People

David C. Mackenzie, MD

President-Elect

Maine Medical Center

I'm Dave Mackenzie, ultrasound division director and medical director at Maine Medical Center in Portland, and Associate Professor at Tufts University. I came to MMC in 2013 after medical school at McGill University, residency at Brown University, and fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital. I was the first faculty member at MMC with ultrasound fellowship training, and have grown our group to a division with 7 ultrasound faculty; co-founded a continuously-matched AEMUS fellowship, entering its 8th year; established our longitudinal undergraduate medical education program; created an APP training pathway; and created a system wide POCUS structure. I have been active in the emergency ultrasound community since fellowship via teaching (ppocus.com; my side hustle is writing bios), research (I am the Susan Lucci of the SAEMMIES), and through national organizations including AEUS, SCUF, and in global health through PURE. I chaired the SCUF Annual meeting committee in 2023 and have served AEUS on the Sonogames organizing committee, SAEMMIES committee, and the AEUS grant mentorship review program. SAEM / AEUS is my professional society 'home'. The Academy has developed a remarkable portfolio of resources and development opportunities that warrant careful stewardship and growth. As president, I would aim to further engage early-career members and fellows to participate in the life of AEUS and its programming. Alignment and collaboration with other academies is another strategic goal for our group to increase educational and developmental opportunities for our membership. I see AEUS as central to the ongoing advancement of emergency ultrasound and the growth of our future leaders, and I would be honored to serve the community as AEUS president.

Robert Stenberg, MD

Education Officer

Cleveland Clinic Akron General

Hi, my name is Bob Stenberg, and I wish to be considered for the AEUS Education Officer. I am the Emergency Ultrasound Director at Cleveland Clinic Akron General as well as the Fellowship Director. I completed medical school at University of Wisconsin, residency at University of North Carolina, and fellowship at Virginia Commonwealth University. My focus is on education, with interests in nerve blocks, resuscitation and gamification. I currently serve as the Co-Chair of ACEP Critical Care/Resuscitation Subcommittee.

I love AEUS and Sonogames! I have published content on the AEUS website, run an annual 80+ learner regional games, and have participated in all rounds of Sonogames including a round 2 station lead. If I were elected, I would do my best to elevate Sonogames and continue creating online content, increasing ease and access for people to run local/regional operations. Thank you so much for your time and consideration.

Elizabeth Yetter, MD, MHPE

Education Officer

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

I’ve dedicated my career to ultrasound education and after contributing as a Sonogames Round 1 question writer and Round 2 station member, would love to contribute further to our educational endeavors and organization on a larger scale.

I have been fortunate to work with amazing mentors who continue to inspire me because of their continued passion to expand our scope and conjure up innovative ways to engage learners, from med students to attendings. To share my passion for education, I would like to promote learning through games and formative activities that any program can implement in a central, accessible repository similar to the one we have on our website. Overall, our executive committee has done a wonderful job promoting our field and I hope to contribute to their continuing efforts with expanding and updating the new educational videos, quiz questions, Sonogames, and other efforts.

David Haidar, MD

Education Officer

Northwestern Medicine

Thank you for considering me for a position on the AEUS Executive Committee. I hope that as a member of this committee, I can help support the educational mission of ultrasound programs nationally by providing educational resources, growing the community through social media and the spotlight series, and providing mentorship to residents, fellows, and other early faculty members of AEUS. As Director of Resident Ultrasound Education and AEMUS Fellowship Director, I have experience mentoring both fellows and residents and have a strong interest in helping to develop a standardized national ultrasound curriculum for graduating EM residents.

