Maria C. Savoia, MD
Chair
Dean for Medical Education
University of California, San Diego
School of Medicine
La Jolla, California
msavoia@ucsd.edu
Dr. Maria Savoia is currently Dean for Medical Education and Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. Dr. Savoia received her MD degree from Harvard Medicine School and completed her residency training in internal medicine at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Medical Center with subsequent fellowship training in infectious diseases.
Dr. Savoia began her career as the Assistant Chief of Medicine at the San Diego Veterans Affairs Medical Center, where she was in charge of the educational offerings of UCSD’s Department of Medicine. She proceeded to serve as Acting Chief of Medicine and Vice Chair of the Department of Medicine at UCSD until she joined the Dean’s Office as Associate Dean for Curriculum and Student Affairs in the School of Medicine in 1990. In 2004, she became Dean for Medical Education, a position with programmatic responsibility for admissions, financial aid, diversity and community partnerships, student affairs, undergraduate, graduate and continuing medical education, and alumni relations.
On a national level, Dr. Savoia has served as Chair of the Group on Student Affairs of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and was recently honored with their National Service Award. She has also served on advisory committees to the National Board of Medical Examiners and the National Resident Match Program (NRMP), and recently was appointed to the Board of Directors of the latter. She has consulted for a number of medical schools and organizations as well as participated, on numerous occasions, as a Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) site surveyor.
John P. Fogarty, MD
Chair-Elect
Dean
Florida State University
College of Medicine
Tallahassee, Florida
john.fogarty@med.fsu.edu
Dr. Fogarty has served as Dean of the FSU College of Medicine since August 2008. Prior to this role, he was Senior Associate Dean for Operations and Associate Dean for Primary Care at the University of Vermont College of Medicine. Dr. Fogarty is Board Certified in Family Medicine and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians.
A family physician and graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Dr. Fogarty earned his medical degree from Albany Medical College of Union University in Albany, N.Y., and completed his family practice residency at DeWitt Army Hospital in Fort Belvoir, Va. He spent the first 20 years of his career as an Army physician and academic leader, rising to the rank of colonel and serving the last five years of his military career as chair of family medicine at the Uniformed Services University School of Health Sciences in Bethesda, MD. In that position he oversaw nine clinical clerkship sites in six states in an educational model similar to FSU's system of regional campuses based in six Florida cities.
After his retirement from the Army in 1995, Dr. Fogarty joined the University of Vermont College of Medicine in 1995 as chair and physician leader of family medicine for 11 years. He was appointed associate dean for primary care in 2006. In July of that year, he was appointed interim dean of the college of medicine and served in that role for 15 months during the search for a permanent dean. During his tenure, new chairs in medicine and surgery were recruited as well as the president of the faculty practice plan. In 2007, Fogarty was honored by the Vermont Academy of Family Physicians as Vermont Family Physician of the Year and also received the Distinguished Service Award from the Vermont Medical Society, the highest honor the society bestows, for meritorious service in the science and art of medicine, as well as for outstanding contributions to the medical profession, its organizations and the welfare of the public.
Dr. Fogarty is active proponent of his specialty and is interested in preventive and behavioral issues for families and medical students, sports medicine, and primary care research. He has been an active teacher throughout his career and has actively promoted medical student curricular redesign and improvement. He has served as a Residency Assistance Program Consultant for the American Academy of Family Physicians for 12 years, a national program to advise and assist Family Practice Residency Training Programs. He presently serves as Chair of the Council of Florida Medical School Deans, a unique collaborative group of the 9 allopathic and osteopathic schools in Florida to work on common issues. He is the author of multiple articles and book chapters and has given over 50 national and international lectures and presentations on ambulatory care and family practice topics to physicians, nurses, physician assistants and medical soldiers.
Arthur J. Ross, III, MD, MBA
Immediate Past Chair
Dean, School of Medicine
West Virginia University
Morgantown, West Virginia
ajross@hsc.wvu.edu
Dr. Ross was appointed Dean at the School of Medicine of West Virginia University in August 2010. He graduated with honors from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. He is an Alpha Omega Alpha graduate of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine following which he entered the residency in General & Thoracic Surgery at Duke University Medical Center. While in the Surgery Training Program at Duke he spent two years as a research fellow which included a post doctoral fellowship in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine in Chapel Hill. Following his eight years at Duke Dr. Ross entered the Pediatric Surgical Fellowship Training Program at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia where he spent two clinical years followed by a third year as the Glenmede Research Fellow in Pediatric Surgery. Upon completion of his training he joined the faculty in the Department of Surgery at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia/University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. At the time of his relocation from Philadelphia to Wisconsin in 1993, he had become an Associate Professor of Surgery and Director of the Pediatric Surgical Research Laboratory.
