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After being honored as a 40 Under Forty, I have taken on a number of different leadership roles within and outside of Penn State Health. I have served as:
Associate Dean for Continuing Education, 8/2021 to present. In this role I am responsible for the continuing medical education (CME) accredited by the Penn State University College of Medicine Office of Continuing Education and oversee an office of 9 individuals.
Program Director for the Pathology Residency at Penn State Health Hershey Medical Center from 2016 to 2020. I made the difficult decision to step back to Associate Program Director in 2020 due to time constraints pertaining to serving as Interim Chair.
In 2022, I became a Member of Board of Trustees for Immaculata University. This role allows me to serve my alma mater through service on various committees guiding the future of the university.
2022-Present Member, Editorial Board, Co-Editor of Transfusion Medicine and Coagulation section, Pathology Outlines, https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/ This on-line textbook is used worldwide as a free, accessible, and trust-worthy resource on topics across the wide range of pathology disciplines
2023-Present Member, Editorial Board, Editor of Chemistry section, Pathology Outlines, https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/ This on-line textbook is used worldwide as a free, accessible, and trust-worthy resource on topics across the wide range of pathology disciplines.
I hold or have held the several leadership roles in education including:
2023 Member, Association of Pathology Chairs – Academy of Distinguished Educators (Inaugural Group)
2023 - 2025 Vice Chair, College of American Pathologists (CAP) Clinical Pathology Education Committee
2022 Co-Chair, AABB Rh Immune Globulin Work Group for researching safe guidelines on the use of Rh immune globulin in non-routine circumstances such as transfusion of a large volume of Rh positive packed red blood cells to a Rh negative woman
10/2020 – Present ASCP Pathology Ambassador (Volunteer mentor/presenter for students considering laboratory medicine careers)
7/2020 Member, PathMentors through www.pathelective.com (Volunteer mentor for students/residents seeking mentorship for careers in Pathology)
5/2017 - 2018 Mentor, AABB Professional Engagement Program (Early career coaching and mentoring via teleconference)
Through my career, I have won several awards, some of which include:
2024 American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Mentorship Award (Honors ASCP members who have demonstrated excellence in mentoring by providing support, encouragement and promoting the field of pathology to students/residents.) Presented in Chicago, IL on September 6, 2024.
2024 Selected to be a member of the Society of Distinguished Educators, Penn State University College of Medicine. This distinction honors innovation and excellence in teaching and is a permanent academic appointment.
2023 Selected as a member of the inaugural Academy of Distinguished Educators through the Association for Academic Pathology (AAPath, formerly the Association of Pathology Chairs (APC)) - this group meets to develop educational products such as curricula, manuscripts on pathology education and career development for pathology educators.
2017-2018; 2022-2024 Faculty Exemplary Teaching Award Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Department of Pathology; Hershey, PA. This award recognizes the faculty member with the most impactful teaching for the pathology residency program.
8/2020 Featured in The Pathologist – Pathology Power List 2020, Solid Foundation Category for Education/Mentoring, which is decided through nomination and peer review and features prominent pathologists who have significant achievements in educating and mentoring residents, fellows, medical students and even undergraduate students.
6/2018 AABB RISE Award for Transfusion 2017 (impeccable study design, innovation, significance, and effective communication) for Dunbar N, Yazer M, et al on behalf of the Biomedical Excellence for Safer Transfusion (BEST) Collaborative and the STAT Study Investigators including George MR. Safety of the use of Thawed group A plasma in Trauma- The STAT Study. 2017. Transfusion 2017; 57:1879-84. doi: 10.1111/trf.14139.
In the years since my 40 Under Forty recognition, I am proud to have charted my own course in my career. I participate in activities and roles that are meaningful to me and limit my involvement in those that are not. I have been able to channel much of my focus on education and mentoring, including creating educational products and helping develop the milestones that guide pathology residency and transfusion medicine education. I have been able to spend much of my time nurturing others and helping them succeed in pathology.
Many of my publications are non-traditional in that they are focused on various aspects of the pathology job market and pipeline. I also tend to publish on very practical transfusion medicine topics that are immediately useful to the reader, as well as publishing a number of CME activities through the ASCP and the College of American Pathologists. I hope these publications serve to guide the future generation of pathologists and also to provide meaningful continuing education to those already in practice.
It was inspiring to me to be honored in the 40 Under Forty group. It motivated me to expand my horizons, step out of my comfort zone and pursue some additional opportunities, whether traditional or non-traditional, that I knew I could succeed in even if I did not have the usual academic pedigree.