The NYU Distinguished Teaching Award, a gold medal which recognizes faculty members who have contributed significantly to the intellectual life of the University through their teaching, was presented to Dr. Anthony T. Vernillo at the University’s annual Founders Day Convocation in April. Dr. Vernillo was one of only five NYU faculty members to receive the 2001-2002 Distinguished Teaching Award.

The Distinguished Teaching Award is NYU’s highest honor for teaching, a distinction attained only by the finest teachers. It affirms the University’s commitment to teaching and to fostering a positive learning environment at NYU.

Dr. Vernillo has been a member of the NYU dental faculty for nearly 19 years. He currently serves as a professor of oral pathology. In his letter nominating Dr. Vernillo for the Distinguished Teaching Award, Dean Alfano wrote, “Tony has published numerous scholarly articles on connective tissue biochemistry and cell biology. But it is clearly Tony’s magic with students in the classroom and on the clinic floor that distinguishes him as an outstanding educator.”

In recent years, Dr. Vernillo has also been an important contributor to the College’s global mission. He has lectured at the University of Lisbon in Portugal and at the Universities of Witwatersrand and Stellenbosch, in South Africa. Last summer he joined students from NYUCD on an outreach trip to the village of Arusha, in Tanzania.

NYUCD congratulates Dr. Vernillo on receiving this wonderful, well-deserved award in tribute to a master of the art of teaching.