UCSF to Celebrate Induction of New Members to Academy of Medical Educators

The campus community is invited to attend a celebration on Monday, Sept. 17, to salute six new inductees to the UCSF School of Medicine's Haile T. Debas Academy of Medical Educators. Award-winning educator Molly Cooke, MD, director of the academy and professor of medicine, will introduce the new members and announce the 2007-2008 projects and goals. The new inductees to the academy are: * Marek Brzezinski, MD, PhD - Anesthesia * David Daikh, MD, PhD - Medicine * Mohammad Diab, MD - Orthopaedic Surgery * Michael Harper, MD - Medicine * Alma Martinez, MD, MPH - Pediatrics * Lisa Winston, MD - Medicine The ceremony is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 17 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in the UCSF School of Nursing, room 225, on the Parnassus campus. David Irby, PhD, vice dean of the Office of Medical Education, will deliver the introduction. The celebration also includes handing out awards for excellence in teaching and service. A nationally recognized group of UCSF teachers dedicated to improving education, the Haile T. Debas Academy of Medical Educators is made up of the medical school's most outstanding teachers. The academy promotes excellence in teaching, fosters curricular innovation, advances scholarship in medical education, and advocates for teachers and teaching at UCSF. The academy itself was the brainchild of a faculty committee, which recommended establishing a cadre of dedicated teachers and outstanding medical educators who would inspire and help junior teachers. In March 1999, then School of Medicine Dean Haile Debas, MD, a former UCSF chancellor, announced that he would provide support for the academy through its formative stages. In the summer of 2001, the first group of academy members was selected through a rigorous process, and the first class was inducted in September 2001. A new class of members has been inducted each September. Joan Reede, MD, MPH, MS, Harvard Medical School's dean for diversity and community partnership, will deliver the keynote address, titled "Educating Physician-Citizens: Teachers and Social Change." Reede became the first African-American woman dean at Harvard Medical School (HMS) in January 2002. Appointed by former UCSF Chancellor Joseph B. Martin, MD, PhD, now dean at HMS, Reede is one of a few African American women to serve as dean at a US medical school. She is responsible for developing and managing a comprehensive program that provides leadership, guidance and support to promote the increased recruitment, retention and advancement of underrepresented minority faculty at HMS. Her job also includes overseeing all diversity activities for faculty, trainees, students and staff at HMS. When Reede came to UCSF in March 2005, she spoke about surmounting myriad challenges to achieve diversity and equity in universities. "Diversity is a part of achieving excellence," she said. "Diversity in thought, research and personnel workforce - they are all important components in achieving excellence in an academic environment." UCSF has made it a priority to build upon its commitment to diversity. The University announced a 10-point initiative to advance diversity in February and unveiled its strategic plan recommending specific ways to create a more diverse campus community in June. The UCSF Strategic Plan is posted here. Related Links: Harvard Medical School Dean Offers Insight on Diversity
UCSF Today March 7, 2005 The Haile T. Debas Academy of Medical Educators Joan Reede, Harvard Medical School