Twenty-six junior Penn State College of Medicine faculty and their mentors recently celebrated completion of the College of Medicine’s Junior Faculty Development Program (JFDP), sponsored by the Office of Professional Development. On Thursday, May 30, the junior faculty received certificates of achievement recognizing their participation in the year-long program that included an individual project conducted under the guidance of a senior faculty mentor. Mentors were inducted into The Mentoring Academy of the College of Medicine, a society created to recognize senior faculty who have contributed to the development of others through mentoring in the program.
The newest program graduates heard from two previous graduates: Dr. Kerstin Bettermann, assistant professor of neurology and ophthalmology, and Dr. Jose Stoute, associate professor of medicine, and microbiology and immunology; who shared their appreciation for the program. Dr. Ann Ouyang, associate dean for faculty and professional development, and Sarah Bronson and Dr. Milind Kothari, program co-directors, presented the certificates to the graduates and faculty mentors. To end the ceremony, Kothari was presented with a framed photo of the Crescent acknowledging three years of service as co-director of the JFDP. Dr. Daniel Wolpaw was then recognized and introduced as the new co-director of the program, with Bronson.
During the 10 years of the Junior Faculty Development Program, 242 junior faculty members have completed the program with the guidance of more than 100 senior faculty mentors. Projects have included new research proposals and research infrastructure resources, development of curricula for graduate, medical and postgraduate students, and establishment of new clinical services. Each project represents a substantial step along the academic career path of the junior faculty member, as well as a unique contribution to the missions of the College and Medical Center.