Dr. Awad Named Department of Surgery Vice Chair of Education
July 24, 2026
Michael Awad, MD, PhD, MHPE, has been named Vice Chair of Education for the Department of Surgery effective September 1, 2026.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Dr. Mike Awad as our next Vice Chair of Education,” said Department Chair Dr. Mary Hawn. “He is an international leader in surgical education and expert in simulation training. Dr. Awad is also an accomplished foregut surgeon with expertise in robotic and endoscopic surgery. He will bring so much to our programs and enhance our mission of training the future surgeons and leaders.”
Awad holds a Master’s of Health Professions Education (MHPE) from the University of Illinois. He has served as Director of the Washington University Institute for Surgical Education since 2010 and served as both the MIS Fellowship Director and the WISE Simulation Fellowship Director. In 2020, Awad was selected as an associate member of the ACS Academy of Master Surgeon Educators, and in 2023, he was named President of the Association for Surgical Education.
“I am honored and excited to join Stanford Surgery as Vice Chair of Education. Throughout my career, I have been passionate about building educational systems that help learners become outstanding surgeons, thoughtful leaders, and lifelong improvers,” said Awad. “Stanford is uniquely positioned to shape the future of surgical education because of its extraordinary clinical programs, culture of innovation, strength in technology and data science, and deep commitment to training the next generation of academic surgeons.”
Awad says he wants to work with the department’s faculty and trainees to advance surgical education through a variety of avenues including simulation, coaching, objective performance assessment, and faculty development.
“My goal is to help create an education program that is rigorous, learner-centered, evidence-based, and nationally influential, while also preserving the mentorship, professionalism, and human connection that are at the heart of surgical training,” said Awad.
Awad is also a fellowship-trained minimally invasive surgeon with expertise in laparoscopic and robotic surgery procedures. He served as the Director of Robotic Surgery at Barnes-Jewish Christian HealthCare since 2020.
Awad earned his medical degree from Brown University School of Medicine before completing general surgery residency at Johns Hopkins University. He also served as visiting registrar at The John Radcliffe Hospital at Oxford University in 2006.
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