Dr. Susan Lane has been selected as a fellow for the 2025-26 Class of Hedwig van Amerigen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) program. Lane is a SUNY Distinguished Service Professor and Professor of Medicine at the Renaissance School of Medicine (RSOM) at Stony Brook University. The ELAM program, an initiative of Drexel University College of Medicine, aims to prepare women for senior leadership roles in various academic health disciplines including medicine, dentistry, public health, and pharmacy.
Drexel University notes that the ELAM program is specifically designed for senior women faculty at the associate or full professorship level who have the potential to assume executive leadership roles at academic health centers within five years. Nominees for the program must be supported by a senior official in their institution, and Dr. Lane received significant support and nominations.
The ELAM program focuses on developing professional and personal skills necessary for women to lead in the healthcare sector, addressing the challenges faced by women in leadership. Dr. Lane stated, “I am honored to be selected to this 2025-26 Class of ELAM Fellows, and during my career at Stony Brook Medicine I have endeavored to support women in their individual academic journeys and pave the way for them to serve in educational leadership positions.”
The incoming class of ELAM fellows will begin their program in June 2025, which involves online assignments and community-building activities. They are also required to develop an Institutional Action Project, with a symposium planned for 2026 to showcase these projects.
Dr. Lane, who joined the RSOM faculty in 2000, intends to establish a development program for junior faculty at Stony Brook Medicine, aiding their transition from trainees to faculty members while managing personal and professional obligations.
The ELAM's approach to leadership preparation is well-regarded, with more than 1,600 alumnae in leadership positions across 300 academic health centers worldwide. Dr. Tara Huston, a Professor of Surgery and Dermatology in RSOM’s Department of Surgery, is also a current ELAM fellow.