’s my responsibility to be that person for the next generation of physicians.”
Among her many roles within the College of Medicine, Matus oversees curriculum for the first two years of medical school and serves on the college’s Health Equity Committee.
She also volunteers with the student-led CommunityCare Clinics, which provide free medical services to some of the community’s most vulnerable individuals.
“Dr. Matus is incredibly dedicated to the success of our students,” said Dr. Risa Dickson, interim provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “She’s a valued advisor, educator and mentor who is committed to ensuring our students receive the inclusive, high-quality training they need to be successful as the physicians of tomorrow. We’re proud to see her receive this award.”
In addition to her work inside the classroom and clinic, Matus has taken an interest in finding creative ways to support student wellness and improve their sense of community.
In the fall of 2020, when pandemic precautions were still limiting students’ ability to connect on campus, Matus was instrumental in developing an initiative that paired small groups of medical students with faculty mentors. That pod-based initiative has since expanded to include students across all four years of medical training.
She also organizes an annual 53-mile bike ride for second-year medical students to help remind them of the importance of maintaining their own wellness.
“Our students all have a dream, a vision, a ‘why’ for pursuing medicine, but medical school is vigorous and can feel overwhelming at times,” she said. “I think it’s important we help them find that balance, feel supported and continue to remember why they decided to go into this field.”
Previous UToledo recipients of the Mid-American Conference Outstanding Faculty Award for Student Success are Sandra Robinson, an associate lecturer in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics; Dr. Matt Foss, an associate professor in the Department of Theatre and Film; and Dr. Ruthie Kucharewski, a professor in the Department of Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences.
