Dr. Edje, the Inaugural David M. Wu, MD and Bernadine E. Wu, MD Endowed Professor and senior associate dean of medical education at the University of Michigan Medical School (UMMS), is a board-certified family physician, chairs the Family Medicine Review Committee of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, and serves on the American Medical Association’s Council on Medical Education. She’s a 2023 ELAM alumna who was the 2012 Ohio Family Physician of the Year. She was recipient of the 2022 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Humanitarian Award from the University of Cincinnati and the Distinguished Humanitarian Alumni Award from Michigan Medicine. At 16, she attended Michigan State University, receiving a BS in physiology. She was president of her medical school student body at UMMS and then completed her residency training as chief, with honors, followed by private practice and health system leadership. She is a former program director and designated institutional official. Dr Edje, who has an MHPE in health professions education, is responsible for medical education at the University of Michigan, supporting 2,400 medical students and residents and 3,500 faculty. Her interests include mitigating bias in assessment, master adaptive learners and health policy.

Dr. Edje was selected as an ELUM Compass Awardee in recognition of her extraordinary embodiment of the quadruple aim, using her personal experience during the pandemic to become a national voice for vaccine advocacy and equitable care, while maintaining direct patient engagement and contributing to the global conversation on public health. She has led transformative innovations in graduate medical education, including founding a new residency program to preserve primary care access in her community and shaping national training standards that will guide over 160,000 future physicians. Her unwavering commitment to physician well-being is evident through programs like Physician as Artist and her leadership in integrating generative AI to reduce clinician burnout, all while cultivating humanism and mentorship through both large-scale initiatives and personal, meaningful gestures.

Dr. Amy P. Murtha, dean of Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, serves as founding dean of the future Rutgers School of Medicine (RSOM), positioned to be one of the leading public medical schools in the country and a hub of biomedical and health sciences education, research and clinical care.

An accomplished researcher and maternal-fetal medicine specialist, her research and clinical work focus on caring for complicated pregnancies and identifying the best ways to diagnose and care for patients at risk for preterm birth. Before becoming dean, Dr. Murtha served as professor and chair of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences and chief medical officer of Women’s Health at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), where she made a tremendous impact through clinical expansion across the health system, led the establishment of a women’s health service line and increased support for faculty researchers. Dr. Murtha joined UCSF after a 20-year career on the faculty at Duke University, where she assumed increasing leadership roles following her residency and fellowship training there.

Dr. Amy Murtha was selected for the ELUM Compass Award for her outstanding embodiment of the quadruple aim. Her groundbreaking research in maternal-fetal medicine has led to significant advances in the prevention and management of preterm birth, while her leadership has expanded access to comprehensive women’s health care and driven systemic improvements in academic medicine. Dr. Murtha’s unwavering commitment to mentorship, wellness and equity has cultivated inclusive environments that support the well-being and professional growth of clinicians, scientists and students alike.

Dr. Julie A. Freischlag is the chief academic officer and executive vice president of Advocate Health, chief executive officer and chief academic officer of Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, and executive vice president for health affairs at Wake Forest University. Dr. Freischlag is also a practicing vascular surgeon, specializing in the treatment of thoracic outlet syndrome.

Throughout her career, Dr. Freischlag has held numerous national leadership roles, including serving as the 2021-2022 president of the American College of Surgeons. She currently serves as chair of the Board of Directors of the Association of American Medical Colleges, and she is a member of the National Institute of Health Clinical Center Research Hospital Board and the Aga Khan University Board of Trustees. She is chair of the Health Services Committee, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Board of Visitors and the University of Illinois Health Advisory Council.

She mentors students, residents and young faculty and is a frequent speaker on topics including her expertise in vascular diseases, teamwork and patient safety, leadership and work-life balance, and women succeeding in health professions. Dr. Freischlag has dedicated her career to serving as a role model for her students, a respected colleague across health professions, a strong community leader and a national voice for improving health and health care.

Dr. Julie Freischlag was selected for the Transformational Leadership Award in recognition of her groundbreaking and visionary leadership as the first female chair of surgery in the U.S., her unwavering commitment to mentorship and inclusivity, and her profound cultural impact across academic medicine. Through her compassionate and empowering leadership style, she has transformed institutions, promoted diverse talent and inspired countless individuals to pursue excellence and equity in medicine and health sciences.

Dr. Deborah German is vice president for health affairs and founding dean of the University of Central Florida College of Medicine. Created in 2006 to expand central Florida’s economy, the medical school was the first in U.S. history to provide full, four-year scholarships to every student in its charter class. Dr. German built a team of over 900 faculty and staff, led construction of a new medical campus and opened UCF Lake Nona Hospital and UCF Lake Nona Cancer Center. She established a new Academic Health Sciences Center, a multispecialty clinical practice, and 41 residency and fellowship programs across Florida.

Before coming to UCF, Dr. German served as president and chief executive officer at Saint Thomas Hospital in Nashville and was a Petersdorf Scholar in Residence at the Association of American Medical Colleges. Previously she served as associate dean for students, senior associate dean of medical education at Vanderbilt University and associate dean of Medical Education at Duke University.

