Photo: Bryan Goodchild
Two UMass Chan Medical School senior leaders have taken a step forward in advancing their careers after being selected to participate in the 2025 Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) program at Drexel University College of Medicine.
Kristen Matteson, MD, MPH, professor of obstetrics & gynecology and vice chair of academic affairs in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology; and Mary Munson, PhD, professor of biochemistry & molecular biotechnology, vice chair for diversity in the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biotechnology, and associate vice provost for equity in science in the Office of Health Equity, will participate in the prestigious leadership program in academic health care.
Dr. Matteson and Dr. Munson are two of 100 ELAM fellows in the class of 2025-26. To be accepted into the program, each fellow must be nominated and supported by the dean or another senior leader at their institution.
“It’s a real honor and privilege to be selected to learn with this prestigious group of faculty from across the country,” Matteson said. “The support from university leadership shows the dedication of UMass Chan to growing female leaders in academic medicine. It’s great to be part of an institution that truly values the contributions of the women in the medical school.”
“UMass Chan’s support of this program is a really good demonstration of the administration’s understanding of how important a leadership development program like this is for supporting our next leaders,” Munson said.
Each ELAM participant conducts an action project to address an institutional or departmental need or priority. Matteson’s project aims to develop comprehensive programs for mid-career faculty development at UMass Chan to retain female talent in academic medicine by providing tailored career development plans.
Munson’s project is the formation of a center for advanced mentorship practices to provide formal training and resources on how to become better mentors and how to provide mentorship in ways that are more inclusive and culturally sensitive.
“The fellows’ projects not only help them understand the challenges facing academic health centers and the skills a leader must possess to address these challenges, but also often result in concrete changes at their institutions,” said Nancy Spector, MD’90, executive director of the ELAM program.
In May, Matteson and Munson were recognized for their contributions to mentoring members of the UMass Chan community. Matteson was awarded the Outstanding Mentoring Award at the annual Women’s Faculty Awards; and Munson received the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Mentoring at the Educational Recognition Awards ceremony.
The ELAM fellowship aims to expand the number of qualified women candidates for leadership positions at the academic level in medicine, dentistry, public health and pharmacy. The 2025-26 ELAM class begins in June with online assignments and community-building activities and concludes in April 2026.
