Dear Academy of Educators Community,

In this issue, you’ll find highlights from our annual report, showcasing not only our collective achievements but also the impact we’ve made in advancing education and educator impact. We’re also excited to share details about our upcoming workshops, courses, and programs that spotlight the expertise and skills of so many of our talented AoE members- including many of our new inductees! We hope you will attend upcoming AoE sessions relevant to your career goals and bring along colleagues and aspiring educators too!  

We have so much to celebrate, from the impressive accomplishments and contributions of our members to the vibrant energy of our recent Education Day. Education Day was a resounding success-- filled with inspiring moments, outstanding content, and a palpable sense of community— be sure to check out the photos that capture our collective enthusiasm! Looking ahead, we are thrilled to welcome our new members into the AoE community and support their ongoing success. Looking forward to seeing you soon at our next event!

With gratitude,

Abby Spencer, MD, MS, FACP
Director, Academy of Educators

We are delighted to present our Annual Report, offering a look at our remarkable achievements over the past year. From October 2023 to September 2024, we have realized significant goals, delivered effective programming, awarded numerous grants, made a substantial impact on our educator community, and so much more.

This report embodies our unwavering dedication to fostering a culture of educational growth and excellence. We invite you to dive into our Annual Report to celebrate our accomplishments and to be inspired as we move forward with confidence and vision.

Explore the full report HERE.

Thank you to our members for your steadfast support and partnership. Together, we are shaping the future of education.

Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology

Loves: I love spending time with my husband and kiddos and reading books!
Family: I am married to my fantastic husband and have 2 boys (1st grade and Pre-K 4s).
Area of Education: I am the pediatric anesthesiology fellowship program director, so fellow education is my main area. I am also interested in assessment/evaluation.
What you love most about teaching/ educating/ mentoring: I love being able to see where our fellows end up and keeping in touch with them. It is great watching their careers expand and grow once they finish training!
What drives/ inspires you: I am inspired by learning new things and going to new places!
Fun Fact: My oldest son and I share the same birthday!

The Academy of Educators invites your department/ division/ program to choose one faculty member (via an internal competition - more details below) to compete in a school-wide Academy of Educators teaching competition to be held on Tuesday, February 4, 2025 at 12:00pm.

The Internal Competition:
Each participant prepares an 8-minute teaching talk on an assigned theme. This year’s theme is “Things We Do for No Reason”. Your department/ division/ program will arrange for 3-4 faculty judges who will use a rubric to rate the presentation on design, content, delivery and time. The participant with the most points wins.

All faculty, but particularly junior faculty, are encouraged to participate!

School-Wide Competition:
Winners from each internal competition will give that same presentation (revisions in the interim allowed) at the WashU School of Medicine school-wide competition, which will be held on Tuesday, February 4, 2025 at 12:00pm & will utilize the same format described above. The winner of the school wide competition will be rewarded with a new and impressive listing on their CV, bragging rights for him/her/themselves, bragging rights for their department/ division/ program, and the honor of hosting the competition trophy in their office for the year.

Please notify the Academy of Educators via email at academyofeducators@wustl.edu by Monday, December 9th, 2024 if your department/ division/ program plans to participate- further instructions will be shared.

Mentorship Best Practices Series

Remaining Session: Mentorship Challenges
Date/ Time: Tuesday, 11.5.24; 12:30p - 2:00p
Presenters: Rachel Moquin, EdD; Joan Noelker, MD

Overview: The Academy of Educators Mentorship Committee is pleased to present the concluding session in the workshop series on Mentorship Best Practices- focusing on Mentorship Challenges. By the end of this workshop, participants will be equipped to:

A safe SPACE: How educators can support the work-related grief of their trainees or colleagues

Date/ Time: Thursday, 11.14.24, 3pm - 4pm 
Location: In-Person (Calendar invite sent with location)
Workshop Lead: Erin Hickey, MD

Overview: The impact of grief and loss on the experiences of healthcare providers is both significant and under-recognized. Trainees are particularly vulnerable to the consequences of unacknowledged or unsupported grief. This engaging, novel workshop offered by the Academy of Educators aims to generate a discussion on how to best support the grief of healthcare providers and introduce a broadly applicable and approachable tool to assist in starting these vulnerable conversations. Following this workshop, participants will be able to:

Ready, Set, Mentor! Interprofessional Speed Mentoring Luncheon

Date/ Time: Tuesday, 2.25.25 @ 12:00p
Location: In-Person (Calendar invite sent with location)
Overview: The Academy of Educators Mentorship Committee is excited to host a speed mentoring event that will provide a fun and fast-paced forum for WUSM educators to meet, network with, and learn from other accomplished WUSM educators. Participants will have the opportunity to ask several different mentors questions about professional development, education leadership, educator skill acquisition, and careers in medical education. Our mentors have expertise in numerous areas of education, including medical education research, leadership, curriculum development, and bedside teaching. Don't miss your chance to meet and learn from all of them! Please join to have your MedEd career questions answered, as well as network with great colleagues. Space is limited for this event and registration will be confirmed by the Academy of Educators following registration for the event.

