Last updated 09/29/2021
Dr. Joel E. Schechter is recognized with a USC Faculty Lifetime Achievement Award for his commitment to medical education and to students at all levels. He received an MA in Medical Illustration from Johns Hopkins University, and a PhD in Anatomy from UCLA. He then spent 49 years on the faculty of the Keck School of Medicine, where he is a beloved teacher, and a champion of students. Dr. Schechter teaches microanatomy (histology), the study of cells and tissues under the microscope. He received teaching awards from the medical students as early as 1973, and as recently as 2018. In 2000, he was awarded the USC Associates in Teaching Award, the highest teaching honor the university bestows. He has served as a Faculty Fellow in the USC Center for Excellence in Teaching, and was designated as a Master Teacher by the Keck School. Likewise, Dr. Schechter has served Keck medical students as Assistant Dean for Student Affairs from 1996-2011, as Assistant Dean of Basic Science Curriculum from 1999-2008, and as Director of the Academic Medicine Pathway from 2005-2011. In these roles, he has advocated for students individually (Student Affairs) and collectively (Curriculum). He has taught anatomy and histology at the USC School of Pharmacy since 2011, and has developed programs for USC undergraduates interested in health care. Dr. Schechter’s microscopic studies of the pituitary gland and lacrimal glands (tear glands) complements his teaching in histology. He has published nearly 100 scientific studies, plus dozens of reviews and book chapters.