Through AEUS, I hope to work with other leaders in ultrasound education to help achieve this vision, especially now that ABEM has moved to incorporate ultrasound education in its new certifying exam. I have been lucky enough to earn multiple education focused awards, including the AEUS Rising Star in Education Award, the SCUF Newbie Award, and a SAEMMIE for Best Broadscale Innovation. I have also served on multiple committees including the SCUF24 Planning Committee, AEUS Social Media and Awards Committee, SonoGames Creative Team as both a judge and question writer, and served as the CORD Academic Assembly Resident Track Chair as a resident and fellow. I hope that my experience on these national committees will help me better serve the AEUS community. Thank you so much for your consideration! 

John Hennessy

Medical Student Representative

University of Michigan

I have been an educator since 2009, when I started my first tutoring company as an undergraduate student at the University of Michigan. Over the next seven years, we grew to over fifty employees in seven locations across three states. It was during this time (during which I went back for graduate school but kept putting off applying to medical school) that I initially fell in love with teaching and also developed a lifelong interest in how to teach, not just what to teach. Outside of the private sector, my teaching experience continued when I eventually began teaching in academia. Since 2015, I have been a lecturer for the University of Michigan. I have taught 1,000+ students over 20 semesters, and I have continued to teach while in medical school. In addition to actively teaching both undergraduate and graduate students as a lecturer, I have designed new courses and served as an instructor for the National Science Foundation (NSF) I-Corps program, where I’ve taught academic researchers and clinicians to look beyond the lab and accelerate research into commercial success.

In addition to my teaching experiences, I am also an entrepreneur who has collaborated across disciplines and departments at the university for over 10 years. Since 2014, I have been CEO and co-founder of a battery/membrane technology startup originally commercialized from research at the University of Michigan. I have the experience of leading a diverse research staff and working with multiple external partners and university stakeholders. I hope to bring this leadership quality to medicine, where I believe the future of medicine will involve diverse, interdisciplinary teams. I want to leverage my entrepreneurial and education experiences into a career where I can critically evaluate problems, do more with less, and improve outcomes through education.

By serving as a RAMS medical student, I hope to continue my passion for teaching and curriculum development in the realm of medical education and the specialty of emergency medicine. During my time in medical school so far, I’ve worked on multiple medical education projects, such as developing new content (pre-recorded lectures and active learning) for the first-year curriculum. As a co-president of my medical school’s emergency medicine interest group, I also manage educational workshops (such as splinting, IV, suturing, and ultrasound workshops) that happen throughout the year. I hope to use my position as a RAMS medical student to further my passion for teaching how to think, not just what to think. Going forward, I want to work on medical education projects that focus on teaching the critical appraisal of evidence, the benefits and flaws of diagnostic/treatment algorithms (especially when used in emergency settings), and deductive reasoning when generating differentials. I want to help develop workshops and entrepreneurial resources to assist RAMS residents and students in need-finding, ecosystem mapping, and assumption testing to help bridge the gap between practitioners who see a problem or need in their field (critical care, ultrasound, etc) and the necessary tools/resources to leverage emerging technologies in the field to solve those problems.

Olivia Neidigh-Lloyd

Medical Student Representative

Kansas Health Science University

My name is Olivia Neidigh-Lloyd, and I am honored to be considered for a position on the RAMS Board.

I am a well qualified candidate for the RAMS Board, holding a Bachelor’s degree in Health Science Studies from Baylor University and a current 2nd year medical student at KansasCOM. My healthcare experience is rooted in diverse clinical settings, including internships with Abbott Vascular and Ascension Providence, and an Atlantis Fellowship in Italy, where I shadowed specialists in cardiology, orthopedics, and neurology. These roles provided firsthand exposure to patient interaction, clinical protocols, and the importance of research-backed approaches to care. During undergrad I served as a lead scribe in a Baylor Scott and White Emergency Department where I worked closely with physicians to train scribes, manage detailed patient records, identify data discrepancies, and ensure compliance with HIPAA standards. This experience has deepened my commitment to data accuracy, quality patient care, and the ongoing need for research-driven improvements in emergency medicine. Additionally, I bring leadership experience from my three years on Baylor’s Student Health Advisory Council, where I helped lead health outreach programs and advocated for student wellness. 

