Educators from across system unite to build community

Geisinger’s Academy of Educators held its first induction ceremony in 2022, and today the group boasts more than 360 members. The Academy seeks to build a community of educators who can share challenges and successes and support one another in their shared passion for education. Below, members share how the Academy has supported them professionally and personally.

Jennifer Koestler, MD, associate dean for medical student education and professor of pediatrics at Geisinger School of Medicine

“The biggest tangible benefit is the personal connections that the Academy facilitates among faculty who have a passion for health professions education. The Academy provides a robust infrastructure to support a community of practice around teaching excellence, professional development and mentoring and advising. It also elevates the importance of and recognizes member contributions in the domains of teaching and scholarship.”

Wasique Mirza, MD, program director for Geisinger’s Internal Medicine Residency Northeast and professor of medicine at Geisinger College of Health Sciences

“The Academy provides an excellent opportunity for educators across professions to join under a common umbrella, benefit from the resources provided, share ideas and learn from collective experiences. It has helped me to connect with like-minded leaders in medical education that I would not have had an opportunity to work with otherwise.”

Angela Slampak-Cindric, PharmD, clinical pharmacist and coordinator, Critical Care & Emergency Medicine; director, PGY2 Critical Care Pharmacy Residency Program, and assistant professor, Department of Pharmacy, Geisinger College of Health Sciences

“I was excited to join a collaborative dedicated to cultivating innovative, engaging and rewarding educational experiences for learners and educators, built on Geisinger’s legacy of excellence in education. Our educational community is wonderfully diverse and extremely talented. The Academy provides a forum to bring our talents to life in new ways and to learn so much more from one another.”

The Academy has retained more than 90% of its members each year, which means that members not only maintain their involvement with the Academy but also choose to stay with Geisinger, said Nicole Woll, PhD, vice dean for faculty and professional development and executive director of Geisinger’s Academy of Educators. Looking ahead to 2025, she is excited to see this unique community thrive.

“In a busy clinical system, we can often overlook the role of the educator. The Academy provides an opportunity to recognize them for all the roles they play.”