She has received numerous honors, including the Local Legend of Medicine in the National Library of Medicine, American Medical Women’s Association Presidential Award, Renaissance Woman in Medicine Award and the AAMC Women in Medicine Leadership Development Award.

Dr. Deborah German was selected for the Transformational Leadership Award for her visionary leadership in founding the University of Central Florida College of Medicine, transforming it from an idea into a nationally respected institution with strong community partnerships and a culture of equity and excellence. She has championed diversity and inclusion through mentorship, leadership development programs and innovative health care initiatives that address underserved populations. Her legacy includes a robust graduate medical education system, impactful interprofessional collaborations and groundbreaking contributions to the future of academic medicine in Florida.

Dr. Ana N. López-Fuentes is a tenured professor at Community Dentistry of the University of Puerto Rico School of Dental Medicine (UPRSDM). She is past president of the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) Board of Directors, having previously served in 2024-2025 as immediate past-chair, in 2023-2024 as chair, and in 2022-2023 as chair elect of the ADEA Board of Directors. She is faculty/coach of ADEA’s Council of Deans’ Fellowship and a member of the American Dental Association (ADA) Stakeholder Advisory Panel.

Dr. López-Fuentes served as dean of the UPRSDM from 2014-2018. As dean of the UPRSDM, she was instrumental in amending the local dental law, implementing the electronic health record and the approval of the Periodontics Graduate program. She is the first dean of the UPRSDM to be elected to ADEA’s Council of Deans Administrative Board. She is the recipient of the 2018 Chair of the ADEA Board of Directors Citation for significant contributions to dental education.

At the UPRSDM, she is president of the Infection Control and Quality Assurance Committees. She is a member of the ADEA Collaborative on Dental Education Climate Assessment, consultant to the Women in Leadership Section and ADEA women liaison officer. She is site visitor for the ADA Commission on Dental Accreditation, and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Hispanic Dental Association (HSDA). Dr. López-Fuentes serves as faculty advisor to HSDA and the American Association of Women Dentists Student Chapters. She earned a certificate on Global Women on Boards from the LEAD Women and Columbia University program in November 2024.

Dr. López-Fuentes served as co-chair of ADEA’s Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee, ADEA’s Annual Session Committee, and chair of ADEA’s Women in Leadership Section. She served as faculty advisor to ELAM from 2018-2022.

Dr. López-Fuentes was a member of the Academic Senate and executive secretary of the President’s Board . She directed the first dental assistant program at the University of Granada, Spain. Dr. López-Fuentes graduated from several leadership programs: ADEA’s Summer Program for Emerging Academic Leaders, ELAM (2008) and the Bell Leadership Institute (Leaders’ Roundtable-2018, Achievers 1-2018 and Achievers 2-2020, programs).

Dr. Lopez-Fuentes was selected as a Transformational Leadership Awardee for her visionary leadership, resilience and dedication to cultural transformation, particularly in times of crisis, as demonstrated by her ability to guide her institution through the aftermath of a devastating hurricane while maintaining stability and hope. As a mentor and advocate, she openly shares her leadership experiences and challenges, inspiring and supporting a diverse and inclusive network of future leaders in dental education and beyond. Through her national influence, including leadership in the American Dental Education Association, she continues to champion gender equity and the advancement of underrepresented populations, shaping a more just and equitable future in health sciences.

Dr. Archana Chatterjee serves as dean of Chicago Medical School and senior vice president for medical affairs at Rosalind Franklin University in North Chicago. A board-certified pediatric infectious diseases specialist, Dr. Chatterjee has practiced for more than 20 years and is an accomplished researcher serving as the PI on over 120 clinical trials, and has published more than 100 peer-reviewed articles, 26 invited review articles, 31 book chapters and one book.

Dr. Chatterjee serves on several national advisory boards and committees, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, the Association of American Medical Colleges’(AAMC) Group on Women in Medicine and Science, the Administrative Board of the AAMC Council of Deans and the American Board of Pediatrics Sub-board of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. She has been dedicated to the mentorship and sponsorship of faculty and learners throughout her career. In addition, she has focused her scholarly efforts on collaborative projects related to faculty and leadership development, presenting at national conferences and publishing her work in high-impact peer-reviewed journals.

As an ELUM, Dr. Chatterjee is honored to have been invited to teach in the ELAM curriculum for over a decade.

Dr. Chatterjee was selected as the 2025 Laura Lynch ELAM/ELH Community Impact Awardee for her unwavering dedication to the ELAM/ELH community through mentorship, leadership and advocacy that consistently uplifts fellows, alumnae and faculty while advancing the program’s mission. As a nationally recognized leader in academic medicine and gender equity, she has created and led impactful DEI initiatives, served as a trusted advisor to numerous rising leaders and contributed to institutional and national policy shaping the future of women in medicine. Her influence extends through public speaking, scholarly work and leadership in organizations such as AAMC and CWAMS, making her a powerful force in promoting equity, professional development and lasting systemic change.