Currently, I serve as Secretary for the American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians where I manage administrative tasks, including organizing meeting minutes, event planning, and coordinating with medical professionals for educational lectures and simulation events. This position has deepened my understanding of the organizational needs of medical trainees and enhanced my ability to work collaboratively within a large, multifaceted organization. I am also involved in supporting the mission of the American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians (ACOEP) and their Resident and Student Organization (RSO), which fosters career development, osteopathic philosophy, and continuing education for emergency medicine students and residents.

My passion for advancing research is central to my candidacy. I believe emergency medicine thrives on innovation and continuous improvement, and I am committed to advocating for expanded resources that support member-led research, encourage high-quality submissions to national conferences, and promote professional development through evidence-based practices. By providing RAMS members with increased access to research tools, mentorship, and emerging medical knowledge, we can drive meaningful advancements in patient care.

I am running for a position on the RAMS Board because I am passionate about supporting my peers in their journey through academic emergency medicine. If elected, I plan to focus on three main objectives. First, I hope to strengthen mentorship programs by creating structured pathways that connect trainees with seasoned leaders in the field. Second, I aim to expand RAMS’ virtual educational resources, including workshops and case-based simulations, on topics such as AI in emergency medicine, telemedicine, and healthcare policy, to better prepare members for the evolving landscape of emergency care. Finally, I am committed to advocating for member well-being by supporting initiatives that promote work-life balance, mental health resources, and wellness practices for trainees.

Through my unique blend of clinical, academic, and leadership experiences, I am prepared to serve RAMS members by fostering a supportive community that prioritizes education, research, and personal well-being. I am excited about the opportunity to contribute to the growth of RAMS and help members achieve their professional and academic goals.

Thank you for considering my candidacy.

Nathaniel Sands, MPH

Medical Student Representative

California Northstate University

Last May at the SAEM Annual Meeting, I presented research on the utilization of residents and fellows in the use of transesophageal echocardiography in settings of critical illness. It was my first time presenting at a major conference, and my nerves were undeniable—until I looked over and saw another medical student appearing equally anxious. In that moment, we both realized that we belonged there. That simple exchange captures what I value most about SAEM and RAMS: it brings us together to learn, grow, and support one another.

My name is Nathaniel Sands, and I am a third-year medical student at California Northstate University. Before medical school, I earned my MPH in Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology from UC Berkeley and served as a Clinical Research Coordinator in Emergency Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, where I managed the Resuscitative TEE Collaborative Registry. My experiences in academic research, public health, and SAEM have shown me how transformative collaboration and mentorship can be for trainees.

If elected to the RAMS Board, I aim to strengthen connections and ensure that every member feels included and recognized. By collecting RAMS membership data and initiating prospective surveys, I hope to reexamine what motivates our members to join and remain engaged, enabling us to communicate more effectively and design opportunities that reflect our shared goals. I want to enhance the accessibility and reach of RAMS sponsored events, expand mentorship opportunities between medical students, residents, fellows, and attendings, and develop more consistent, transparent messaging that highlights the value of RAMS as an essential part of the SAEM and the future of EM.

In alignment with the RAMS Strategic Plan, my priorities will focus on engagement, mentorship, and professional development—helping to foster the next generation of emergency medicine leaders. I believe that by understanding the diverse experiences of medical students and residents, we can create a stronger, more inclusive community that reflects the best of academic emergency medicine. I am eager to bring my enthusiasm, research experience, and collaborative spirit to the RAMS Board and to continue building the connections that make this organization exceptional.

Joseph Williams, MPH

Medical Student Representative

Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences

I am a current MS3 at Kansas City University and a graduate of the Yale School of Public Health, where I specialized in Chronic Disease Epidemiology. Earning my MPH before medical school added a valuable public health perspective to my medical education, complementing my prior training as an EMT and clinical research at UMass Chan and Yale University that addressed the opioid crisis and refugee health, and mental health within the emergency department.

