Leading Through Learning: Dr. Lou Clark Receives the 2026 Outstanding SP Educator Award
For Dr. Lou Clark, leadership has always meant creating opportunities for others to learn, grow, and succeed. As Executive Director of M Simulation and Associate Professor in the Division of Hospital Medicine, she has shaped meaningful learning experiences for students, faculty, staff, and community members through her commitment to simulation education. In recognition of these contributions, the Association of SP Educators (ASPE) honored Clark with the 2026 Outstanding SP Educator Award.
Dr. Clark joined M Simulation in 2020 and has now worked for more than two decades in healthcare simulation, having begun her career coaching simulated patients (SPs). Her expertise lies in human simulation, which includes ongoing curricular work since 2020 creating and teaching SP-based curricular sessions for MS1s and MS2s as a Clinical Skills Course Director, facilitating learner debrief sessions, and supporting students through challenging communication scenarios such as delivering serious news and navigating end-of-life conversations, often alongside clinical faculty. Under her leadership, M Simulation trains learners across 11 UMN health science schools and programs, including dietetics, dentistry, genetic counseling, medicine, nursing, nutrition, occupational therapy, pharmacy, physical therapy, social work, and veterinary medicine.
Long before she began her healthcare simulation career, Dr. Clark pursued her passion for performing arts as a stage actor, playwright, director, and producer. Rather than pivoting away from theater, she brought it into simulation education. “I really see a connection between the arts and simulation, and view simulation as an educational endeavor that melds art and science in service of learning.” She credits her background in the performing arts with shaping the educator she is today. “I would not be in this profession if I hadn’t started in the performing arts. I'm very open about that, and my perspective as a theater artist undergirds a lot of my work in simulation.”
A lesson that has guided Dr. Clark throughout her career and her life is that "performance has the power to positively change people's lives." Through past hardships, performance has helped her get through, heal, and help others to do the same. As an educator, she hopes learners experience their simulated performances as positive steps forward in their clinical skills development. When asked about the most fascinating thing about working in simulation, Dr. Clark spoke to the joy of getting to see students advance in their learning. “For 20 years, what has kept me going is that I truly love seeing learners experience practicing in real time with simulation. It’s the best when you can see light bulbs going off for them as they experience really beautiful, transformative moments of learning.”
Like many leaders, Dr. Clark has faced moments of uncertainty. She began her position at UMN in March of 2020 and the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic proved especially challenging. As she navigated leadership during these times, she aimed to reach two goals: “Doing the best job I could, especially given the circumstances globally, and making the best decisions to keep all involved as safe as possible and keep learning going.”
Receiving the 2026 Outstanding SP Educator Award was especially meaningful because of Dr. Clark's long relationship with ASPE. She has been an ASPE member since 2007, served as the Chair for the Grants & Research Committee in 2018-2019, and served as President in 2024-2025. She credits the organization with providing mentorship, professional development, and a community that shares her values. “I found a professional home in ASPE, and believe that I would not have the career and opportunities I do today without this fantastic organization.”
For all of her accomplishments, Dr. Clark measures success with the support from the M Simulation team. Although she is the one who most often represents M Simulation publicly, she said the team's work behind the scenes is what makes every simulation experience possible. "The work each staff member does every day is so important to creating the effective and successful events we provide for students," she said.
When asked to share leadership advice for others, Dr. Clark spoke about listening. “I think it's important for us to truly hear the perspectives of others.” She also mentions that building connections with people helps with developing compassion and empathy. “Collaboration and community building are vital to me as an artist, educator, and person. This is especially important now, in this emerging Intelligent Age–to embrace curiosity about one another and the world around us which is at the heart of human connection and lifelong learning.”