Mentoring Award

Eligibility 

1. OHSU faculty of any gender  
2. Instructor, Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor 

Requirements 

1. Nominator letter – as stated above
2. Nominee CV – as stated above
3. Letter(s) of support: A letter of support may be written by one or more authors.  At least one of the authors must have been a person mentored by the candidate, and must comment on how the candidate’s mentorship benefited career advancement of women and gender diverse individuals. 
4. Nominee brief statement – as stated above  
5. Additional requirement – Mentee list that includes names of the mentee, professional level of the mentees (e.g., pharmacy student, medicine resident), purpose of the relationship (e.g., mentorship of X research project, education initiative, etc.), duration of the mentorship, current status of the mentee, and outcome of the mentorship.

The Mentorship Award recognizes the outstanding record of mentorship of an individual faculty member at OHSU. The Mentorship Award will be awarded to an OHSU faculty member of any gender who goes above and beyond their duties, and exemplifies a deep commitment to fostering the professional and personal development of women and gender diverse students, residents, fellows, post-docs, and faculty. Successful candidates will have contributed to the success of women and gender diverse individuals by mentoring and promoting them in any domain at OHSU, including clinical, education, research, and administration. 

• Letters of nomination and support should speak to the candidate’s excellence in mentorship in one or more domains (clinical, education, research, and administration), and should discuss how the candidate’s excellence in mentorship extends beyond the routine duties of their job, emphasizing successful mentorship programs that they have developed. 
• For example, strong letters will speak to a candidate’s ability to support: the promotion of women and gender diverse individuals into faculty positions or positions of leadership; the development of a mentee’s clinical, research, policy, or quality improvement programs and initiatives; the networking advancement of mentees (such as positioning mentees to serve on professional committees or serve as speakers); retention; and personal satisfaction and growth. 

Research Excellence Award

Formerly Discovery in Science

Eligibility 

1. OHSU faculty who are cisgender/transgender women or gender diverse individuals. 
2. Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor

Requirements 

1. Nominator letter – as stated above
2. Nominee CV – as stated above
3. Letter(s) of support: The letter of support may have one or more authors, possibly including comments from an individual at another institution who is familiar with the nominee’s research impact and/or potential 
4. Nominee brief statement – as stated above  

This Research Excellence award highlights the major contributions being made by scientists at OHSU, with a focus on research impact and potential. For those who are early or mid-career, more emphasis can be placed on research potential. This award is open to women and gender diverse individuals who conduct research in OHSU (including but not limited to basic, clinical, translational, public health, or quality improvement research). The Research Excellence award will be awarded to a faculty member who not only demonstrates outstanding achievements in research, but also presents a model to inspire future generations of women and gender diverse individuals in science through her/their work. 

• The letter of nomination should summarize the nominee’s scientific achievements. Strong letters will also describe evidence of community engagement in science either locally, nationally and/or internationally. 
• The letter of support should include evidence of the nominee’s scientific impact in their field of research, possibly by an individual at another institution.  

Clinical Excellence Award

Eligibility 

1. OHSU faculty who are cisgender/transgender women or gender diverse individuals. 
2. Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor

Requirements 

1. Nominator letter – as stated above
2. Nominee CV – as stated above
3. Letter(s) of support: The letter of support may have one or more authors. Letter(s) should address the nominee’s leadership across domains including within OHSU, locally, regionally, nationally, and/or internationally. 
4. Nominee brief statement – as stated above  

The Clinical Excellence award is given to a faculty clinician who has dedicated their career to excellence in patient care. The recipient will have advanced the quality of care at OHSU through education and quality improvement and is recognized as an outstanding clinician by their peers. 

The letters of nomination and support for this award should showcase how the individual’s contributions to education and quality improvement have positively influenced patient experiences at OHSU, as well as speak to their recognition as a leader in clinical excellence. Examples of contributions include recipient of Rose Awards, development of clinical innovations, creation of new clinical services lines, or QI initiatives (e.g., patient safety). 

Emerging Leader Award

Eligibility 

1. OHSU faculty who are cisgender/transgender women or gender diverse individuals. 
2. Instructor, Assistant, or Associate Professor 

Requirements 

1. Nominator letter – as stated above
2. Nominee CV – as stated above
3. Letter(s) of support: The letter of support may have one or more authors. Letter(s) should address the nominee’s leadership across domains including within OHSU, locally, regionally, nationally, and/or internationally. 
4. Nominee brief statement – as stated above 

The Emerging Leader Award recognizes an Assistant or Associate Professor faculty member who is running significant initiatives and is fast becoming a prominent and visible leader of the future. 

The letters of nomination and support for this award should speak of the individual’s potential as a leader and include examples of recent initiatives. Successful candidates may have evidence of multidisciplinary initiatives, including collaborations with community partners and across traditional barriers. Strong candidates may have media coverage of their achievements and/or recognition of their efforts beyond OHSU (e.g., with their professional society). 

Trainee Award

Formerly Professional In-Training

Eligibility 

OHSU students, residents, fellows, or post-doctoral scholars/fellows who are cisgender/transgender women or gender diverse individuals. 

Requirements 

1. Nominator letter – as stated above
2. Nominee CV – as stated above
3. Letter(s) of support: One letter of support: The letter of support may be written by one or more authors.  
4. Nominee brief statement – as stated above  

The Trainee Award recognizes an individual who has made significant contributions in research, clinical care, education, service, or policy while in training. The period of training may be as a student, resident, fellow, doctoral candidate, or post-doc.  

The letters of nomination and support for this award should speak to the significant accomplishments the individual has made such as developing a new clinical or educational program; efforts to impact policy at the institutional, local, regional, or national level; or significant research accomplishments. The work should be above that required for their training program. They may impact OHSU, our local or regional community, or have national visibility. 

