The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio) proudly announces that Sandra G. Adams, MD, MS, FCCP, professor of medicine in the Division of Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care Medicine, has been named a 2025 Minnie Stevens Piper Professor. The prestigious award, established by the San Antonio-based Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation, recognizes 10 outstanding Texas professors each year for their superior teaching.
Adams’ selection for this honor highlights her contributions to medical education and her commitment to excellence in teaching.
“To me (and many others) Dr. Adams has been a role model and mentor in all fronts at UT Health San Antonio. For more than two decades, she has been a fantastic clinician, researcher and educator. But perhaps more importantly, she has consistently and dependently demonstrated incredible empathy and compassion to patients, families, learners and colleagues alike. She is a great listener and sincerely understands the importance of great communication in the medical field. I strongly believe that she embodies the core characteristics of integrity, excellence, compassion, altruism, respect, empathy and service at the highest possible level,” said Diego Maselli Caceres, MD, professor and chair of the department of pulmonary disease in the Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine at UT Health San Antonio.
Adams is a recognized leader in pulmonary medicine and medical education. She earned her medical degree from UT Health San Antonio in 1994, where she also completed her residency and fellowships in internal medicine, pulmonary disease and critical care. She earned a Master of Science in Clinical Investigation in 2003.
“Teaching allows me to spread seeds of my personal wisdom, experience, empathy and skills to patients, students and health care professionals throughout the world. Educating others, particularly in a “train-the-trainer” manner, provides opportunities to broaden my reach and positively impact an exponential number of lives of both learners and patients,” said Adams.
Throughout her career, Adams has demonstrated a strong commitment to education and patient care. She has developed innovative educational tools, including interactive virtual patient tours and video-based games, to enhance learning for both health care professionals and patients. As the founder of the WipeDiseases Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving lung health education, she has extended her impact beyond the classroom to communities worldwide.
Adams’ dedication to teaching has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award from The University of Texas System and the Distinguished Scholar Award in Respiratory Health from the American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) Foundation.