I've been involved with SAEM since 2019, first attending the NERDS conference in Worcester, MA. In 2020 I submitted an abstract on an ED-suboxone bridging program which was accepted for the 2020 NERDS conference. This early involvement, even before medical school, empowered me to attend SAEM'23 and SAEM'24 as a medical student ambassador and join AGEM as a medical student representative on the awards committee in 2023. SAEM has played a key role in nurturing my passion for Emergency Medicine and providing a professional foundation.

If elected, I aim to advocate for continued integration of public health competencies within emergency medicine, especially for early-career students. I understand the importance of mentorship, particularly for students at institutions without emergency medicine faculty, and I hope to expand mentorship access to these students. I hope to expand the EMF-SAEMF Medical Student Research Grant to accept additional students and to pair accepted students with additional research mentors. Furthermore, I hope to expand the mentorship initiative within the medical student ambassador program to include resident-physician mentors and engage with a greater number of SAEM-member medical students who may not be able to attend SAEM as an ambassador. The mentorship program is purposed to enhance medical student engagement in SAEM committees and fostering greater interest in emergency medicine among future applicants.

I also believe that improving RAMS' social media presence could further engage members and increase visibility for emergency medicine. Expanding regional community activities, such as local meetups or events, would also strengthen connections and provide more accessible networking and learning opportunities. These initiatives would allow RAMS to engage members more deeply and create a more connected emergency medicine community.

SAEM has been instrumental in my engagement and professional growth in Emergency Medicine, and as a RAMS Medical Student Representative, I hope to advocate for more students nationwide to gain the same valuable experience.

Carlisle Topping

Member-at-Large

Yale University

I am a current medical student representative on the RAMS board. I would make a great member-at-large due to my passion for community, mentorship, research, and wellness.

Over the last year, I have been involved in research on proposed ACGME changes. I believe this experience and perspective makes me uniquely qualified to amplify the voices of medical students and residents within RAMS during a time of restructuring in emergency medicine.

Creating a community and support system for medical students interested in EM is a particular passion of mine. During my undergraduate years at Columbia University, I was a member of the women’s soccer team. One of my favorite aspects of being an athlete was the built-in support system of my team. Similarly, I love that RAMS brings together medical students and residents, and I want to help foster a welcoming, inclusive, and supportive environment within RAMS.

Over the past year as a medical student on the RAMS board, I have contributed to the RAMS-ACGME task force and the SAEM Workforce Committee. These roles align with my research interests, as reflected in my thesis, which examines residency programs, hospital structures, and the ACGME proposed changes. Additionally, I have been actively involved in SAEM research, presenting my findings and receiving an SAEMF/RAMS research grant. I am eager to bring this experience to RAMS to further support academic research efforts for both residents and medical students.

As a RAMS member-at-large, I aim to amplify the voices of both residents and medical students and strengthen mentorship. I hope to create more informal ways for medical students to connect with residents, thereby encouraging greater participation and interest in academic EM. Potential initiatives include hosting statewide or smaller regional events, such as POCUS competitions, social gatherings, and conferences that bring medical students and residents together.

Thank you for your consideration; it would be an honor to serve as a member-at-large on the RAMS board!

Michael Makutonin, MD

Member-at-Large

Yale University

When I went to my first SAEM conference, I was floored by the number of cool things I could get involved with. That year was a blur – working on talks with the SAEM research committee, designing a machine learning series, and running a Datathon for my peers. I always wondered what could have been possible if I could have gotten involved earlier, without the financial barrier of going to conferences, and benefited from the resources and mentors I ended up finding at SAEM.
Throughout my leadership roles in SAEM and other organizations, I have learned that the most impactful projects are those that give trainees who lack extensive institutional resources full access to SAEM’s network and expertise. When SAEM’s AI Interest Group asked me to lead its first Datathon, we were amazed by the high-quality research our medical students produced after receiving statistics training unavailable at their home schools. As chair of research for EMRA, my team and I doubled the size of the annual Case-Con, transforming it into a signature conference event that showcased a diverse group of trainees from across the country. On the SAEM Research Committee, I helped design design an open-access biostatistics lecture series that has run for more than a year and remains freely available online. These experiences confirmed that simply expanding access to resources we take for granted in academics can create a vibrant community.