The 2023 Conference featured speaker, Dr. Kemi Doll, is a physician, surgeon, researcher, advocate and coach. In her own career, Dr. Doll is fellowship-trained gynecologic oncologist and health services researcher. She started her faculty position in 2016 and skyrocketed to the top of her field in her work to transform the research on racial disparities in endometrial cancer. She has received grants from the NIH, the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, among others. In addition to several high impact publications, Dr. Doll’s work has been featured in multiple national media outlets including The New York Times, Good Morning America, NPR, and BET. She is the co-founder of ECANA: The Endometrial Cancer Action Network for African Americans.

Dr. Doll is also founder and CEO of KD Coach LLC, an exclusive coaching company for women of color in academic medicine. Their flagship coaching program, Get That Grant^TM, helps high-achieving women of color faculty build the academic career of their dreams while securing funding to do the work they love. KD Coach LLC was founded in 2019 and has since coached over 100 women who have transformed their careers and secured tens of millions of dollars in grant funding and institutional support.  

 As the host of the Your Unapologetic Career Podcast, she sheds on light on common challenges that face high-achievers in academic medicine and effective strategies to walk away from institutional mindset and towards nourishing and fulfilling careers. With over 10,000 Twitter followers and a spirited presence on Instagram, she uses multiple mediums to spread her messages of empowerment far and wide.

Sixth annual conference shapes change

Jan. 30, 2019

The conference title was “Advancing Diversity and Equity: Making it meaningful to your life and work.” But the sixth Annual OHSU Women’s Leadership Conference on Jan. 29 was so successful in not only framing the issues but eliciting progress that it could have been shortened to: “Moving the Work.”

Event video - full conference recording

Women in Academic Medicine packed the Vey Conference Center with 160 faculty members, students and staff. The afternoon included an action-oriented keynote speaker – accomplished trial lawyer Laura Salerno Owens on “Workplace Equality: A ‘We Too’ Movement” – a compelling awards ceremony; probing table discussions ranging from affirming transgender/gender diverse individuals to micro-inequities and aggressions to breastfeeding and pumping at OHSU, capped by a revelatory panel discussion with top OHSU leaders.

“As a faculty member trying to lead and cause some change, just hearing the problems does not help,” said Vaishali Phalke, M.D., associate professor of diagnostic radiology, OHSU School of Medicine, and WAM co-chair. “The WAM conference was a great forum for attendees to actively interact with OHSU senior leadership and also to learn steps that leaders are already taking. WAM is really appreciative of their time and support. This year’s keynote speaker also not only eloquently laid out the challenges, but some practical achievable solutions.”

This year’s Women in Academic Medicine conference comes on the cusp of change at OHSU in part due to the advocacy of groups like WAM. Faculty and employee surveys have surfaced a need to improve OHSU’s culture around diversity, inclusion, respect, safety and equity. These sentiments have emerged as prominent aspirational themes and value statements in the OHSU 2025 strategic planning process. Led by President Danny Jacobs, OHSU 2025 is the most broad-based and inclusive strategic planning process in the institution’s history.

In the panel discussion at the conference, Dr. Jacobs, School of Medicine Dean Sharon Anderson and Provost Elena Andresen made one thing clear: OHSU 2025 is about envisioning where we want to be as an institution and crafting the steps to get there; but it is not about waiting until 2025 to make change.

Dr. Jacobs noted that a number of efforts are already underway. He explained the intention to surface major themes in the strategic planning process by this spring to inform decisions about the OHSU 2019-20 budget. He encouraged conference attendees to get involved: “Now is the time,” said Dr. Jacobs. “This is the moment.”

Rose Goueth, who is pursuing her Ph.D. in biomedical informatics, said she was pleased as a first-year doctoral student to see such a powerful gathering of women faculty, staff and students.

“It encourages me as a Ph.D. student and a future researcher,” she said and added, “and it was also good to see that there was a colorful sea of diversity here.”

Award winners:

• Mentoring: Deborah Cohen, Ph.D., professor of family medicine and medical informatics and clinical epidemiology, OHSU School of Medicine
• Discovery: Yali Jia, Ph.D., associate professor of ophthalmology, OHSU School of Medicine
• Emerging Leader: Shimoli Shah, M.D., assistant professor of cardiovascular medicine, OHSU School of Medicine
• Clinical Excellence: Kathryn Schabel, M.D., assistant professor of orthopedics and rehabilitation, OHSU School of Medicine
• Professional-in-Training: Mollie Marr, M.D./Ph.D. candidate in behavioral neuroscience, OHSU School of Medicine

Annual WAM conference celebrates leadership, advocacy and community

Feb. 7, 2018

The OHSU Women in Academic Medicine Committee embraced the unmistakable sense of community and momentum for change in today's social climate during its fifth annual conference Jan. 30. Whether looking to affect policy, connect with the public, or tell one's story to stakeholders, conference attendees discussed how to develop the tools and inspiration to make change. As part of the WAM conference tradition, individuals who support the success of women in academic medicine received awards in five categories. Congratulations to the 2018 awardees:

Katharine Zuckerman, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.A.P., associate professor of pediatrics, OHSU School of Medicine, received the Excellence in Mentorship award. Dr. Zuckerman, who is also associate professor in the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health, was recognized for the breadth and depth of her mentorship and her focus on mentorship of under-represented trainees of color. She has demonstrated deep commitment to formal mentorship programs supporting under-represented minority trainees, including NIH's BUILD-EXITO grant, OHSU's Center for Diversity and Inclusion's EQUITY summer internship, and the OHSU's HRSA-funded NW Native American Center of Excellence. 

Carmem Pfiefer, D.D.S., Ph.D., associate professor of restorative dentistry, OHSU School of Dentistry, received the discovery award for women in science. Dr. Pfeifer has published more than 65 research articles and five book chapters in dental materials sciences and polymer chemistry, reaching an H factor of 21, according to Scopus. Her research focuses on the development of innovative polymeric materials for restorative dentistry and broader biomaterials and engineering applications. Recently, she received the inventor of the year award from OHSU for the commercial potential of her patented inventions, which have attracted the interest of several potential licensees.

