D’Souza named fellow in medicine program

(Dallas) — Dr. Rena D’Souza, professor and chair in biomedical sciences at Texas A&M Health Science Center Baylor College of Dentistry, was one of 53 senior women faculty named to the 2009-2010 class of fellows in the Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) Program for Women at Drexel University College of Medicine.

ELAM is the only national program dedicated to preparing senior women faculty for leadership at academic health centers. The new fellows represent 49 medical, dental and public health schools.

“Dr. D’Souza will be an ideal participant in the ELAM program,” said Dr. James S. Cole, dean of HSC-Baylor College of Dentistry. “Her strengths as an administrator include versatility, energy and a strong work ethic for herself that carry over to her interaction with her colleagues.”

During their year with ELAM, fellows gain a broader and deeper knowledge of the challenges facing academic health centers through meetings with national leaders in the field, interactions with their peers in the program and interviews with a wide range of senior officers at their own institutions. Fellows also undertake a long-term project that addresses an institutional need or goal while providing an opportunity for leadership and greater visibility.

ELAM’s mission is to increase the number of women in senior leadership positions and, in so doing, to change the culture of academic health centers to become more inclusive of different perspectives and more responsive to changing social agendas.

“We welcome our 15th class of fellows and look forward to being part of their learning and growth as leaders over the coming year,” said Dr. Diane Magrane, director of Drexel University College of Medicine’s Center for Executive Leadership in Academics, which hosts the ELAM program. “The ELAM fellowship experience is like no other, providing opportunities for self-reflection, application of new concepts and perspectives, and entry into a network of women leaders eager to support each other’s advancement.”