In Wisconsin, Dr. Ross was responsible for the design, development and implementation of the Western Clinical Campus of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine. Located in La Crosse, he served as the Campus’s inaugural Associate Dean as well as Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics at UW Medical School. Concurrently, he served as the Chief Academic Officer for the Gundersen Lutheran Health System, the Director of Medical Education for the Gundersen Lutheran Medical Foundation and he continued to practice Pediatric Surgery.
In June 2004, Dr. Ross assumed the Deanship at the Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University. He also serves as a Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics (with tenure) at the School. In 2005 Dr. Ross was named Vice President for Medical Affairs at the University.
Dr. Ross has been certified (and recertified) by the American Board of Surgery in both General Surgery and Pediatric Surgery. He is a Fellow the American College of Surgeons and the American Academy of Pediatrics. He is a member of a number of professional and scientific societies including the Council of Deans of the Association of American Medial Colleges, the American Pediatric Surgical Association, the Society of University Surgeons, and the American College of Physician Executives. He also has numerous state and national committee appointments. Dr. Ross is the author or co-author of almost 100 original articles and book chapters.
Donald G. Eckhoff, MD
Delegate
Professor of Orthopedics
University of Colorado
School of Medicine
Aurora, Colorado
donald.eckhoff@ucdenver.edu
Donald G. Eckhoff, MD is Professor of Orthopaedics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine (UCSM). He received his medical degree from the University of Minnesota Medical School in Minneapolis, did his internship at St. Luke’s Hospital in Denver and completed his residency training at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center.
Dr. Eckhoff is board certified in orthopaedic surgery and has served on numerous faculty committees as well as leadership positions including: the Denver Medical Society as President; Colorado Medical Society as a member of its Board of Directors; and American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons as a Task Force member. He is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons.
Prior to his appointment as Professor of Orthopaedics at UCSM, he was Medical Director of the Department of Orthopaedics at University Hospital in Aurora, Colorado. He has held affiliate faculty appointments at the College of Veterinary Medicine and School of Mechanical Engineering at Colorado State University in Fort Collins. He has published extensively in major medical journals and has been a guest lecturer locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally.
Kenneth B. Simons, MD
Alternate Delegate
Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education and Accreditation
Executive Director of MCWAH
Medical College of Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
ksimons@mcw.edu
Dr. Simons received his medical degree from Boston University School of Medicine in 1980. He completed his residency training in ophthalmology at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and a fellowship in ophthalmic pathology at the Jules Stein Eye Institute of the University of California – Los Angeles.
Dr. Simons is currently professor and director of ophthalmic pathology in the department of ophthalmology and pathology as well as senior associate dean for academic affairs at the Wisconsin Medical College (WMC).
Prior to coming to WMC, he held an academic appointment at the University of Arizona College of Medicine. He has authored many scientific publications in his primary discipline of ophthalmology.
Cynda Ann Johnson, MD, MBA
Member-At-Large
President and Dean
Virginia Tech Carilion of School of Medicine and Research Institute
Roanoke, Virginia
cajohnson1@carilionclinic.org
Cynda Ann Johnson, M.D., M.B.A. was selected Founding Dean of the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine in January 2008. She received a B.A. in German (honors) and biology from Stanford University and was elected to the Phi Beta Kappa honorary society. She received her M.D. degree from the UCLA School of Medicine followed by residency training in family medicine at the University of Kansas Medical Center and a teaching fellowship at the University of North Carolina. She served as residency director at KU and, while serving as interim Chair of the Department of Family Medicine, completed her MBA at the University of Missouri at Kansas City. She also served as Professor and Head of the Department of Family Medicine in the College of Medicine, Professor of the Department of Community and Behavioral Medicine in the College of Public Health and Director of the Family Care Center for the University of Iowa.
