Professor of Head and Neck Surgery & Communication Sciences

Duke AHEAD role 

• Member

Tell us about yourself.

I came to Duke in 2008 from the Cleveland Clinic. I am Associate Professor of Surgery and have a clinical focus on head and neck cancers.  My responsibilities include Co-Director of the Head and Neck Program - Duke Cancer Institute, Staff Surgeon at the Durham VA Medical Center, Director of Resident Research, small group leader for Clinical Skills Foundations Year 2, and also an IRB Chair.  My educational focus has been virtue-based professional identity formation and leadership development. 

What do you hope to get out of Duke AHEAD?

I know of no other institution that has so seriously invested in developing and promoting health education  across the healthcare spectrum.  I benefit from the talks, seminars, and comradery around all aspects of health education.  I also deeply appreciate the opportunity to interact with other educators from the different schools (e.g. Nursing, Physician assistant).  Duke AHEAD provides concrete opportunities to support scholarly efforts and projects. 

What can Duke AHEAD do for you?

In summary, it helps me be the best educator I can be, thereby influencing the next generation of health care professionals.

Why did you join Duke AHEAD?

The question really is “Why wouldn’t someone who is involved with teaching and education join Duke AHEAD?”  Not joining would be missing out on an unique and valuable resource at Duke.