Division Chair Research Articles

NED Chair's Message

Abstract This is a ASME Nuclear Engineering Division Chair's editorial message for the January 2024 issue.

The AANS Harvey Cushing Medal: a demographic and academic analysis of its recipients

BackgroundThe Harvey Cushing Medal, awarded by the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, is the premier accolade in neurosurgery. The study’s purpose was to examine the qualities and accomplishments of previous winners, emphasizing potential selection biases, with the aim to promote social justice and guide young neurosurgeons in their career paths.ResultsPredominantly, recipients graduated from top-ranked United States News and World Report institutions and specialized in cerebrovascular and neuro-oncologic/skull base neurosurgery. A significant proportion held roles as department or division chairs and led neurosurgical organizations. All awardees were male, and there was a notable trend of increasing publication counts among more recent recipients.ConclusionsCommonalities among Harvey Cushing Medal winners include graduating from top institutions, holding significant leadership roles, and having an extensive publication history. However, the absence of female and underrepresented minority awardees underscores an urgent need for greater diversity in the selection process.

Course Snapshot: A Simple Tool for Managing Annual Curricular Reviews

ObjectiveCourse Snapshot Tool, a Qualtrics-based survey tool, addresses the needs of continuous quality improvement and curricular alignment for the PharmD program by conducting annual curricular reviews for all required courses. MethodsThe Qualtrics-based survey tool is administered every semester to course coordinators to summarize course outcomes and capture instructor impressions and feedback. The tool collects key elements related to ACPE standards, school-level strategic plan initiatives, and other areas of focus within the curriculum. Curricular alignment and improvement questions include information on course topics updates, topic overlap/reinforcement, content gaps, intentional removal of course content, teaching and learning methods, course strengths, student performance trends, course evaluation trends, and use of student feedback. Course Snapshot Tool is designed to be feasible by quickly collecting some information through checkboxes while allowing for thoughtful reflection on curricular alignment through open text responses. ResultsA review committee composed of Curriculum and Assessment Committee members examine survey results each semester and make recommendations. Stakeholders include course coordinators, Curriculum Committee, Assessment Committee, and division chairs. Summary findings are compiled into division-level and school-level reports where items are flagged for respective committees for action. The tool has a 95-100% response rate among course coordinators. A review cycle using Course Snapshot takes about 9.5hours to complete collectively, with no stakeholder group committing more than 2hours of time per semester. The high participation rate and efficiency of the tool allow the entire required PharmD curriculum to be reviewed annually. ConclusionsCourse Snapshot Tool provides an effective and efficient mechanism for annual continuous curricular review. It is flexible in design and can be easily adapted to meet the changing needs of the program and its stakeholders.

A four-year analysis of US and Canadian academic nurse administrators’ job satisfaction and intent to stay

BackgroundA crisis in vacancies for academic nurse leaders across North American has been recognized. Their role has become increasingly multifaceted, facing rapidly changing responsibilities that must evolve with health care, higher education and leadership. PurposeThis retrospective study was conducted to investigate relationships among relevant variables included in the COACHE Faculty Job Satisfaction survey. MethodsThe sample included survey responses from academic nursing administrators (n = 174). Analysis of variance and multiple linear regression modeling were utilized. DiscussionClarity in the tenure process (F (6, 92) = 2.92, p = .001), collaboration (p =.000) as well as academic leadership decisions of the dean or division chair (p = .006), and work-life balance (p =.005) were found to be significant. ConclusionsUnderstanding the factors important to administrators will assist in innovative approaches to attract and retain qualified leaders.