The Emerging Leader Award went to Esther Choo, M.D., associate professor of emergency medicine, OHSU School of Medicine. Dr. Choo's clinical work and research focus on substance abuse disorders, women's health and health disparities. She is also an activist for social justice and health equity with growing national recognition in both academic medical and lay public spheres. Dr. Choo's nominators detailed an impressive record of leadership and advocacy within emergency medicine. At OHSU, Dr. Choo's work has inspired multiple forums discussing bias across campus.

Christina Milano, M.D., associate professor of family medicine, OHSU School of Medicine, received the Clinical Excellence Award. In 2012, Dr. Milano co-founded the OHSU Transgender Health Program – the only academic, interdisciplinary program of its kind in the country. Dr. Milano is also the creator and medical director of the Richmond Engagement and Community Health team, a collaborative endeavor between CareOregon and OHSU Richmond designed to increase the health resiliency of Medicaid members who are struggling to manage advanced illness in the setting of social isolation.

Finally, the Resiliency Award was presented to Maisie Shindo, M.D., F.A.C.S., professor of otolaryngology, head and neck surgery, OHSU School of Medicine. Dr. Shindo is one of the top endocrine surgeons in the country and has adopted minimally invasive high definition surgical techniques to improve outcomes for thyroid and parathyroid surgical cases. Following a tragic accident that left her father and husband severely injured, Dr. Shindo continued in all her roles: as a wife, mother, daughter, surgeon, teacher and mentor. However, this was not enough. Dr. Shindo believed that her experiences could help others overcome their own personal or work-related stress events. She therefore volunteered in a peer support group as part of the OHSU wellness program and she has co-created an internal peer support group in her department.

Oregon State Senator and OHSU family physician Elizabeth Steiner Hayward, M.D. R '94, gave the plenary address. Dr. Steiner, associate professor of family medicine, OHSU School of Medicine, finished her remarks to rousing applause from the audience and special recognition from Dean Sharon Anderson, M.D., who recognized her as an outstanding communicator and presented her with the celebrated Star Trek communicator pin from her white coat.

A panel of OHSU and community leaders discussed "Active Engagement from Different Angles" during the afternoon session. Speakers included Dr. Choo; Alisha Moreland Capuia, M.D., assistant professor of psychiatry, OHSU School of Medicine; Jennifer Stoll, vice president of government relations, OCHIN; Honora Englander, M.D., associate professor of medicine, OHSU School of Medicine. Jackie Wirz, Ph.D., assistant dean for graduate student affairs, OHSU School of Medicine, moderated.

This event was made possible with registration donations and the generous support from the following OHSU groups:

• Center for Diversity and Inclusion
• School of Medicine Office of the Dean
• Office of the Provost
• Center for Women's Health
• Fund for Advancement of Women's Leadership 

Fourth annual event emphasized the need for collaboration in navigating the biomedical environment

October 19, 2016

Are effective leaders also eternal optimists? In her plenary address at the fourth annual OHSU Women's Leadership Conference, Sona Andrews, Ph.D., provost and vice president for academic affairs at Portland State University, spoke about the difference between approaching an issue with an optimistic vision versus a preconceived conclusion.

Describing two years of intensive, collaborative planning that led to the creation of the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health, Dr. Andrews (pictured, at right) said she adopted the attitude of "We can, if…" from the outset. The roadmap was uncharted and the two schools faced many obstacles, not the least of which was having "to convince the faculty it would work without any evidence." In this case, optimism paid off, creating what she called the first joint endeavor of its kind with two educational institutions as equal partners.

Leadership and constant learning were core themes of the fourth annual Women's Leadership Conference at OHSU. The Oct. 18 event, organized by the Women in Academic Medicine Committee, has also become a joyful occasion in which to celebrate exemplary individuals who support the success of women in academic medicine. The following awardees were chosen from a record number of nominees. WAM co-chairs Kate Keller, Ph.D., research associate professor of ophthalmology, and Daniel Haupt, M.D., associate professor of psychiatry, presented certificates to the honorees.

2016 WAM Awards

Agnieszka Balkowiec, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor, OHSU School of Dentistry, was given the Discovery award for Women in Science. Dr. Balkowiec's scientific reputation as a neuroscientist is based on her stellar publication record and funding by the National Institutes of Health, the March of Dimes and the American Heart Association. Her highly cited research papers have significantly furthered our understanding of the control of blood pressure by neurotrophic factors such as brain derived neurotrophic factor and by delineating the function of trigeminal afferents in cranio-facial pain.

Linda Ganzini, M.D., M.P.H., professor of psychiatry, OHSU School of Medicine, received the Mentoring Award. In their letters of nomination, Dr. Ganzini's colleagues spoke to her long history of recruiting women into fellowship positions, and actively supporting them as they transitioned into faculty positions. The VA Portland Health Care System's current chief of psychiatry and director of the psychology postdoctoral program are examples of women in leadership positions who have benefited from Dr. Ganzini's mentorship.

Cheryl Maslen, Ph.D., professor of medicine, OHSU School of Medicine, was honored with the Resiliency Award. Dr. Maslen pursues research that is centered on the genetic basis of congenital cardiovascular defects. She was awarded the Richard T. Jones Distinguished Alumni Scientist Award in 2007. Dr. Maslen recently stepped down as director of the Graduate Program in Molecular and Cellular Bioscience, a role she held since 2008. The degree of success she has achieved is made even more inspirational as she managed a number of unforeseen major life stressors in a short period of time.

L. Michele Noles, M.D. (below, right), associate professor of anesthesiology and perioperative medicine, OHSU School of Medicine, received the Clinical Excellence Award. Since joining the faculty in 2005, she has distinguished herself as a leader in quality improvement and patient safety, serving as director of the simulation program for cardiac codes and other medical procedures, developing a simulation curriculum for postgraduate education, and lecturing widely on this topic.