Now as a PGY-2 resident at Yale, I am eager to leverage my experiences in emergency medicine and my passion for education to make SAEM a more inclusive, welcoming, and useful organization for all of us. The headwinds that that we face, like AI and workforce challenges, are opportunities in disguise. By building a community of passionate medical students and residents we can move the needle in advancing academic EM. If elected, I will work to ensure that MS1s can find what they are looking for in RAMS as easily as they can sign up for their local EMIG, that students and residents can find mentorship and contribute to projects no matter the resources of their home institutions.

Mel Ebeling, MD

Secretary-Treasurer

University of Cincinnati

Hello RAMS! My name is Mel Ebeling (they/them), and I am a resident physician at the University of Cincinnati. It’s been an honor to serve as a Member-at-Large on the RAMS Board, and I’m excited to announce my candidacy for Secretary-Treasurer.

Before residency, I served as an EMT throughout college and medical school and trained as a Hazardous Materials Specialist–experiences that shaped my dedication to teamwork and preparedness. I’ve also served on several institutional and national committees in medical education and DEI, helping redesign preclinical curricula and establish system-wide diversity and inclusion initiatives. Throughout my education, SAEM has been a vital resource, connecting me with mentors who inspired my path in academic EM.

As a leader, I value reliability, open-mindedness, and collaboration, focusing on tangible outcomes. When I ran for the RAMS Board last year, my goals were to bridge the information gap on working in academics, develop a standardized curriculum vitae for the emergency physician, and develop practical research resources for RAMS members without strong mentorship. Months into my term, I’ve (1) led a RAMS Webinar on the "behind-the-scenes" of academia, (2) collaborated with the Education Committee on creating that standardized CV, (3) advocated for adding a research guide to our strategic plan, (4) published a RAMS Career Roadmap in Disaster Medicine, (5) launched an SAEM Pulse series highlighting resident leaders, and (6) co-authored the first summary article of the ACGME’s proposed changes and timeline.

If elected Secretary-Treasurer, I’ll bring my diverse background to advance initiatives supporting our academic- and research-oriented members. My priorities are to (1) propose fiscally responsible ways to reinvest RAMS funds to support trainee engagement, ideally including offsetting conference costs, (2) complete publication of the first standardized CV template in our field, and (3) expand collaboration across SAEM Academies to develop tools that help YOU navigate training and career growth, such as the practical research guide, NIH biosketch template, and job negotiation toolkit.

RAMS is where residents and students grow into the next generation of academic emergency physicians. I’d be honored to earn your vote to continue building this community for all of us!

KC Hummer

Member-at-Large

University of Colorado School of Medicine

Having spent a decade prior to medical school working in education and leadership, KC Hummer (she/they) is enthusiastic about providing high-quality academic resources to learners and supporting future and current emergency medicine physicians as they navigate medical school and residency. As a member-at-large, KC Hummer intends to accomplish this by improving the study materials associated with the SAEM exam many rotating students take during their sub-I rotations with clearer explanations, and by creating a centralized list of resources for medical students preparing to apply to residency. Previous roles and experience that will make KC Hummer a strong addition to the RAMS Board include her decade-long career as a teacher and education program director prior to medical school, as well as her prior experience as a Medical Student Ambassador at SAEM24.

Indrani Guzmán Das, MD

Resident Member

Stanford University

Insight. Integrity. Indrani for SAEM.

Thank you for considering my candidacy as Resident Member of the SAEM Board!

