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Long-Standing CHHS Faculty and Health Administration and Policy Department Chair Recognized for Outstanding Contributions to Mason.
The College of Health and Human Services is proud to announce that P.J. Maddox, PhD, has received the George Mason University Faculty of the Year Award and will be formally recognized at the Celebration of Distinction on Thursday, April 22, hosted by Mason’s Alumni Association. To view the celebration on GMU-TV, and cheer her on as she receives the award, all are invited to register here: https://alumni.gmu.edu/2021CoD.
Cutting-edge, mentor, and advocate are just some of the accolades used by colleagues and former students when nominating Maddox for the honor of George Mason Faculty of the Year. Maddox, who has served as a Mason faculty member for more than 25 years and as a department chair for more than 16 years, is seen as the driving force behind some of the most innovative initiatives at Mason, the College, and the Department of Health Administration and Policy (HAP).
Maddox is an admired teacher and advisor for many students, leaving an imprint on their academic lives that carries over into their careers. In honor of Maddox’s award and in recognition of her commitment to serving her students, a new Dr. PJ Maddox Educational Enrichment Fund has been established thanks to the generosity of Maddox’s former student, alumnus David Goldberg, MHA ’06, and his wife Noel. “P.J. and the outstanding faculty have made a profound impact on my career,” says David. “We are so proud of her recognition and want to ensure other students can have similar experiences that I had at Mason with such outstanding faculty and programs. This fund will provide resources for HAP students such as scholarships, academic travel, supplies and other educational opportunities.
It is Maddox’s hope that the Goldberg family gift will inspire others to support this new initiative.
“I can think of no greater recognition than receiving the Mason Alumni Faculty of the Year Award 2021. This award from our alumni reinforces the reasons I became an academic teaching and research faculty, and no other award could be more meaningful or significant to me. I am humbled and very thankful for their recognition,” said Maddox.
A leading voice for innovation at Mason, Maddox played a pivotal role in launching the university’s first online program partnership with Wiley. The online Master in Health Administration (MHA) and MS in Health Informatics program have enrolled more than 300 students since Mason’s partnership with Wiley was launched in 2018. The management and success of these programs have served as an exemplar for successive offerings. The HAP department has also been an early adopter of Mason’s efforts to expand access to academic programs, participating in Mason Advance and Advance Online undergraduate programs as well as expedited matriculation pathways such as BAM and articulation pathways with NVCC. Widely viewed as a leading voice on progressive academic initiatives and interdisciplinary education and research, Maddox represents the College on the Mason’s Institute for Digital Innovation, Arlington task force, charged with envisioning Mason’s contribution to the Arlington Innovation District and the design of the new IDIQ headquarters building. She chairs the Mason Chairs Advisory Committee at Mason.
In addition to Maddox’s contributions to the University, her impact is evident in the growth and success of the Department of Health Administration and Policy (HAP). She established HAP as a separate department from the School of Nursing in 2005 with herself and 5 full-time faculty. Since then, the department has grown to 21 faculty and three administrative support staff, and student enrollment has grown by more than 180 percent since 2010. Under her leadership, the department has developed and implemented six new degree programs. Degree and certificates span health systems management, health policy, and health informatics with offerings ranging from bachelors through PhD degrees and certificates, many of which are externally accredited and nationally ranked. Maddox has been instrumental in recruiting excellent faculty and helping them succeed at Mason. Most importantly, Maddox is very proud of the career success and contributions of HAP’s academic program alumni.
“The College is so proud of P.J.’s many accomplishments and this well-deserved recognition for her longstanding and sustained excellence. She is a highly capable and motivated leader who works tirelessly in support of faculty, staff, and students,” said Germaine Louis, PhD, dean of the College. “In light of outstanding teaching, academic, and leadership accomplishments, she is most deserving of this important recognition. She embodies the Mason spirit of all that is good, both locally and globally.”
An advocate for accessible education and experiential learning, Maddox has been equally impactful in the lives of students – many of whom consider her a mentor. “I continue to keep in touch with [Dr. Maddox] as she provides guidance for me in my career path and is a great advocate for my professional growth,” says Melissa Martin (MHA ’17). “Dr. Maddox is generous with her time and wisdom. Her experience is profound, and her wisdom is one I trust. To know that someone genuinely cares and invests in your success is a gift. I will always be grateful for the impact Dr. Maddox has made on my journey.”
She ensures that students leave Mason career-ready by exposing them to the most cutting-edge research and innovative teaching approaches. Maddox enthusiastically advocated for this unique experiential learning strategies such as those in health policy class, HAP 746, which has included student participation in seminars and presentations by Health Policy experts and legislators through the Summer Health Policy Lecture series. Through this unique course, students gain knowledge, confidence, and skills to influence health policy as future health executives. Student experience in this course has been described as transformational for many HAP students, helping them to see the power of their actions in the the policy-making world, outside of academia. Similarly, during the initial days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Maddox wanted to help students better understand and embrace the growing role of telemedicine in ensuring access to health care. In collaboration with HAP faculty and alumna Anton Arbatov (MHA ’15) a special topics course was developed to teach the knowledge and skills students and healthcare providers need to navigate the rapidly evolving telehealth service delivery space.
Maddox has also had a lasting impact on the body of research in her field. Building on her early career as a nurse, Maddox’s research has included evaluating state telehealth programs, testing a new funding allocation methodology for Title VIII Nursing Programs, and evaluating state Medicaid program outcomes, as well as conducting a variety of national and state health workforce planning and evaluation projects. She has also conducted research to expand health insurance coverage in Virginia, evaluated the impact of health reform policy on local government programs, conducted local community health status assessments and participated in CDC funded Community Transformation Grants for public health improvement in Fairfax County. Funded by the Claude Moore Foundation, Maddox and colleagues have established a Technical Evaluation System to support Claude Moore Scholar Program evaluations and comprehensive, longitudinal state health workforce planning.
The George Mason Alumni Association Faculty of the Year award recognition is a culmination of the impact Maddox has made through fostering innovation, supporting student achievement, developing innovative academic programs, and leading research of consequence. The College congratulates P.J. Maddox for this recognition, and we are thankful for her many years of service, commitment, and advocacy.
To view the Celebration of Distinction on April 22 at 6:30 pm on GMU-TV, and cheer on Dr. Maddox virtually as she receives the award, all are invited to register here: https://alumni.gmu.edu/2021CoD
To make a gift to the Dr. PJ Maddox Educational Enrichment Fund, please contact the CHHS Development office at chhsdev@gmu.edu.