Stephanie Nonas, M.D., assistant professor of medicine, OHSU School of Medicine, was the recipient of the Emerging Leader Award. She was nominated in recognition of her leadership within the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine and across OHSU, and for her significant contributions to the creation of the YOUR M.D. curriculum. She has initiated a combined quality improvement and educational program to improve patient outcomes receiving mechanical ventilation.

The half-day conference also included table discussions among attendees and a panel of OHSU leaders speaking on strategies and benefits of negotiation and collaboration.

The Women's Leadership Conference is sponsored by the following OHSU entities:

• Center for Diversity and Inclusion
• School of Medicine Office of the Dean
• Office of the Provost
• Center for Women's Health
• Fund for Advancement of Women's Leadership

Recognizing exemplary individuals who support the success of women at OHSU

October 27, 2015

On Oct. 13, faculty and staff from across OHSU gathered for the annual Women in Academic Medicine (WAM) Leadership Conference, "Defining and Achieving Your Vision of Success at OHSU." Attendees enjoyed round-table discussions, panels and a keynote address by noted career consultant and coach, Janet Bickel, M.A.

In addition, awards were given in five categories – mentoring, clinical service, research support, discovery and resiliency. Awardees were nominated by their peers. OHSU Provost Jeanette Mladenovic, M.D., MBA, Dean Mark Richardson, M.D., MBA, Ines Koerner, M.D., associate professor of anesthesiology and perioperative medicine, and Mary Stenzel-Poore, Ph.D., senior associate dean for research presented the awards and highlighted the achievements of each awardee (excerpted below).

Mentoring award: Deborah Lewinsohn, M.D., professor of pediatrics

This award recognizes outstanding mentoring activities of an individual faculty member who exemplifies a deep commitment to fostering the development and success of women at OHSU. 

"The letters of support submitted for Dr. Lewinsohn attest to her ability to inspire, to challenge, and to share knowledge, as well as her commitment to maintaining the balance between career and personal life for her mentees, encouraging women faculty members, graduate students and residents alike to keep the concept of balance in perspective."

Research support award: Melissa Martenson, M.S., research associate and lab manager, neurological surgery

This award recognizes a woman who supports major clinical or basic science research at OHSU and has made critical contributions to the success of her program. 

"She stands out not only as an excellent lab manager who keeps the lab running smoothly;but also as a thoughtful and rigorous scientific leader. Her seminal observations and ideas served as the basis for an R01 to look at the neural mechanisms of photoaversion in rodents, which became the driving motif for translation to chronic pain patients." 

Clinical service award: Robin Shaughnessy, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics

This award is given to a woman who has dedicated her career to excellence in patient care. This award recognizes an outstanding clinician, who is a leader in clinical excellence as well as a contributor to education and quality improvement. 

"Dr. Shaughnessy has quietly worked at OHSU to provide excellent clinical care for children and to support trainees for well over a decade. During that time, she has consistently had the highest outpatient volume in the Division of Pediatric Cardiology....She also extends her work to include other children with serious healthcare issues as a member of the Ambassador Board of the Oregon Chapter of the Make a Wish Foundation."

Discovery award: Amanda Lund, Ph.D., assistant professor of cell, developmental and cancer biology

This award highlights major contributions being made by a junior or mid-career female scientist at OHSU. The award is given to a woman who demonstrates outstanding achievements in research early in her career, and presents a model to inspire future generations of women in science. 

"Her work focuses on dissecting the functional role of lymphatic vessels in tumor immunity. Dr. Lund is the recipient of a number of major grants including a Department of Defense cancer research award, a Cancer Research Institute award and a V Foundation for Cancer Research grant. Despite the early stage of her career, she has mentored several students and post-doctoral fellows and was integral in developing and running the very popular CDCB summer internship program." 

Resiliency Award: Leslie Kahl, M.D., professor of medicine and associate dean for strategic initiatives

This award is given to a female faculty member to recognize her ability to thrive at work at OHSU after working through a personal or professional life event.

"I'm also personally fortunate to be both one of Dr. Kahl's past mentees and patients (unfortunately), but now I'm a mentee of hers again as I see that it is possible to adapt and rise in response to some of the worst things that I can imagine."  (Dr. Dan Haupt)

Women’s Leadership Conference honors OHSU faculty, creates connections and inspires conversation

June 6, 2014

Call it the irony of success. During the second annual Women’s Leadership Conference, keynote speaker Susie Wee, vice president and chief technology officer of networked experiences at Cisco Systems, cautioned the crowd. “As you go higher and higher in your career, you don’t actually feel more successful. Sometimes you feel less successful, because you’re failing more. You’re taking more chances to get to more places.”

Nevertheless, Wee shared stories of the successes she’s had in a career in the high-tech world of video, networking and digital technology. And despite the many differences between her field and that of academic medicine, there were commonalities and kernels of wisdom all 130 faculty, staff and students in attendance could learn from.

"I think OHSU has a wonderful community. I’m inspired by the leadership that is promoting this enterprise,” said Jeanette Mladenovic, M.D., MBA, OHSU provost. “When we make things a welcoming community for all of us as women, we make it so for students, our staff and our male colleagues.”

Dr. Mladenovic also announced that OHSU will become an institutional sponsor of the ELAM, or Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine, program. This level of support will allow women from any OHSU school to be nominated for participation in the year-long professional development program.

This year, the WAM Committee launched an awards program to recognize men and women in academic medicine who support the success of women. “These awards recognize individuals who bring their personal values and hearts into their work, creating meaning and fulfillment, and by their example, inspire others to do the same,” said Rebecca Harrison, M.D., associate professor of medicine and WAM member.

Congratulations to the following award winners:

Mentoring Award: Judith Baggs, Ph.D., R.N., FAAN, Elizabeth N. Gray Distinguished Professor, School of Nursing; assistant professor of medicine, School of Medicine

Excerpts from her nominators: “Dr. Baggs is the senior faculty I rely on to provide mentoring for junior faculty’s’ research and scholarship programs.”