Dr. Johnson joined East Carolina University in 2003 as Dean of the Brody School of Medicine and, in 2006, was appointed Senior Associate Vice Chancellor for Clinical and Translational Research in the Division of Research and Graduate Studies. While serving in this role, she led the development of the ECU Center for Health Disparities Research.
She is past president of the American Board of Family Practice (now Family Medicine) and the American Board of Medical Specialties. Dr. Johnson was a busy clinician for 30 years focusing on maternal and child health including obstetrics and outpatient gynecology. Academically, she has a special interest in chronic kidney disease and international medicine. As a medical educator, she has been involved in LCME reaccreditation at three institutions, including oversight of the process at ECU.
Alma B. Littles, MD
Member-At-Large
Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education and Academic Affairs
Florida State University College of Medicine
Tallahassee, Florida
alma.littles@med.fsu.edu
As the chief academic officer of the Florida State University College of Medicine, Dr. Littles has overall responsibility for overseeing the design, development, implementation and evaluation of the four-year comprehensive curriculum leading to the M.D. degree. Dr. Littles oversees the Offices of Medical Education, Faculty Development, Student Affairs, Graduate Medical Education and the Medical Library. She joined the FSU COM in 2002 initially as founding chair of the Department of Family Medicine and Rural Health. Six months after joining the college, she was named Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and was instrumental in leading the development of the college’s curriculum, including development of its six regional campuses and rural educational programs for clinical training. Dr. Littles was actively involved in the accreditation efforts of the FSU COM when it was created and led the college’s LCME reaccreditation process in 2010-11.
She graduated from the University of Florida College of Medicine and the Tallahassee Memorial Hospital Family Medicine Residency Program. A statewide and national leader in organized medicine, she has been involved in medical education since 1989, when she began precepting medical students and residents in her solo family practice in Quincy, Florida. Dr. Littles joined the faculty of the Family Medicine Residency Program at TMH in 1996, and became director in 1999. Former president of the Florida Academy of Family Physicians and 1993 Florida Family Physician of the Year, she is a longtime patient advocate.
She is also a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, American Medical Association, Florida Medical Association, Capital Medical Society, Big Bend Hospice Board of Directors, Tallahassee Memorial Hospital Board of Directors and Florida Alliance for Health Professions Diversity.
Surendra K. Varma, MD, FAAP, FACE
Member-At-Large
Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education & Resident Affairs
Texas Tech University HSC School of Medicine
Lubbock, Texas
surendra.varma@ttuhc.edu
Dr. Varma currently serves as Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education and Resident Affairs at Texas Tech University HSC School of Medicine; Ted Hartman Endowed Chair in Medical Education; University Distinguished Professor and Vice Chair of Pediatrics; and, Professor of Physiology and Health Organization Management.
Specialty: Endocrinology and Metabolism
Medical Degree: King George's Medical College, Lucknow, India
Residency: Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
Fellowships: Endocrinology fellowship at Harvard Medical School
Certifications: Pediatric Endocrinology
Betty M. Drees, MD
Section Liaison to Council on Medical Education
Dean
University of Missouri - Kansas City
School of Medicine
Kansas City, Missouri
dreesb@umkc.edu
Betty M. Drees, M.D., was appointed Dean of the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) School of Medicine in 2003, after serving two years as Interim Dean and one year as Executive Associate Dean. She joined UMKC as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Docent Physician in 1998. She is a graduate of the University of Kansas School of Medicine. From 2007 to 2008, she served as the Interim Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at UMKC. Dr. Drees is an endocrinologist, whose research interest was in calcium and bone metabolism. She continues to serve as a Professor of Medicine in the Section of Endocrinology.
She is a member of Alpha Omega Alpha and Phi Kappa Phi honor societies and is a Fellow in the American College of Physicians. She is a past Chair of the Governing Council of the American Medical Association Section on Medical Schools, the Liaison Committee for Medical Education, and the Administrative Board of the Council of Deans of the Association of American Medical Colleges. She is currently vice chair of the Steering Committee for the Health Strand of the Coalition of Urban Serving Universities and a member of the Governing Council of the American Medical Association Section on Medial Schools as Liaison to the Council on Medical Education. She serves on the Boards of Directors of Truman Medical Centers, University Physician Associates, the Vision Research Foundation of Kansas City, the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City, and the Mid-America Coalition on Health Care. She is a member of the Joint Conference Committee of St. Luke’s Hospital and the Quality Management and Patient Safety Board Committee of Swope Health Services.