My job as an educator may not always be to change WHAT people think, but it's to create the container to allow students to explore HOW to think. This is particularly important for my work in health equity because while I might hope to change minds & beliefs, I can't make that my mission or I'll fail every time. My mission is to create a container in which students can practice engaging in critical thought and explore different ways to think about something while hearing from other perspectives along the way.

The Academy of Educators is excited to announce our inaugural Leadership in Education Administration Program (LEAP) course, which is designed for ambitious individuals seeking to excel in leadership roles across WashU’s educational programs. LEAP offers an introductory leadership curriculum that covers essential skills and knowledge, including: Change Management; Negotiation; Coaching, Mentoring & Sponsorship; Funds Flow in Education; and Grit & Resilience. This course is tailored to support emerging leaders in health professions education and administration, equipping you with the tools and knowledge necessary to drive success in your career.

The Academy of Educators has partnered with the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) to become a Hub for the Developing Faculty Competencies & Assessment course. As such, in collaboration with the ACGME and their existing hubs, we are developing an annual 3-day course to deliver right here at WashU to help our faculty and program leaders with assessment, direct observation, provision of feedback, writing narrative assessments, and optimizing your Clerkship Competency Committee (CCC)/ Clinical Competency Committee (CCC)/ Competency Attainment Committee (CAC). The course is intended for faculty program leaders and front-line faculty assessors across all health professions, working with trainees at any developmental stage, and will help participants enhance their observation, assessment, narrative, and feedback skills!

Program Dates/ Times: Monday, 4/28/25 (Full Day); Tuesday, 4/29/25 (Full Day); Wednesday, 4/30/25 (Full Day)

More details on how to apply & course agenda will be coming soon!

AY 2023 - 2024 Program Graduates

Matthew Chapman, MD- Psychiatry
Miguel Chavez Concha, MD, MSc- Medicine
Cylen Javidan, MD- Radiology
Kelby Napier, MD, PhD- Radiology
Kristen Prufrock, PhD- Anatomy
Erin Reinl, PhD- Ob/Gyn
Justin Robison, DO- Pediatrics
Brian Stotter, MD- Pediatrics
Stacy West-Bruce, OTD, MSW, OTR/L- Occupational Therapy
Joanna Yang, MD, MPH- Radiation Oncology

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to each member who played a vital role in the successful execution of the 2024 Education Day. Your efforts in creating a welcoming atmosphere, thoughtful programming, and seamless coordination resulted in an enriching event.

We encourage all to explore the Virtual Poster Presentation to view the education research and innovative approaches taking place across the health professions. Additionally, we offer our enthusiastic congratulations and a warm welcome to our new members and award recipients. Our members are the foundation of the Academy, and we eagerly anticipate your contributions in the coming year.

Please take a moment to complete the 2024 Education Day survey to help us continue enhancing and refining this event.

Submission Deadline: Wednesday, 11.6.24 @ 11:59p

The Academy of Educators in collaboration with the Medical Education Research Unit (MERU) of the Washington University School of Medicine are pleased to announce the call for proposals for grant funding for education research and scholarship projects. Projects must be focused on the scholarship of teaching and learning, rather than biomedical discovery or application. Proposals may originate from any unit within the School of Medicine. The principal investigator must be a WUSM faculty member. Any questions about the appropriateness of a proposal can be directed to MERU. Grants of up to $5000 will be awarded based on a competitive review process. Please reference the application requirements here, and limit to 4 pages inclusive of references.

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics

Sebastian and I hiked Angel's Landing in Zion National Park last year. Our goal is to hike up all of the peaks in the Adirondacks! There are 46 and we have hiked ... one. 

To see full workshop descriptions and information click here.

A View of Two Community-Based Initiatives for Aging in Place: NORCs and Villages

Date: Thursday, October 30, 4-5pm
Location: Zoom, Register here

The size of America’s aging population continues to increase. By 2030, the number of people aged 65 and older will exceed the number of children for the first time in history. Most adults say that it is important for them to remain in their homes for as long as possible, or to “age in place.” This requires careful planning, including decisions about additional help in the home and in-home health care, with safety, mobility, and daily activities in mind. Learn about the role of community-based organizations, such as Villages and NORCs, in helping people to age in their homes and communities in a safe and socially connected manner.

Additional CIPE offerings may be found at the
Center for Interprofessional Practice & Education website

You don't have to be a member of the Academy to take advantage of all of our offerings.
Check out our workshops, courses, grant opportunities, and events at the links above
to help you become the best educator & teacher you can be!