“Judith mentored me through the challenges of a new professional context while always creating opportunities for me to engage with faculty and other professionals to support my work.”

Resiliency Award: Kirsten Lampi, Ph.D., professor of integrative biosciences, School of Dentistry

Dr. Lampi is an accomplished researcher and educator, and has maintained high professional standards, including being awarded NIH grants, publishing, serving on NIH study sections, mentoring and lecturing regularly as she faced multiple personal challenges over the past three years.

Research Support Award: Allison Gregory, M.S., CGC, research instructor of molecular and medical genetics, School of Medicine

Penelope Hogarth stated in her nomination, “Allison quickly became a lynchpin of our team. It has been a running joke between Allison, Dr. Susan Hayflick and myself that if she ever decides to leave, we will have to pack up and retire. We hope she never figures out that we are only half-joking. We can’t quite imagine our academic lives without her.”

Clinical Service Award: Angela Kendrick, M.D., associate professor of anesthesiology and perioperative medicine, School of Medicine

Jeffrey Kirsch, M.D., chair of anesthesiology, commented that during her 26 years on faculty, Dr. Kendrick “has literally given her life to OHSU, our patient, trainees, and junior faculty members.”

Discovery Award: Bonnie Nagel, Ph.D., associate professor of psychiatry, School of Medicine

Her research is described by her colleagues as employing a unique combination of cutting edge approaches, and she was recognized in 2012 by both the OHSU Medical Research Foundation and the Research Society on Alcoholism with their young investigator awards.

The leaders among us

June 21, 2013

The OHSU group Women in Academic Medicine (WAM) hosted the first OHSU Advancing Women in Leadership Conference on May 29. Event registration quickly reached capacity, and attendees represented departments and units across OHSU, including students, faculty members and staff.

Organizers of the event aimed to enhance leadership skills for all attendees as well as foster communication with the university and provide professional networking. Video is now available (see below).

The keynote speaker was Patricia Hurn, Ph.D., vice chancellor for research and innovation, University of Texas System Office of Health Affairs. Her talk was followed by an interactive session on negotiation with John Saultz, M.D., chair and professor of family medicine at OHSU, and a panel discussion with current leaders in various disciplines at OHSU.

To explain the title of her talk, Moving Women to Full Throttle, Dr. Hurn said, “There have been advances for women, and advances for diversity, but we are really at a point where we need to move to what I call ‘full throttle.’ It’s time to make some large strides.”

Exploring topics such as work-life balance, diversity, leadership in basic sciences, resiliency and mentoring, participants also engaged in table discussions to identify opportunities to cultivate leadership at OHSU.

Support for the event came from the SoM Office of the Dean, the OHSU Center for Diversity & Inclusion and the Fund for the Advancement of Women’s Leadership.

Event organizers intend to make the women’s leadership conference an annual event.

The 2023 Conference featured speaker, Dr. Kemi Doll, is a physician, surgeon, researcher, advocate and coach. In her own career, Dr. Doll is fellowship-trained gynecologic oncologist and health services researcher. She started her faculty position in 2016 and skyrocketed to the top of her field in her work to transform the research on racial disparities in endometrial cancer. She has received grants from the NIH, the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, among others. In addition to several high impact publications, Dr. Doll’s work has been featured in multiple national media outlets including The New York Times, Good Morning America, NPR, and BET. She is the co-founder of ECANA: The Endometrial Cancer Action Network for African Americans.

Dr. Doll is also founder and CEO of KD Coach LLC, an exclusive coaching company for women of color in academic medicine. Their flagship coaching program, Get That Grant^TM, helps high-achieving women of color faculty build the academic career of their dreams while securing funding to do the work they love. KD Coach LLC was founded in 2019 and has since coached over 100 women who have transformed their careers and secured tens of millions of dollars in grant funding and institutional support.  

 As the host of the Your Unapologetic Career Podcast, she sheds on light on common challenges that face high-achievers in academic medicine and effective strategies to walk away from institutional mindset and towards nourishing and fulfilling careers. With over 10,000 Twitter followers and a spirited presence on Instagram, she uses multiple mediums to spread her messages of empowerment far and wide.

Sixth annual conference shapes change

Jan. 30, 2019

The conference title was “Advancing Diversity and Equity: Making it meaningful to your life and work.” But the sixth Annual OHSU Women’s Leadership Conference on Jan. 29 was so successful in not only framing the issues but eliciting progress that it could have been shortened to: “Moving the Work.”

Event video - full conference recording

Women in Academic Medicine packed the Vey Conference Center with 160 faculty members, students and staff. The afternoon included an action-oriented keynote speaker – accomplished trial lawyer Laura Salerno Owens on “Workplace Equality: A ‘We Too’ Movement” – a compelling awards ceremony; probing table discussions ranging from affirming transgender/gender diverse individuals to micro-inequities and aggressions to breastfeeding and pumping at OHSU, capped by a revelatory panel discussion with top OHSU leaders.

“As a faculty member trying to lead and cause some change, just hearing the problems does not help,” said Vaishali Phalke, M.D., associate professor of diagnostic radiology, OHSU School of Medicine, and WAM co-chair. “The WAM conference was a great forum for attendees to actively interact with OHSU senior leadership and also to learn steps that leaders are already taking. WAM is really appreciative of their time and support. This year’s keynote speaker also not only eloquently laid out the challenges, but some practical achievable solutions.”

This year’s Women in Academic Medicine conference comes on the cusp of change at OHSU in part due to the advocacy of groups like WAM. Faculty and employee surveys have surfaced a need to improve OHSU’s culture around diversity, inclusion, respect, safety and equity. These sentiments have emerged as prominent aspirational themes and value statements in the OHSU 2025 strategic planning process. Led by President Danny Jacobs, OHSU 2025 is the most broad-based and inclusive strategic planning process in the institution’s history.

