Department Announces New Associate Chair Positions

Stanford Surgery welcomes seven junior faculty to the leadership team effective tomorrow, February 1, 2023. The inaugural Associate Chairs and Associate Director are:

Associate Chair of:

Academic Affairs – Dr. Dan Delitto
Clinical Affairs – Dr. Joe Forrester
Professional Development – Dr. Stephanie Chao
Research – Dr. Lisa Marie Knowlton
Education – Dr. Cara Liebert
DEI – Dr. Varia Kirchner

Associate Director of:

Well-Being – Dr. Crystal Chang

"These roles were developed in response to feedback from the Jr. Faculty Retreat in September and from suggestions of how to get our junior faculty more engaged in the Department," said Department Chair Dr. Mary Hawn. "We believe our junior faculty can make unique contributions to the Department and want to encourage their development as leaders in surgery."

The Associate Chair pathway in the Department of Surgery will complement and enhance the current School of Medicine leadership training programs by providing hands-on, practical leadership training for mid-level faculty across the Department.

"[It's] wise of Dr. Hawn to recognize the value of the leadership pipeline, and move intentionally to ensure leadership continuity and effectiveness in the years to come," said Vice Chair of Clinical Affairs Dr. Ron Dalman. "It is an exciting initiative that we hope all interested faculty will pursue if appropriate for their individualized career goals."

The Surgery Vice Chairs and Review Committee chose the new Associate Chairs and Associate Director.

Dr. Crystal Chang, who will serve as the associate director for wellness, says she's excited to premiere the role and build upon the work of current Director Dr. Brooke Gurland and the Wellness Committee. 

"Wellness means so many different things to different people and I hope to make it more accessible and tailored to the needs of my colleagues," said Chang. "I am honored to be an advocate for your well-being."