News

SIU Surgeon Named 'Master Educator in Endoscopy'

Published Date:

SIU surgeon John Mellinger, MD, FACS, is the 2019 recipient of the SAGES Foundation’s Ponsky Master Educator in Endoscopy Award.

The Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) will present Mellinger with the award at the 13th Annual SAGES Foundation Awards Luncheon on Wednesday, April 3, 2019 during the organizations' meeting in Baltimore, Maryland. 

The Ponsky Master Educator in Endoscopy Award was established in 2009 by Dr. Jeffrey Ponsky to recognize a distinguished SAGES leader who exemplifies a pioneering leadership spirit and a strong dedication to surgical endoscopy and education.

Mellinger serves as the J. Roland Folse, MD Endowed Chair in Surgery, vice chair of the Department of Surgery and as professor and chair of general surgery at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. He has taught learners and cared for patients at SIU Medicine since 2010.

In 1984, Mellinger earned a medical degree from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland and completed residency training in general surgery at the Blodgett/St. Mary’s Hospitals in Grand Rapids, Michigan, followed by a fellowship in surgical endoscopy at Mt. Sinai Medical Center in Cleveland. He has also completed a surgical education research fellowship through the Association for Surgical Education. He served on active duty in the United States Air Force, and, prior to joining SIU, has had academic appointments at Wright State University, Michigan State University and the Medical College of Georgia.

Mellinger's academic interests include surgical education, surgical endoscopy, gastrointestinal surgery, and international surgery. He has previously served as as co-chair of the SAGES Fundamentals of Endoscopic Surgery (FES) committee, which developed the Fundamentals of Endoscopic Surgery program mandated for all general surgery residents nationwide. Mellinger has received over 30 teaching awards, including the Outstanding Teacher Award of the Association for Surgical Education and the Educator of the Year Award of the Christian Medical and Dental Association. He has presented over 200 national, international, or visiting professor presentations, and authored or co-authored more than 90 peer-reviewed primary scientific or review articles, as well as 26 book chapters.

More from SIU News

Cox and Tobon in Cox lab

Seed funding, strong roots: Two SIU researchers explore early clues to chronic conditions

2025 Spring Research Seed Grants launch projects on rheumatoid arthritis and balance disorders. Two early-stage research projects at SIU School of Medicine are taking on complex, chronic diseases that

Dr. Ruchika Goel to be named Endowed Chair in Hematologic Disorders August 26

Dr. Ruchika Goel will be the inaugural recipient of the O.H. Wesly Endowed Chair of Excellence in Hematologic Disorders at SIU School of Medicine. The investiture ceremony will be held at 5 p.m. August 26, in the South Auditorium, 801 N. Rutledge St.
Pregnant woman getting blood pressure checked with husband

SIU research is reshaping blood pressure care

At SIU School of Medicine, the story of hypertension research doesn’t begin in a distant lab. It begins in the clinic, often with a patient who has run out of options. A provider reviews the numbers