In the panel discussion at the conference, Dr. Jacobs, School of Medicine Dean Sharon Anderson and Provost Elena Andresen made one thing clear: OHSU 2025 is about envisioning where we want to be as an institution and crafting the steps to get there; but it is not about waiting until 2025 to make change.

Dr. Jacobs noted that a number of efforts are already underway. He explained the intention to surface major themes in the strategic planning process by this spring to inform decisions about the OHSU 2019-20 budget. He encouraged conference attendees to get involved: “Now is the time,” said Dr. Jacobs. “This is the moment.”

Rose Goueth, who is pursuing her Ph.D. in biomedical informatics, said she was pleased as a first-year doctoral student to see such a powerful gathering of women faculty, staff and students.

“It encourages me as a Ph.D. student and a future researcher,” she said and added, “and it was also good to see that there was a colorful sea of diversity here.”

Award winners:

• Mentoring: Deborah Cohen, Ph.D., professor of family medicine and medical informatics and clinical epidemiology, OHSU School of Medicine
• Discovery: Yali Jia, Ph.D., associate professor of ophthalmology, OHSU School of Medicine
• Emerging Leader: Shimoli Shah, M.D., assistant professor of cardiovascular medicine, OHSU School of Medicine
• Clinical Excellence: Kathryn Schabel, M.D., assistant professor of orthopedics and rehabilitation, OHSU School of Medicine
• Professional-in-Training: Mollie Marr, M.D./Ph.D. candidate in behavioral neuroscience, OHSU School of Medicine

Annual WAM conference celebrates leadership, advocacy and community

Feb. 7, 2018

The OHSU Women in Academic Medicine Committee embraced the unmistakable sense of community and momentum for change in today's social climate during its fifth annual conference Jan. 30. Whether looking to affect policy, connect with the public, or tell one's story to stakeholders, conference attendees discussed how to develop the tools and inspiration to make change. As part of the WAM conference tradition, individuals who support the success of women in academic medicine received awards in five categories. Congratulations to the 2018 awardees:

Katharine Zuckerman, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.A.P., associate professor of pediatrics, OHSU School of Medicine, received the Excellence in Mentorship award. Dr. Zuckerman, who is also associate professor in the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health, was recognized for the breadth and depth of her mentorship and her focus on mentorship of under-represented trainees of color. She has demonstrated deep commitment to formal mentorship programs supporting under-represented minority trainees, including NIH's BUILD-EXITO grant, OHSU's Center for Diversity and Inclusion's EQUITY summer internship, and the OHSU's HRSA-funded NW Native American Center of Excellence. 

Carmem Pfiefer, D.D.S., Ph.D., associate professor of restorative dentistry, OHSU School of Dentistry, received the discovery award for women in science. Dr. Pfeifer has published more than 65 research articles and five book chapters in dental materials sciences and polymer chemistry, reaching an H factor of 21, according to Scopus. Her research focuses on the development of innovative polymeric materials for restorative dentistry and broader biomaterials and engineering applications. Recently, she received the inventor of the year award from OHSU for the commercial potential of her patented inventions, which have attracted the interest of several potential licensees.

The Emerging Leader Award went to Esther Choo, M.D., associate professor of emergency medicine, OHSU School of Medicine. Dr. Choo's clinical work and research focus on substance abuse disorders, women's health and health disparities. She is also an activist for social justice and health equity with growing national recognition in both academic medical and lay public spheres. Dr. Choo's nominators detailed an impressive record of leadership and advocacy within emergency medicine. At OHSU, Dr. Choo's work has inspired multiple forums discussing bias across campus.

Christina Milano, M.D., associate professor of family medicine, OHSU School of Medicine, received the Clinical Excellence Award. In 2012, Dr. Milano co-founded the OHSU Transgender Health Program – the only academic, interdisciplinary program of its kind in the country. Dr. Milano is also the creator and medical director of the Richmond Engagement and Community Health team, a collaborative endeavor between CareOregon and OHSU Richmond designed to increase the health resiliency of Medicaid members who are struggling to manage advanced illness in the setting of social isolation.

Finally, the Resiliency Award was presented to Maisie Shindo, M.D., F.A.C.S., professor of otolaryngology, head and neck surgery, OHSU School of Medicine. Dr. Shindo is one of the top endocrine surgeons in the country and has adopted minimally invasive high definition surgical techniques to improve outcomes for thyroid and parathyroid surgical cases. Following a tragic accident that left her father and husband severely injured, Dr. Shindo continued in all her roles: as a wife, mother, daughter, surgeon, teacher and mentor. However, this was not enough. Dr. Shindo believed that her experiences could help others overcome their own personal or work-related stress events. She therefore volunteered in a peer support group as part of the OHSU wellness program and she has co-created an internal peer support group in her department.

Oregon State Senator and OHSU family physician Elizabeth Steiner Hayward, M.D. R '94, gave the plenary address. Dr. Steiner, associate professor of family medicine, OHSU School of Medicine, finished her remarks to rousing applause from the audience and special recognition from Dean Sharon Anderson, M.D., who recognized her as an outstanding communicator and presented her with the celebrated Star Trek communicator pin from her white coat.

A panel of OHSU and community leaders discussed "Active Engagement from Different Angles" during the afternoon session. Speakers included Dr. Choo; Alisha Moreland Capuia, M.D., assistant professor of psychiatry, OHSU School of Medicine; Jennifer Stoll, vice president of government relations, OCHIN; Honora Englander, M.D., associate professor of medicine, OHSU School of Medicine. Jackie Wirz, Ph.D., assistant dean for graduate student affairs, OHSU School of Medicine, moderated.

