Second annual 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. Video of the May 27 event – which was organized by the Women in Academic Medicine Committee – is now available for OHSU faculty, students and staff (login required).

"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.

 

Pictured (top to bottom): Susie Wee of Cisco Systems; Dr. Mladenovic (left) and Dr. Baggs; Dr. Lampi (left) and Dr. Mladenovic; Dean Mark Richardson and Allison Gregory; Dean Richardson and Dr. Kendrick; Senior Associate Dean for Research Mary Stenzel-Poore (left) and Dr. Nagel