A Conversation with Stephen Portnoy

Steve Portnoy was born in Kankakee, Illinois in 1942. He did his undergraduate studies in mathematics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and then earned a master’s degree and a Ph.D. degree from the statistics department at Stanford University in 1966 and 1969, respectively. Steve Portnoy has had a distinguished career and is widely recognized as a preeminent mathematical statistician. He has made pioneering and influential contributions in several areas in statistics, including asymptotic theory, robust statistics, quantile regression, and statistics in biology. He has published more than 100 research articles. He is a former co-editor of Journal of the American Statistical Association (Theory and Methods), an elected fellow of American Statistical Association (ASA), Institute of Mathematical Statistics (IMS) and American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Steve’s professional positions have included being on the faculty of the Department of Statistics at Harvard University and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for more than 30 years. He was a founding member of the Department of Statistics at the University of Illinois in 1985 and served as the division chair for the Statistics Program in the Mathematics department before the Statistics department was established.

Until We Begin Listening, There Can Be Little Hope for Understanding One Another: An Interview With Dr. Philip C. Chinn

Dr. Philip C. Chinn is professor emeritus in the Division of Special Education and Counseling, California State University, Los Angeles. He taught at the University of Utah and University of North Texas, and served for 6 years directing the office of Multicultural and Ethnic Concerns at the Council for Exceptional Children. He was department head at Texas A&M University, Commerce, and a division chair at California State University, LA. Dr. Chinn served as vice-president of the National Association for Multicultural Education (NAME) and co-editor of the organization’s official journal, Multicultural Perspectives. He was appointed to the California State Commission for Special Education and served on the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) Board of Examiners. Dr. Chinn is the co-author of two textbooks in special education and has written several textbook chapters and journal articles. The 11th edition of his co-authored Multicultural Education in a Pluralistic Society (Pearson) was released in 2021.

Society Awards 2021.

Society Awards 2021.

To Zoom or Not to Zoom: Weighing the Pros and Cons of the Virtual Plastic Surgery Residency Interview.

In-person interviews represent a core component of the plastic surgery residency application process. Due to the coronavirus disease of 2019 pandemic, all residency programs conducted interviews virtually for the 2020/2021 application cycle. The value of the onsite interview includes the opportunity for candidates to interact face to face with faculty and current residents and gain more in-depth knowledge of the program.1 Criticisms of the in-person interview are expense (ranging from $2500 to $10,000 for applicants2) and low predictive value for residency performance.3 Virtual interviews eliminate travel expenses for applicants, while still allowing applicants to meet with faculty, current residents, and other applicants. However, these interactions may be less rich or helpful, particularly for evaluating the culture and geographic location of the program. To investigate the perceived value of the residency interview, as well as the impact of the conversion to a virtual format, a national sample of integrated plastic surgery residency 2020/2021 cycle applicants (interviewed virtually, n = 38) were surveyed and compared with current residents (postgraduate year 1 to 6, interviewed in person, n = 41). This study was approved by the institutional review board for research involving human subjects at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. The vast majority of both current residents (80 percent) and applicants (89 percent) applied to 51 or more programs and attended at least 11 interviews (residents, 78 percent; applicants, 68 percent). All applicants reported spending less than $6000, with 65 percent spending less than $500. In contrast, 65 percent of residents reported spending at least $6000, including 20 percent spending more than $10,000. Eighty-eight percent of applicants missed fewer than 7 days of medical school rotations due to interviews, whereas 78 percent of residents missed at least 7 days, with 29 percent missing at least 15 days. Getting a “gut feeling” about a program, meeting the program director and/or division chair, and meeting with residents and/or assessing resident morale were ranked as the most valuable aspects of the residency interview. Due to the virtual interview format, 70 percent of applicants found it somewhat or much harder to get a “gut feeling” about programs, and 89 percent found it somewhat or much harder to meet residents and/or assess resident morale. One perceived benefit of relatively small residency applicant pools, as is seen in plastic surgery, is the formation of an enduring network or community among applicants. Eighty-three percent of current residents report still being in communication with members of their applicant class at other institutions at least once every 2 to 3 months. The transition to the virtual format potentially weakens the ability to form these relationships, as evidenced by 65 percent of current applicants reporting being somewhat or very dissatisfied by their opportunity to meet other applicants on the interview trail. Ultimately, only 16 percent of applicants preferred the virtual-only interview format, with 39 percent preferring a combination of some in-person and some virtual interviews. As another interview cycle approaches, some authors have advocated for mandating virtual-only interviews4 while others have highlighted challenges in ensuring equity among applicants in the virtual-only format.5 This study suggests that virtual interviews decreased financial and time costs, but limited applicants’ ability to learn about programs and engage with other applicants. Ultimately, a hybrid model of virtual interviews and optional in-person visits may help to maximize the benefits and minimize the costs of the residency interview. DISCLOSURE The authors have no financial interest to declare in relation to the content of this article. Rosaline Zhang, M.D., M.S.Alyssa Schappe, B.S.Neil Salyapongse, M.D.Michael Bentz, M.D.Division of Plastic SurgeryUniversity of Wisconsin School ofMedicine and Public HealthMadison, Wis.

