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The Maestro Award is given every year in honor of Dr. Romulo Colindres, and is bestowed annually upon a faculty member who has shown “outstanding commitment and excellence in teaching.”

The UNC Nephrology fellows have presented the Maestro Award to Dr. Randy Detwiler, Professor of Medicine and Transplant Nephrology Program Director. Gerald Hladik, MD, Fellowship Program Director, had many positive things to say about Detwiler.

“He is totally dedicated to excellence in patient care, administration, research and teaching, and is truly deserving of this award.”

Dr. Detwiler, who has been a faculty member since 2002, did his training at UNC, which included his internal medicine residency and his nephrology fellowship. Hladik met Detwiler while an intern while Detwiler was chief resident more than 15 years ago. Hladik says Detwiler’s excellent teaching skills even then were evident and that he had a “unique ability to convey complex clinical issues in a precise and comprehensible manner.”

Hladik says that while Detwiler was a UNC Nephrology Fellow, his teaching skills inspired him, as well as other UNC internal residents including Robert Schmidt, Clay Block and Patrick Nachman to pursue careers in nephrology.

The Maestro Award is given in honor of Professor Romulo Colindres, who has served as an outstanding mentor and role model for fellows throughout his career. Dr. Colindres has been a faculty member at UNC since 1972, and served as training program director for the nephrology fellowship from 1994-2009.

Dr. Colindres is known for his craft in teaching the complex physiology of the kidney with great depth and precision, not unlike a legendary conductor leading a symphony orchestra, thus earning him the endearment “Maestro” from Dr. Joseph Aiello, a fellow at UNC from 1996-1998.