My medicine journey started as a first-generation American whose parents became medical practitioners after immigrating as refugees. This ignited my desire to deliver culturally competent care with empathy and humility.

I am a PGY-2 at Stanford Health Care and a graduate of Weill Cornell Medical College and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Before residency, I partnered with senior leaders at global nonprofits and S&P 500 corporations at Bain & Company to guide strategy, build alignment across teams, and enhance organizational performance. Later, I supported refugee resettlement programs with the International Rescue Committee.

Emergency medicine is at a pivotal moment. Residency programs face changing requirements for training length, site locations, procedure counts and board exams. Simultaneously, today’s political climate brings budget uncertainties for funded research and initiatives in academic medicine. I promise to represent the interests of residents by closely collaborating with the SAEM leadership team to navigate these challenges.

As your current RAMS Member-at-Large, I focus on expanding resident career opportunities. I piloted a mentorship matching program, developed resources to understand workforce trends, and created financial literacy programming. At Stanford, I research health policy and EM workforce changes to understand the specialty’s national obstacles and opportunities.

If elected, I will:

1. Support your program’s training transition by collaborating with ACGME, ABEM, and program leaders to create tools for trainees to fulfill new requirements while mitigating burnout.
2. Expand mentorship initiatives for members across SAEM academies, interest groups, and meetings by centralizing engagement opportunities.
3. Accelerate your medical career through online financial literacy and professional development resources.

By amplifying resident voices during this unique time for our specialty, SAEM can empower every member to thrive.

Thank you for your consideration.

Jared A. Escobar, MD

Member-at-Large

Rutgers - New Jersey Medical School

I am a PGY-3 resident at New Jersey Medical School with a background shaped by military service, healthcare experience, and a strong commitment to leadership, education, and mentorship. After high school, I enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, serving in the Marine Special Operations community. During this time, I cross-trained with Navy Corpsmen, which inspired my transition into medicine. Following my military service, I completed undergraduate studies at Fordham University before attending Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, where I was commissioned into the U.S. Army. As a Curriculum Research Fellow, I helped integrate teamwork and leadership training into residency programs and published research on team performance and medical education. I was honored to be inducted into Alpha Omega Alpha and recognized as a Rutgers Rising Star Scholar for my academic and leadership achievements.

Over the past year, I have served on the SAEM RAMS Board, contributing to initiatives focused on resident wellness, professional development, and educational programming. I have worked to create webinars and other resources that provide trainees with insight into academic careers, faculty positions, and leadership opportunities within emergency medicine.

I am running for re-election to the RAMS Board to continue advancing the Society’s mission of supporting residents and medical students in emergency medicine. If re-elected, I plan to expand educational opportunities, particularly in critical care and EM-ICU integration, strengthen resident leadership development programs, and foster a supportive, collaborative community among RAMS members. My goal is to ensure that trainees are not only well-prepared for clinical excellence but also empowered to become leaders, innovators, and advocates for the specialty.
I am excited to continue contributing to RAMS and SAEM by promoting education, research, mentorship, and community, helping to shape the next generation of academic emergency physicians.

Ethan Grant, MD

Member-at-Large

University of Utah Health

Dr. Ethan Grant is a PGY-2 resident at University of Utah Health. Dr. Grant is a native of rural West Texas, and completed his medical school training at Texas Tech University Health Science Center in 2023. His journey to medicine began by working as an emergency department scribe at Denver Health, where he grew to love the pace and changing environments of EM. During medical school, Dr. Grant served as the Wilderness Medicine Liaison for the emergency medicine interest group, and the Quartermaster for the Wilderness Medicine club. In these roles he broke down barriers that often prohibit students from training in austere environments. During residency, Dr. Grant has worked to improve the learning of incoming interns by coordinating education month. Additionally, he has invested in the future of emergency medicine by being involved with the interview process and by teaching medical students.