A 12-Year North American Longitudinal Study of Gender Equity and Equality in Gastroenterology

A 12-Year North American Longitudinal Study of Gender Equity and Equality in Gastroenterology

ACS Fall 2021

ACS FALL 2021 ACS Fall 2021Meeting offers chance to share ideas, connect with colleagues, and explore cutting-edge science ShareShare onFacebookTwitterWechatLinked InRedditEmail C&EN, 2021, 99 (27), pp 35–36July 26, 2021Cite this:C&EN 99, 27, 35-36Registration fees Note:aACS members in good standing who become unemployed and are seeking full-time professional employment, or who have been financially impacted by COVID-19. To register in this category, contact ACS Member Services at 1-800-333-9511 (US and Canada) | 614-447-3776 (outside North America).Figure1of1The ACS Fall 2021 theme, Resilience of Chemistry, will capture the attention of thousands of chemists from around the globe as they participate in the meeting Aug. 22–26. The hybrid format will allow individuals to attend either in person in Atlanta or virtually.The meeting platform will feature the following:Multiple virtual and hybrid oral technical sessions with integrated messaging and chat features to allow for real-time conversations with presentersPosters and prerecorded presentations available on-demand Aug. 30–Sept. 30In-person and virtual poster sessionsCustomized networking opportunitiesRegistrationWith your registration, you will gain access to many benefits:Share and discover research: Participate in broadcast sessions, live daily kickoffs, interactive poster presentations, and more.On-demand presentations: Over 6,000 papers are slated for presentation and will be available on demand Aug. 30–Sept. 30.Connect: Participate in virtual and in-person networking events to connect and share ideas with your peers from around the world.Note: The meeting schedule for all events and live chats will be in Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). To register and to learn more visit www.acs.org/ACSFall2021.Become a sponsorBuild your brand awareness by becoming a sponsor. Increase traffic to your virtual booth and supercharge your presence at ACS Fall 2021. As a sponsor, your company name will be seen in several places at the show, increasing your exposure to critical decision makers, purchasers, and influencers. Visit www.acs.org/ACSFall2021 to learn more. You can also reach out to a member of the exposition services team at [email protected] or 800-227-5558 x4486.Need help?Technical support will be available for attendees and presenters before and during the meeting. Please direct any questions you may have about ACS Fall 2021 to [email protected]Biannual governance meetingsAll ACS governance meetings will be held virtually. Visit www.acs.org/content/acs/en/about/governance/fall-2021-governance-meetings.html for the full schedule.ACS Board of Directors. The ACS Board of Directors wants to hear from you. If you are interested in discussing ACS topics with the board, please contact the Office of the Secretary ([email protected]) for additional information.ACS Council. The ACS Council will meet virtually at 11:00 a.m. EDT, Wednesday, Aug. 19. Councilors should log into the meeting no later than 10:00 a.m. EDT.Attending the meeting is an opportunity to learn firsthand about the society’s operation. ACS members and nonmembers are welcome to observe the council meeting. Alternate councilors, division chairs, and local section officers are particularly urged to attend. Contact the Office of the Secretary ([email protected]) at least 7 days before the meeting for login details.Governance goes virtualACS governance committees will be holding virtual meetings. Committee chairs and the staff liaison are responsible for ensuring that only the appropriate persons are present during a meeting. Members who are interested in attending should contact the committees listed below. If you cannot attend a particular committee meeting of interest, or if you need more