Dr. Chad R. Tracy, Clinical Professor and Vice Chair of Education in the Department of Urology, has been named a recipient of the 2025-26 University of Iowa President and Provost Award for Teaching Excellence.

“The President and Provost Award for Teaching Excellence represents the highest level of achievement in teaching given at the University of Iowa,” says Dr. H. Henry Lai, chair of the Department of Urology. “Dr. Tracy is an exemplary educator who has dedicated himself to innovating the curriculum and improving the quality of teaching of residents and students. Iowa Urology is honored to have an elite educator like Chad as our Residency Program Director.”

A 2003 graduate of the UI Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, Dr. Tracy joined the Department of Urology faculty in 2009 and steadily established himself as a standout teacher, mentor, and leader. He is a five-time recipient of the departmental Resident Teacher of the Year Award, and he has received the Graduate Medical Education Award for Excellence in Clinical Coaching, the Carver College of Medicine Outstanding Educator Award, and the Collegiate Teaching Award. He was also nominated for the American Urological Association National Teacher of the Year Award.

“I am deeply humbled and grateful to receive the President and Provost Award for Teaching Excellence,” Dr. Tracy says. “The University of Iowa is home to so many extraordinary educators across every discipline, and to be recognized among them is truly an honor. This award reflects not just my efforts, but the inspiration I draw every day from my own mentors as well as our talented residents, students, and colleagues who make teaching and learning such a privilege.”

As a teacher, Dr. Tracy says he strives to help learners enjoy the process.

“Learning medicine, particularly surgery, can be intimidating and nonlinear,” he says. “Whether in the clinic, classroom, or operating room, I aim to make the process of learning medicine both rigorous and rewarding.”

As a leader, Dr. Tracy has a record of success and innovation in various roles, including director of the department’s Medical Student Clerkship (2015 to 2020), Endourology Fellowship Program (2020 to present), and Residency Program (2020 to present).

During his time as medical student director, he led the clerkship to becoming the highest-ranked surgical selective in the Carver College of Medicine. During the COVID pandemic, he transformed the clerkship into a fully virtual rotation within one week, developing a model that was later adopted nationally. He co-chaired a Society of Academic Urology task force that created the first national virtual sub-internship curriculum.

He guided the Residency Program through the pandemic while elevating it to one of the top programs in the Midwest, while expanding the number of trainees from 15 to 20. He also worked with the University of Iowa Center for Advancement to establish a first-of-its-kind resident wellness fund, and he co-developed a novel point-of-care ultrasound course for urology residents that he helped implement on a local and national level. Additionally, he developed the Urology Intern Bootcamp, a four-week immersive curriculum that builds confidence through repetition and teamwork. In the bootcamp’s first two years, UI urology residents’ national in-service exam scores increased by 70% compared with the department’s historical baseline. 

Dr. Tracy has mentored more than 60 urology residents, 15 medical students entering urology, and five endourology fellows, many of whom now hold faculty positions across the United States.

“The most fulfilling part of my work is knowing that the mentorship and guidance I provide can create lasting ripples, helping former trainees become outstanding physicians who deliver top-notch care, advance the management of urologic disease across Iowa and the United States, and often emerge as academic leaders who inspire the next generation,” Dr. Tracy says. “Knowing I played even a small part in their journey is the most gratifying aspect of my career and the reason I chose academic medicine.”