Center for Academic Development and Enrichment

male and female clinicians conversing in hallway

The Center for Academic Development and Enrichment is made up of:

Career Pillars

Support and Enrichment Offices and Cores

Across these offices, the Center offers programming and support in these areas:

Mentorship and leadership development: The Center supports the goal of optimizing mentorship for trainees and faculty through peer mentoring, 1:1 mentoring programs, and the Mass General Brigham Healthcare Leadership Program.
Recruitment and retention: The Center manages programs aimed at improving recruitment and retention of trainees and faculty and will track their success. To be a global leader in healthcare, it is essential that our faculty and trainees reflect the patients we serve and offer a variety of perspectives.
Guidelines for departments: The Center works closely with Departmental Vice Chairs/Directors to coordinate policies, practices, procedures, and skills training across departments to ensure that all faculty and trainee members of our academic community have opportunities for career growth and success.
Promotions guidance and CV consultations: The Center provides support for those who need help with CVs, narratives, Chair letters, and other aspects of the Harvard Medical School promotions process.

All of our initiatives are data-driven, supported by our data analytics team, to ensure we can measure the impact of our programming. All programming, events, and leadership development opportunities enable all our trainees and faculty to realize their greatest potential and foster a workplace culture where everyone feels valued and respected.

Office for Research Careers

This office facilitates the career advancement of research faculty and trainees. Its work is broadly split into two divisions:

This office supports the academic and career development of our research faculty. Areas of focus include:

Managing programs, including workshops and seminars, that advance the career development of research faculty in an academic medical center environment.
Strengthening the ways in which career guidance and mentoring are offered to trainees.
Enhancing communication and collaboration within the research community.
Providing individual counseling, advice and support.
Promoting policies that advance the research workforce.

This office supports the academic and career development of our postdoctoral fellows and graduate students. Areas of focus include:

Providing one-on-one meetings, CV reviews, mentorship, and support for the transition to independence.
Providing programming for career advancement, skill development and networking opportunities.
Acting as central point of contact for post-doc fellows regarding information, resources, and issues.
Providing individual counseling, career advice and support in looking for jobs.
Building informal spaces for trainees and students to connect and build relationships with those at similar life stages, facing similar challenges, or who otherwise can grow and learn together.

Office for Clinical Careers

This office facilitates the career advancement of clinical faculty and trainees. The Office for Clinical Careers also works closely with the Slavin Academy and the Brigham Education Institute to optimize resources for clinician-educators. Its work is broadly split into two divisions:

Areas of focus for this office include:

Developing and implementing programs to promote career development.
Providing support and education regarding the promotion process.
Providing support to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of clinical practice and practice management.
Providing coaching, individual counseling, advice and support.

Office for APP Careers

This office supports APPs and the advancement of their careers through a variety of professional development activities.

Office for Engagement and Enrichment

This office focuses on fostering a learning and working environment where all faculty and trainees feel valued, respected, and appreciated. This work is critical towards our goals of deterring burnout, reducing attrition rates, expanding new talent recruitment, providing pathways for academic career success, and increasing work productivity.

Office for Work-Life Integration

This office provides resources to all faculty and trainees, with a focus on the needs of those who are working parents or caregivers of others. Goals include increasing job satisfaction and retention. It provides individual counseling, group sessions, advice and support. The Office also advocates for policies that will ensure the members of our community thrive both at work and at home.

Office for Career Transitions

This office supports faculty of all ages who are making major transitions in their professional life, including retirement, partial retirement, transitioning out of a clinical role, or changing career directions. It provides advice and guidance on areas such as ascension to senior faculty (promotion to Professor, identifying leadership opportunities); how mentorship and sponsorship changes as you and your trainees grow; and transitioning from senior faculty into partial or full retirement.

Leadership and Mentorship Core

This core is committed to programming to develop and practice leadership and mentorship skills and expertise throughout the academic career.

Data Analytics Core

This core supports the Center for Academic Development and Enrichment's strategic and programmatic goals using data analytics to measure the success of our initiatives and activities.

Our team

Leadership

Fiona Fennessy, MD, PhD, FACR, Director, Center for Academic Development and Engagement
Ana-Maria Vranceanu, PhD, Director, Office for Research Careers
Guillermo Garcia-Cardena, PhD, Director, Postdoc and Grad Student Division
Shannon E. Scott-Vernaglia, MD, Director, Office for Clinical Careers
Rian M. Hasson, MD, MPH, FACS, Director, Office for Engagement and Enrichment
Louisa Sylvia, PhD, Director, Office for Work-Life Integration
Elyse R. Park, PhD, MPH, FAPOS, Director, Office for Career Transitions

Program and administrative staff

Maire Leyne, MS, MBA, VP, Research Strategy and Faculty Development
Aswita Tan-McGrory, Administrative Director, Office for Research Careers and Research Oversight Committee
Susannah Murray, Sr. Program Coordinator, Office for Research Careers
Lauren Olson, Administrative Director, Office for Clinical Careers and Office for APP Careers
Kelsey Moum, Sr. Program Coordinator, Office for Clinical Careers and Office for APP Careers
Karen Osborne-Greene, Administrative Director, Office for Engagement and Enrichment
Sandra Ordóñez Peña, Program Manager, Office for Engagement and Enrichment
Josine Uwase, Sr. Program Coordinator, Office for Engagement and Enrichment
Meghan Doherty, Sr. Program Coordinator, Office for Work-Life Integration and Office for Career Transitions
Libby Evans, Sr. Program Manager, Leadership and Mentorship Core
Lauren Noonan, Program Manager, Leadership and Mentorship Core
Karan Patel, Assistant Director, Business Intelligence Unit & Research Finance
Rowan Potter, Data Analyst, Data Analytics Core