information, contact the officers listed here.Budget and FinanceWilliam J. Greenlee, chair; [email protected]Chemical SafetyKirk Hunter, chair; [email protected]Chemistry and Public AffairsKevin Kuhn, chair; [email protected]Chemists with DisabilitiesMichelle Cummings, chair; [email protected]CommitteesDiane Krone, chair; [email protected]Community ActivitiesHolly L. Davis, chair; [email protected]Constitution and BylawsDonna G. Friedman, chair; [email protected]Corporation AssociatesRobert J. Wolcik, chair; [email protected]Council PolicyMartin Rudd, vice chair; [email protected]Divisional ActivitiesJames M. Takacs, chair; [email protected]Economic and Professional AffairsEric Bruton, chair; [email protected]EducationCarmen Gauthier, chair; [email protected]Environmental ImprovementChristopher W. Avery, chair; [email protected]EthicsWilliam W. Leong, chair; [email protected]International ActivitiesSergio Nanita, chair; [email protected]Local Section ActivitiesW. Matthew Reichert, chair; [email protected]Meetings and ExpositionsRick Ewing, chair; M&[email protected]Membership AffairsBrian Mathes, chair; [email protected]Minority AffairsKishore Bagga, chair; [email protected]Nomenclature, Terminology, and SymbolsMichelle M. Rogers, chair; [email protected]Nominations and ElectionsAmber Hinkle, chair; [email protected]Patents and Related MattersCarlyn Burton, chair; [email protected]Professional TrainingKerry Karukstis, chair; [email protected]Project SEEDBryan W. Boudouris, chair; [email protected]Public Relations and CommunicationsAmber Charlebois, chair; [email protected]PublicationsJerzy Klosin, chair; [email protected]ScienceMartin Kociolek, chair; [email protected]Senior ChemistsArlene A. Garrison, chair; [email protected]Technician AffairsJennifer McCulley, chair; [email protected]Women ChemistsAmy Balija, chair; [email protected]Younger ChemistsKristin Nuzzio, chair; [email protected]Councilor or caucus meetingsPlease contact the Office of the Secretary ([email protected]) for specific information regarding the councilor or caucus meetings, or visit www.acs.org/councilors for general information.

Qualitative Evaluation of a Junior Faculty Team Mentoring Program

Objective. To investigate the strengths and challenges of a structured junior faculty mentoring program at a public four-year school of pharmacy, identify areas of opportunity to improve the program, and describe the mentoring needs of mid-career faculty.Methods. Focus groups and interviews were conducted to elicit participants' experiences, perceptions, and suggestions for opportunity to improve the program. Stakeholder groups included junior faculty enrolled in the mentoring program, mid-career faculty who had graduated from the program, mid-career faculty who had not participated in the program, internal mentors, external mentors, and division chairs. Thematic coding was used to identify semantic themes, and summaries of participant perceptions were generated. The program was mapped to the PAIRS checklist from the 2014 American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Joint Council Task Force on Mentoring.Results. Participants described the structure of the program and mentee-mentor relationships as strengths of the program. Challenges included finding time to meet and ensuring mentee-mentor fit. Several areas of opportunity were identified, such as adjusting the topics for large mentee seminars, providing mentors with training, and providing mentoring for mid-career faculty. The mentoring needs of mid-career faculty were described as unique and requiring potentially different strategies than those used for mentoring junior faculty.Conclusion. Mentoring is critical to the professional development of faculty, supporting faculty retention and job satisfaction, and reducing faculty burnout. Scholarly endeavors that explore faculty mentoring, specifically those using qualitative methods, can help the Academy better understand and meet the needs of faculty.