This event was made possible with registration donations and the generous support from the following OHSU groups:

• Center for Diversity and Inclusion
• School of Medicine Office of the Dean
• Office of the Provost
• Center for Women's Health
• Fund for Advancement of Women's Leadership 

Fourth annual event emphasized the need for collaboration in navigating the biomedical environment

October 19, 2016

Are effective leaders also eternal optimists? In her plenary address at the fourth annual OHSU Women's Leadership Conference, Sona Andrews, Ph.D., provost and vice president for academic affairs at Portland State University, spoke about the difference between approaching an issue with an optimistic vision versus a preconceived conclusion.

Describing two years of intensive, collaborative planning that led to the creation of the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health, Dr. Andrews (pictured, at right) said she adopted the attitude of "We can, if…" from the outset. The roadmap was uncharted and the two schools faced many obstacles, not the least of which was having "to convince the faculty it would work without any evidence." In this case, optimism paid off, creating what she called the first joint endeavor of its kind with two educational institutions as equal partners.

Leadership and constant learning were core themes of the fourth annual Women's Leadership Conference at OHSU. The Oct. 18 event, organized by the Women in Academic Medicine Committee, has also become a joyful occasion in which to celebrate exemplary individuals who support the success of women in academic medicine. The following awardees were chosen from a record number of nominees. WAM co-chairs Kate Keller, Ph.D., research associate professor of ophthalmology, and Daniel Haupt, M.D., associate professor of psychiatry, presented certificates to the honorees.

2016 WAM Awards

Agnieszka Balkowiec, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor, OHSU School of Dentistry, was given the Discovery award for Women in Science. Dr. Balkowiec's scientific reputation as a neuroscientist is based on her stellar publication record and funding by the National Institutes of Health, the March of Dimes and the American Heart Association. Her highly cited research papers have significantly furthered our understanding of the control of blood pressure by neurotrophic factors such as brain derived neurotrophic factor and by delineating the function of trigeminal afferents in cranio-facial pain.

Linda Ganzini, M.D., M.P.H., professor of psychiatry, OHSU School of Medicine, received the Mentoring Award. In their letters of nomination, Dr. Ganzini's colleagues spoke to her long history of recruiting women into fellowship positions, and actively supporting them as they transitioned into faculty positions. The VA Portland Health Care System's current chief of psychiatry and director of the psychology postdoctoral program are examples of women in leadership positions who have benefited from Dr. Ganzini's mentorship.

Cheryl Maslen, Ph.D., professor of medicine, OHSU School of Medicine, was honored with the Resiliency Award. Dr. Maslen pursues research that is centered on the genetic basis of congenital cardiovascular defects. She was awarded the Richard T. Jones Distinguished Alumni Scientist Award in 2007. Dr. Maslen recently stepped down as director of the Graduate Program in Molecular and Cellular Bioscience, a role she held since 2008. The degree of success she has achieved is made even more inspirational as she managed a number of unforeseen major life stressors in a short period of time.

L. Michele Noles, M.D. (below, right), associate professor of anesthesiology and perioperative medicine, OHSU School of Medicine, received the Clinical Excellence Award. Since joining the faculty in 2005, she has distinguished herself as a leader in quality improvement and patient safety, serving as director of the simulation program for cardiac codes and other medical procedures, developing a simulation curriculum for postgraduate education, and lecturing widely on this topic.

Stephanie Nonas, M.D., assistant professor of medicine, OHSU School of Medicine, was the recipient of the Emerging Leader Award. She was nominated in recognition of her leadership within the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine and across OHSU, and for her significant contributions to the creation of the YOUR M.D. curriculum. She has initiated a combined quality improvement and educational program to improve patient outcomes receiving mechanical ventilation.

The half-day conference also included table discussions among attendees and a panel of OHSU leaders speaking on strategies and benefits of negotiation and collaboration.

The Women's Leadership Conference is sponsored by the following OHSU entities:

• Center for Diversity and Inclusion
• School of Medicine Office of the Dean
• Office of the Provost
• Center for Women's Health
• Fund for Advancement of Women's Leadership

Recognizing exemplary individuals who support the success of women at OHSU

October 27, 2015

On Oct. 13, faculty and staff from across OHSU gathered for the annual Women in Academic Medicine (WAM) Leadership Conference, "Defining and Achieving Your Vision of Success at OHSU." Attendees enjoyed round-table discussions, panels and a keynote address by noted career consultant and coach, Janet Bickel, M.A.

In addition, awards were given in five categories – mentoring, clinical service, research support, discovery and resiliency. Awardees were nominated by their peers. OHSU Provost Jeanette Mladenovic, M.D., MBA, Dean Mark Richardson, M.D., MBA, Ines Koerner, M.D., associate professor of anesthesiology and perioperative medicine, and Mary Stenzel-Poore, Ph.D., senior associate dean for research presented the awards and highlighted the achievements of each awardee (excerpted below).

Mentoring award: Deborah Lewinsohn, M.D., professor of pediatrics

This award recognizes outstanding mentoring activities of an individual faculty member who exemplifies a deep commitment to fostering the development and success of women at OHSU. 

"The letters of support submitted for Dr. Lewinsohn attest to her ability to inspire, to challenge, and to share knowledge, as well as her commitment to maintaining the balance between career and personal life for her mentees, encouraging women faculty members, graduate students and residents alike to keep the concept of balance in perspective."

Research support award: Melissa Martenson, M.S., research associate and lab manager, neurological surgery

This award recognizes a woman who supports major clinical or basic science research at OHSU and has made critical contributions to the success of her program. 

"She stands out not only as an excellent lab manager who keeps the lab running smoothly;but also as a thoughtful and rigorous scientific leader. Her seminal observations and ideas served as the basis for an R01 to look at the neural mechanisms of photoaversion in rodents, which became the driving motif for translation to chronic pain patients." 

Clinical service award: Robin Shaughnessy, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics

This award is given to a woman who has dedicated her career to excellence in patient care. This award recognizes an outstanding clinician, who is a leader in clinical excellence as well as a contributor to education and quality improvement. 

