Honorees

Helen Flanders Dunbar Award 

Alexander (Lex) Tartaglia 

ACPE is proud to honor Alexander (Lex) Tartaglia as this year’s recipient of the Helen Flanders Dunbar Award for his outstanding contributions to research and innovative practices in spiritual care and education, furthering the organization's mission during a crucial period in the development of the field. 

Alexander (Lex) Tartaglia is Professor Emeritus of Patient Counseling in the College of Health Professions at Virginia Commonwealth University.  He holds a B.A. in Philosophy and Religion from Colgate University and M.A. (Theological Ethics), Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry (Psychology and Clinical Studies) degrees from Andover-Newton Theological School.  He received his CPE training through the Andover Newton Cluster.  A retired certified ACPE educator, he is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ. 

Lex served as Katherine I. Lantz Professor and Senior Associate Dean for the College of Health Professions until his retirement in 2020 as well as acting dean of the College from 2018-2019.  Previously, he served as Chair of the Department of Patient Counseling and Director of Pastoral Care for the VCU Health System.  While chair in 2000 he developed the curriculum for a Master of Science degree focused on health care chaplaincy that integrated CPE and included academic courses in clinical ethics, administration, and research literacy.  He was co-chair of the VCU Health System Ethics Committee for 20+ years and remains a member in retirement. 

In addition to his time as a congregational pastor in Massachusetts, he served as Director of Chaplaincy and CPE at the University of Rochester Medical Center and Director of CPE at the Medical University of South Carolina.  In both institutions he was a member of the faculty teaching clinical ethics to medical students.  A primary focus of his ministry in Rochester in the late 1980 and early ‘90s was with persons diagnosed with HIV where he joined colleagues in the Department of Psychiatry working AIDS with patients and families in the Marriage and Family Training Program.

Lex has held national and regional appointments with ACPE including Accreditation Chair for both the Eastern and Southeast Regions, Certification Chair for the Mid-Atlantic Region, and as a Professional Ethics Investigator.  He was chair of the planning committee for the 2008 ACPE annual meeting.  He served as ACPE’s representative to the Joint Research Council from 2013-2019.  He served on the editorial board of Chaplaincy Today and remains a regular peer reviewer for the Journal of Pastoral Care and Counseling as well as the Journal of Healthcare Chaplaincy.   He has received $500,000+ in extramural funding and published over 40 peer reviewed articles and book chapters in diverse areas such as organ donation, spirituality and HIV disease, CPE, provider stress, disability employment, chaplain documentation, spirituality and palliative care, and ethics.  He has over 50 presentations and posters at national and regional conferences including ACPE, APC, COMISS, the Association of Schools of Allied Health Professions, and the National Association of Transplant Coordinators.  In retirement Lex has continued research collaborations funded through both ACPE and Transforming Chaplaincy.

Lex has been been married for 51 years to Dr. Eileen (Yi) McGill.  They are parents to two children and three grandchildren. 

ACPE congratulates Lex for this well-deserved recognition of his impactful contributions to spiritual care education and his unwavering commitment to excellence, reflecting the essence of Helen Flanders Dunbar. Lex will accept this honor on Wednesday, May 21st, at the ACPE Annual Chair's Banquet in Minneapolis, MN.