Safety & Health News

Safety & Health News

State of Gender Diversity and Equity Policies within Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in Canada.

Given the growing number of women in plastic and reconstructive surgery (PRS), it is imperative to evaluate the extent of gender diversity and equity policies among Canadian PRS programs to support female trainees and staff surgeons. A modified version of the United Nations Women's Empowerment Principles (WEPs) Gender Gap Analysis tool was delivered to Canadian PRS Division Chairs (n = 11) and Residency Program Directors (n = 11). The survey assessed gender discrimination and equity policies, paid parental leave policies, and support for work/life balance. Six Program Directors (55% response rate) and ten Division Chairs (91% response rate) completed the survey. Fifty percent of respondents reported having a formal gender non-discrimination and equal opportunity policy in their program or division. Eighty-three percent of PRS residency programs offered paid maternity/paternity/caregiver leave; however, only 29% offered financial or non-financial support to its staff surgeons. Only 33% of programs had approaches to support residents as parents and/or caregivers upon return to work. Work/life balance was supported for most trainees (67%) but only few faculty members (14%). The majority of Canadian PRS programs have approaches rather than formal policies to ensure gender non-discrimination and equal opportunity among residents and faculty. Although residency programs support wellness, few have approaches for trainees as parents and/or caregivers upon return to work. At the faculty level, approaches and policies lack support for maternity/paternity/caregiver leave or work/life balance. This information can be used to develop policy for support of plastic surgery trainees and faculty.

Engaging and Empowering the Front Lines During the COVID-19 Outpatient Practice Reactivation

Engaging and Empowering the Front Lines During the COVID-19 Outpatient Practice Reactivation

One hundred years of neurosurgery at the Medical College of Virginia/Virginia Commonwealth University (1919-2019).

The Department of Neurosurgery at the Medical College of Virginia/Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2019. It was founded by C. C. Coleman, who directed the US Army School of Brain Surgery during World War I and was one of the original members of the Society of Neurological Surgeons. Coleman began a residency program that was among the first four such programs in the United States and that produced such prominent graduates as Frank Mayfield, Gayle Crutchfield, and John Meredith. Neurosurgery at VCU later became a division under the medical school's surgery department. Division chairs included William Collins and Donald Becker. It was during the Becker years that VCU became a leading National Institutes of Health-funded neurotrauma research center. Harold Young oversaw the transition from division to department and expanded the practice base of the program. In 2015, Alex Valadka assumed leadership and established international collaborations for research and education. In its first 100 years, VCU Neurosurgery has distinguished itself as an innovator in clinical research and an incubator of compassionate and service-oriented physicians.

Use of a Modified Delphi Process to Define the Leadership Characteristics Expected of Pharmacy Faculty Members

Objective. To reach a consensus on a working definition for leadership and identify expectations for leadership among all pharmacy faculty members. Methods. A modified Delphi process was employed to establish consensus among experienced department and division chairs regarding the definition and expectations of faculty leadership to guide faculty evaluation and development. From the AACP faculty roster, 280 department and division chairs were surveyed to identify participants with at least five years of experience in their roles and willingness to participate. Twenty-three chairs were identified from a variety of colleges and schools to comprise the expert panel and asked to participate in three rounds of questions over a two-month period. One Likert-type question and six open-ended questions were included in round 1. A thematic analysis of round 1 responses provided items for participants to rate their agreement with and provide comments on in rounds 2 and 3. Consensus for items was set prospectively at 80% of participants selecting agree or strongly agree for each item. Items could be modified by the panel in subsequent rounds of surveys if participants suggested edits to items. Results. Consensus was achieved among 23 chairs regarding a definition, 10 guiding principles, four learning competencies, six skills, six expected leadership activities (ELAs), and 20 personal characteristics related to faculty leadership. Conclusion. The results of this study provide guidance to pharmacy faculty members and administrators regarding leadership characteristics including knowledge, skills, and activities expected for faculty members to develop into effective leaders for the academy and the pharmacy profession.