If selected to be a Member at Large for RAMS, I hope to increase the visibility of RAMS at medical schools and residencies to improve member engagement. As a key point of relations between residents and medical students interested in EM, RAMS has an important opportunity to excite students about the many career possibilities within EM. I hope to broaden the ways in which students and residents view their career paths, as the world of EM steps into a post-COVID era. Additionally, I hope to use my education and training opportunities to build connections for members with the wilderness and austere medicine community.

Eileen Williams, MD

Member-at-Large

University of Texas Southwestern

My name is Eileen Williams, and I am currently a second-year emergency medicine resident at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. I grew up in St. Louis, Missouri and completed my undergraduate education at Stanford University, where I worked in a research lab exploring the functional neurological correlates of anxiety and depression. I also worked as a residential counselor for adolescents with eating disorders and helped manage a team of podcast editors, writers, and engineers as a lead producer at the Stanford Storytelling Project. After college, I spent two years completing my final pre-med classes, as well as preparing for and taking the MCAT. During this time, I also worked as a medical scribe and trainer, fell in love with emergency medicine, and developed my own bustling tutoring business.

I moved to Houston for medical school at Baylor College of Medicine, where I was lucky enough to meet an incredible role model and inspiration within the field of academic emergency medicine. Together, we designed and completed a literature review on existing adolescent medicine curricula targeted to emergency medicine residents. Finding very little, we then moved on to conduct a national Delphi study to identify key competencies in this space.

During medical school, I also leveraged my undergraduate experience in the media sphere to help develop and produce our new official school podcast, Resonance. I did everything I could to invest in academics, including the creation of a pre-clinical EKG course that I later went on to facilitate as a TA. As a member of the Curriculum Renewal Workgroup (CREW) at Baylor College of Medicine, I collaborated with a team composed primarily of faculty to redesign the entire structure of the Baylor experience, including succeeding in expanding the graduation requirement to include four rather than merely two weeks of emergency medicine experience.

Now in residency, I am helping to spearhead the new academic medicine track that I helped to develop. Additionally, I initiated a working group now in the process of developing a new medical Spanish curriculum for the program. I also co-chair our monthly podcast club, which necessitates both logistical skill and the ability to facilitate complex educational discussions. When I’m not working, sleeping, or studying, you can find me watching football, writing crossword puzzles and reading twisty murder mysteries.

My passion for emergency medicine colors my perspective on the world, shaping me as a clinician and as a person. I am incredibly fortunate to be completing an emergency medicine residency and pursuing this career. Still, I recognize that the specialty is far from perfect. As much as I love – and will always love – emergency medicine, I appreciate that we are facing many challenges. I believe trainees and residents must step up to take action and be part of the solution: we are the future of the field. RAMS enables us to work together within the academic space and do just that. As a member-at-large, I would strive ceaselessly to serve as an effective advocate and liaison for the ideas and concerns of my co-residents.

James Colletti, MD

Member-at-Large

Mayo Clinic Rochester

I am James E. Colletti, MD, Chair of the Mayo Clinic Rochester Emergency Department and Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine. I earned my medical degree from The Chicago Medical School and completed residency in the combined Pediatrics/Emergency Medicine program at the University of Maryland in Baltimore. I have held several leadership roles throughout my career, including Mayo EM Program Director and Mayo Emergency Medicine Department Academic Development Chair. I have also contributed to national efforts, serving on the ACEP Pediatric Committee, the AAEM Education Committee, and the SAEM Faculty Development Committee. Additionally, I have spoken nationally on Pediatric Emergency Medicine and education topics and have served as course director for CORD Navigating the Academic Waters and the Mayo Clinic Emergency Medicine CME Conference.

