NAAHP honors Marilyn Banta with Carol Baffi-Dugan Award

Staff Reports

SAN MARCOS – Marilyn Banta, senior lecturer and pre-health professions advisor in the Department of Biology at Texas State University, has been selected for the 2022 Carol Baffi-Dugan Award for Service by the National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions.

The award will be presented to Banta in June during the 2022 NAAHP National Conference in Denver.

As a pre-health advisor, Banta offers Texas State students basic guidance on choosing courses that are required by or appropriate for the professional programs they aspire to apply to, including medical (allopathic and osteopathic), dental, physician assistant, optometry, podiatric medicine, chiropractic medicine and naturopathic medicine. When counseling students, Banta discusses their career goals and the steps they should take to prepare to apply to these professional schools.

The award is designated for one member of each NAAHP regional association. Regional associations select the honoree based on three criteria: Candidates have demonstrated significant service to the regional association; have demonstrated significant service to NAAHP; and are motivated by what is best for their regional association and NAAHP rather than personal or professional advancement considerations.

The NAAHP is an organization of health professions advisors at colleges and universities throughout the United States, and abroad. The award is named for Carol Baffi-Dugan, a long-term NAAHP leader who, through her selfless commitment to both her regional association and NAAHP, set an example of dedicated service for all to follow.