Share this story

Jean King named latest ELAM fellow

Jean King

  Jean King, PhD

Jean King, PhD, professor and vice chair of the department of psychiatry, has been named a fellow of the Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) Program for Women at the Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia. The nation’s only in-depth program focused on preparing senior women faculty at schools of medicine and dentistry to effect positive change, ELAM is a core program of Drexel’s Institute for Women’s Health and Leadership, and acceptance into the fellowship is highly competitive. 

“Dr. King is an accomplished scientist, and as vice chair for research in psychiatry, she has demonstrated her ability to create productive, collaborative partnerships, coalescing common intersections across psychiatric disciplines into a center in neuroimaging and brain research serving the entire department. With no formal mandate, King has over the years broadened the reach of the psychiatry-based center so it now serves a number of investigators from departments across the institution,” said Terence R Flotte, MD, the Celia and Isaac Haidak Professor of Medical Education, dean, provost and executive deputy chancellor. “Along with Chancellor Collins and the administrative leadership of UMass Medical School and UMass Memorial Medical Center, we are delighted to offer our congratulations and pledge our support to her as she begins this exciting program.”

During her 18 years at UMMS, King has led initiatives for mentoring junior faculty within psychiatry, and has herself served as a mentor for junior faculty and underrepresented minorities across the institution. She connects easily with others and is a natural leader able to assemble diverse constituents around a common set of ideas, principles and goals. King also co-chaired the search committee that selected Luanne Thorndyke, MD, as vice provost for faculty affairs. 

ELAM fellowships are awarded following an in-depth application process, a key component of which is a detailed description of how the applicant’s institution will tangibly support her participation from the highest level. Both here and in residence at Drexel, King will engage in a year-long experience featuring extensive networking and mentoring opportunities. The curriculum features small group workshops that build camaraderie and support among participants as it focuses on the skills, perspective and knowledge required to lead and manage effectively in today’s complex academic health center environment. The program year culminates in a one-and-a-half-day forum where the fellows, along with their deans and other top experts, explore a new methodology or strategy for addressing a timely issue facing academic health center leadership. 

UMMS faculty continue to have a remarkable experience and track record with this prestigious program: King will join this year’s ELAM graduates, Julia D. Andrieni, MD, associate professor of medicine and chief of the division of general internal medicine; and Katherine F. Ruiz de Luzuriaga, MD, professor of pediatrics and medicine, chief of the division of pediatric immunology, infectious diseases and rheumatology, and associate provost for global health; as well as “Elums” Gyongyi Szabo, MD, PhD, professor of medicine and associate dean for clinical & translational research; Deborah M. DeMarco, MD, professor of medicine and senior associate dean for clinical affairs; and Michele P. Pugnaire, MD, professor of family medicine & community health and senior associate dean for medical education. Julia V. Johnson, MD, professor and chair of obstetrics & gynecology, served as a fellow while at the 

University of Vermont; and Luanne E. Thorndyke, MD, professor of medicine and vice provost for faculty affairs, was an ELAM fellow while at Penn State College of Medicine. 

“Clearly, the growing cadre of women here who are training for and assuming leadership roles exemplifies the expanding opportunities for women in academic medicine,” said Flotte. 

Related links  

ELAM Fellows become 'Elums' and handoff to incoming class

Two at UMMS selected for executive leadership in academic medicine fellowship