"Dr. Shaughnessy has quietly worked at OHSU to provide excellent clinical care for children and to support trainees for well over a decade. During that time, she has consistently had the highest outpatient volume in the Division of Pediatric Cardiology....She also extends her work to include other children with serious healthcare issues as a member of the Ambassador Board of the Oregon Chapter of the Make a Wish Foundation."

Discovery award: Amanda Lund, Ph.D., assistant professor of cell, developmental and cancer biology

This award highlights major contributions being made by a junior or mid-career female scientist at OHSU. The award is given to a woman who demonstrates outstanding achievements in research early in her career, and presents a model to inspire future generations of women in science. 

"Her work focuses on dissecting the functional role of lymphatic vessels in tumor immunity. Dr. Lund is the recipient of a number of major grants including a Department of Defense cancer research award, a Cancer Research Institute award and a V Foundation for Cancer Research grant. Despite the early stage of her career, she has mentored several students and post-doctoral fellows and was integral in developing and running the very popular CDCB summer internship program." 

Resiliency Award: Leslie Kahl, M.D., professor of medicine and associate dean for strategic initiatives

This award is given to a female faculty member to recognize her ability to thrive at work at OHSU after working through a personal or professional life event.

"I'm also personally fortunate to be both one of Dr. Kahl's past mentees and patients (unfortunately), but now I'm a mentee of hers again as I see that it is possible to adapt and rise in response to some of the worst things that I can imagine."  (Dr. Dan Haupt)

Women’s Leadership Conference honors OHSU faculty, creates connections and inspires conversation

June 6, 2014

Call it the irony of success. During the second annual Women’s Leadership Conference, keynote speaker Susie Wee, vice president and chief technology officer of networked experiences at Cisco Systems, cautioned the crowd. “As you go higher and higher in your career, you don’t actually feel more successful. Sometimes you feel less successful, because you’re failing more. You’re taking more chances to get to more places.”

Nevertheless, Wee shared stories of the successes she’s had in a career in the high-tech world of video, networking and digital technology. And despite the many differences between her field and that of academic medicine, there were commonalities and kernels of wisdom all 130 faculty, staff and students in attendance could learn from.

"I think OHSU has a wonderful community. I’m inspired by the leadership that is promoting this enterprise,” said Jeanette Mladenovic, M.D., MBA, OHSU provost. “When we make things a welcoming community for all of us as women, we make it so for students, our staff and our male colleagues.”

Dr. Mladenovic also announced that OHSU will become an institutional sponsor of the ELAM, or Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine, program. This level of support will allow women from any OHSU school to be nominated for participation in the year-long professional development program.

This year, the WAM Committee launched an awards program to recognize men and women in academic medicine who support the success of women. “These awards recognize individuals who bring their personal values and hearts into their work, creating meaning and fulfillment, and by their example, inspire others to do the same,” said Rebecca Harrison, M.D., associate professor of medicine and WAM member.

Congratulations to the following award winners:

Mentoring Award: Judith Baggs, Ph.D., R.N., FAAN, Elizabeth N. Gray Distinguished Professor, School of Nursing; assistant professor of medicine, School of Medicine

Excerpts from her nominators: “Dr. Baggs is the senior faculty I rely on to provide mentoring for junior faculty’s’ research and scholarship programs.”

“Judith mentored me through the challenges of a new professional context while always creating opportunities for me to engage with faculty and other professionals to support my work.”

Resiliency Award: Kirsten Lampi, Ph.D., professor of integrative biosciences, School of Dentistry

Dr. Lampi is an accomplished researcher and educator, and has maintained high professional standards, including being awarded NIH grants, publishing, serving on NIH study sections, mentoring and lecturing regularly as she faced multiple personal challenges over the past three years.

Research Support Award: Allison Gregory, M.S., CGC, research instructor of molecular and medical genetics, School of Medicine

Penelope Hogarth stated in her nomination, “Allison quickly became a lynchpin of our team. It has been a running joke between Allison, Dr. Susan Hayflick and myself that if she ever decides to leave, we will have to pack up and retire. We hope she never figures out that we are only half-joking. We can’t quite imagine our academic lives without her.”

Clinical Service Award: Angela Kendrick, M.D., associate professor of anesthesiology and perioperative medicine, School of Medicine

Jeffrey Kirsch, M.D., chair of anesthesiology, commented that during her 26 years on faculty, Dr. Kendrick “has literally given her life to OHSU, our patient, trainees, and junior faculty members.”

Discovery Award: Bonnie Nagel, Ph.D., associate professor of psychiatry, School of Medicine

Her research is described by her colleagues as employing a unique combination of cutting edge approaches, and she was recognized in 2012 by both the OHSU Medical Research Foundation and the Research Society on Alcoholism with their young investigator awards.

The leaders among us

June 21, 2013

The OHSU group Women in Academic Medicine (WAM) hosted the first OHSU Advancing Women in Leadership Conference on May 29. Event registration quickly reached capacity, and attendees represented departments and units across OHSU, including students, faculty members and staff.

Organizers of the event aimed to enhance leadership skills for all attendees as well as foster communication with the university and provide professional networking. Video is now available (see below).

The keynote speaker was Patricia Hurn, Ph.D., vice chancellor for research and innovation, University of Texas System Office of Health Affairs. Her talk was followed by an interactive session on negotiation with John Saultz, M.D., chair and professor of family medicine at OHSU, and a panel discussion with current leaders in various disciplines at OHSU.

To explain the title of her talk, Moving Women to Full Throttle, Dr. Hurn said, “There have been advances for women, and advances for diversity, but we are really at a point where we need to move to what I call ‘full throttle.’ It’s time to make some large strides.”

Exploring topics such as work-life balance, diversity, leadership in basic sciences, resiliency and mentoring, participants also engaged in table discussions to identify opportunities to cultivate leadership at OHSU.

Support for the event came from the SoM Office of the Dean, the OHSU Center for Diversity & Inclusion and the Fund for the Advancement of Women’s Leadership.

Event organizers intend to make the women’s leadership conference an annual event.