I am proud to have received multiple awards, including induction into the Mayo Fellows Association Teacher of the Year Hall of Fame, the AAEM Young Educator Award, the AAEM Written Board Speaker of the Year Award, the Council of Residency Directors/Society of Academic Emergency Medicine Faculty Teaching Award, the AAEM Joe Lex Educator of the Year Award, the Program Director Recognition Award from the Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education, and the Distinguished Emergency Department Clinician Award from the Mayo Clinic Rochester Department of Emergency Medicine. I have also authored numerous articles and served as an editor for Clinics of North America and Pediatric Emergency Medicine Reports.

With a deep passion for academic emergency medicine, I am seeking office to help address key issues in our specialty, particularly workforce shortages, the evolving landscape of emergency care, and the future of medical education. If elected, I will work to foster collaboration across institutions, create more opportunities for research funding, and advance mentorship and faculty development. By building on our strengths, I believe we can continue to grow and improve emergency medicine for the benefit of our patients and colleagues.

Benjamin Sun, MD, MPP

Member-at-Large

University of Pennsylvania

Nancy Kwon, MD, MPA

SAEM Nominating Committee Member

Long Island Jewish Medical Center/Northwell Health

I believe that SAEM is the most important and formative organization for Emergency Medicine. I have been an active member of SAEM since residency, and am currently the Chair of the SAEM Faculty Development Committee, and an active member of the Equity and Inclusion, and Research Committees, and was elected in the past to be a member of the Nominating Committee. I was also selected previously to take part in the AACEM Chair Development Program.

In my prior term on the Nominating Committee, and my current application, I recognize the great importance and responsibility this position holds in identifying and vetting future leaders for SAEM.

I am currently the Vice Chair of Emergency Medicine at Long Island Jewish Medical Center and a Professor at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. Most recently, I became the Central Region Medical Director of Diversity and Health Equity for Northwell Health under Northwell's Center for Equity of Care.

I have many years of experience in academics and have served in the past as the Associate Chair of Academics and Research in Emergency Medicine. I have been a member of the Appointments and Promotions Committee for the Zucker School of Medicine, and have been chosen to take part in multiple Chair and Vice Chair search committees. I have been a recipient of Northwell's President’s Award for Teamwork in 2014., the Emergency Medicine Service Line Guttenberg Award in 2017 for my work in Emergency Medicine, and was one of five finalists for Northwell Health System's Truly Leadership award, and was awarded the Truly Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award in 2024. I have a focus on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Population Health, developing and implementing programs for vulnerable and underrepresented patient populations, faculty development, and mentorship.

I received a Bachelor of Science from Brown University, and a Doctorate of Medicine from The University of Rochester. I completed my Residency in Emergency Medicine at NYU Langone School of Medicine/Bellevue Hospital Center, and stayed on as faculty until 2013. I received a Masters in Public Administration from The NYU Wagner School of Public Service.

I would be honored to serve in this role, would use my prior experience in SAEM as a Nominating Committee Member, and my years of academic experience to assist in supporting the efforts of SAEM.

Sara M. Hock, MD

SAEM Nominating Committee Member

Rush University Medical Center

I'm seeking an elected position on the nominating committee because I believe that through advancing the opportunities of our academic community for all, we serve to strengthen many future generations of physicians. I have personally observed the beneficial effect of networking, leadership, and national collaborations that result from the organization and academy structure that exists within SAEM. I would like to continue the tradition that SAEM leaders before me have begun of being a true home for educators and researchers in emergency medicine.

The academic mission and peer support available through SAEM is an ideal proving ground for educators seeking to advance their careers, and a strong, well supported Academy structure has been instrumental to that success. I hope to collaborate with other members of the Nominating Committee to seek out our organization's future leaders and identify individuals to shepherd the organization into the future.

In my role as the Simulation Academy treasurer, and then president, I was able to observe the way the academies are supported by the organization and by leadership of the board. I initiated new programs within the simulation academy and collaborated with other national organizations to strengthen the simulation-based medical education experience for all EM learners. Under my leadership our membership increased and we expanded our in person collaboration and mentoring options to include other frequently attended national conferences. This leadership experience has prepared me to take on leadership within the broader SAEM organization.