Social Issues in Management: Comments on the Past and Future

This essay comments on the past and the future of the Social Issues in Management (SIM) Division of the Academy of Management (AOM). The essay addresses the two major questions posed to the commentators on this special issue: First, does the past of the SIM Division provide any clues as to its future? Second, where is the SIM Division going or where should it be going? The author has been a member of SIM since 1971 and served as program chair in 1975 and division chair in 1976 to 1977. SIM is certainly a field at the community and administrative levels, and you could argue that SIM is a discipline, though we are interdisciplinary. It is not as certain that we are unique or distinctive at the intellectual level because we are not always that different in kind or quality from what is being done elsewhere in AOM, and there are more and more scholars in other divisions now working on topics that we once worked on exclusively. However, it is equally unlikely that many of the other AOM divisions could meet a test of intellectual uniqueness. The essay emphasizes some ideas that might help improve the intellectual rigor of the SIM meetings, and the value of alliances with Society for Business Ethics (SBE) and International Association for Business and Society (IABS). A division name change, even if desirable, is not a compelling issue.

Vertical Transmission

Constitutional reform was on the agenda again at the Annual General Meeting in Canberra, as it will be for the next several AGMs I think, as there is clear recognition from the membership that the Society is facing change. The roles of the Divisional chairs and State chairs and the nature of the general meeting were discussed in the light of overall structure. The Council is the principal decision-making body but because the Council only meets twice-yearly, interactions inside the Executive form the operational and strategic engine of ASM. The current Executive includes the incumbent President, with either the incoming (President-Elect) or outgoing (Immediate Past President), the Vice-President Scientific Affairs, Vice-President Corporate Affairs and Vice-President Communications. The Chair roles have long been tasked with national leadership but without a role in Executive they have been preoccupied almost exclusively with the national meeting and speak only at the National Scientific Advisory Committee, which has an enormous operational role managing the bulk of the scientific awards and meetings. The recent move of the Division Chairs into Council as invitees over the last year or two has worked well and the increased involvement of State Chairs similarly. We will be now ratifying these arrangements by seeking formal endorsement at an extraordinary general meeting of the membership to bring the Constitution into line with these arrangements.

"From ""Rigor Mortis"" to ""Rigor Vitalis"": Qualitative Research Principles for a Polymorphic SIM"

Contemporary scholarship within management and organizational studies faces critiques suggesting a serious shortage of novel and challenging research. Similar concerns may pertain to field of social issues in management (hereafter SIM). In her division chair address last year, Jennifer Griffin asked rhetorically whether the foundation of SIM is tend-ing towards rigor or rigor mortis (Griffin, 2014: 5). In order to prevent field from turning into a state of rigor mortis, this paper aims at illustrating pathways leading field towards a rigor vitalis. On this path, SIM is depicted as a polymorphic area, which appreciates a multiplicity of approaches. We contribute to field’s further development by identifying three qualitative research principles based on recent literature that may increase likelihood of doing novel and challenging research. We encourage qualitative scholars to consider (1) theories as a repertoire of lenses, (2) phenomena as embedded in context, and (3) empirical mater...

Are Academic Administrators Becoming More Accepting of Faculty With Online Doctoral Degrees?

This study surveyed 208 deans and department or division chairs from universities and colleges across the southeastern United States regarding their perception of faculty who had earned their doctoral degrees online. Data revealed only a slightly negative perception of online learning; however, over three-fourths of the respondents would select a candidate with a traditional doctorate versus the candidate with an online degree when hiring a new faculty member.