2025 ElectionsThe following candidates have submitted nominations for open positions on the Association of University Anesthesiologists (AUA) Council: Treasurer (One Position – Three-Year Term)Councilor-At-Large (Two Positions – Three-Year Term)
If you not have already done so, we strongly encourage all members to review their position statements by clicking on their name above. Candidate for Treasurer: C. David Mintz, MD, PhD
I am honored to stand for the position of Treasurer for the AUA. My career in academic anesthesiology truly started when I attended my first AUA meeting as a resident, and ever since that time I have been deeply committed to the organization. I have had the opportunity both to serve on and to chair the Scientific Advisory Board, which has given me good insight into the workings of AUA, including its current importance and future potential. I believe that AUA should strive not only to recognize excellence, but also to leverage its resources, the heart of which is a collection of the most experienced and accomplished individuals in our field, to support growth and innovation in education and research. These are challenging times, and we have an ever greater responsibility to the public and to each other to work together to keep advancing academics in Anesthesiology. I feel well prepared for this role through substantial experience with budget management and organizational finance in a variety of career activities including Executive Director for Perioperative Strategy for the Johns Hopkins Health System and Vice Chair for Clinical Operations, Neuroanethesia Division Chief, T32 Fellowship Director, and PI of an NIH funded laboratory in the Hopkins Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine. I also have relevant experience through designing and implementing the business plan for the Introduction to Clinical Research for Academic Anesthesiology Course that was launched this past year. I am both highly capable and strongly motivated to serve AUA through careful stewardship to maintain and grow its financial resources. Thank you for considering me as a candidate. Candidate for Councilor-At-Large: Michael C. Lewis, MD
I currently lead the Department of Anesthesiology, Pain Management & Perioperative Medicine at Henry Ford Health and Michigan State University. Together, we’ve built a system-wide academic department grounded in equity, clinical excellence, and innovation—spanning hospital and ambulatory platforms, expanding research programs, and supporting a strong ACGME educational portfolio. Our work in perioperative medicine, preoperative optimization, and procedural access reflects a team committed to impact, integrity, and future-ready care. Earlier in my career, I served as Chair at the University of Florida College of Medicine – Jacksonville and as Senior Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education at the University of Miami. I’ve also had the privilege of leading SAAAPM as President and contributing on the boards of SEA and ASA. Across these experiences, one truth has remained constant: durable change happens when leadership is shared, diverse voices are welcomed, and curiosity is matched with courage. If elected, I will bring clarity, perspective, and a collaborative spirit to the Council. I will listen carefully, advocate thoughtfully, and work to ensure the AUA remains a beacon for scholarship, mentorship, and aligned leadership in our field. Anesthesiology is evolving quickly. As we welcome new talent and reimagine old models, we need leaders who can help bridge what we’ve inherited with what we aspire to become. Thank you for the work you do—and for the trust that continues to sustain this organization. Candidate for Councilor-At-Large: Susan Martinelli, MD, FASA
Outside the AUA, I bring over 16 years of leadership experience in residency education at the University of North Carolina. Nationally, I currently serve as Secretary for the Association of Anesthesiology Core Program Directors and as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Education in Perioperative Medicine. Within the ACGME, I am the Vice Chair of the Anesthesiology Review Committee. My long-standing engagement with the Society for Education in Anesthesia includes Board service, active committee work, and chairing multiple national meetings. The AUA has been central to my professional identity. If elected, I will continue to champion initiatives that support our members and advance our shared mission. I would be honored to serve as a Councilor-at-Large. Candidate for Councilor-At-Large: Christine N. Sang, MD, MPH, FASA
I submit my nomination with deepest gratitude to and inspiration by exceptional mentors throughout my career, including mentors on my T35 (Hopkins) and T32 (Harvard/Anesthesia) training grants, and at the Neurobiology and Anesthesiology Branch/NIDCR/NIH. I have served on the AUA’s SAB since 2018, and am grateful to my AUA colleagues for working tirelessly to support the junior anesthesiology physician scientists. As a scientific member of the HHS/Interagency Pain Research Coordinating Committee (IPRCC), I facilitated an AUA webinar in 2022 on the growth and retention of the anesthesiology and pain research workforce, to promote our alignment with the Anesthesia Research Council and the IPRCC. This alignment is critical to ensure success in the rapidly changing academic landscape. I am deeply committed to advancing academic anesthesiology and can support our community during these dynamic times:
These and other positions that I have held involved developing strategic plans, including strategic initiatives and metrics to measure progress and impact. My experience crafting organizational policies (including the integration of DEI into Praxis’ organization and strategic plan) are always based on the interests and needs of the members and the communities that we serve. As Councilor-At-Large, I would also encourage new opportunities to overcome challenges to best serve all AUA members and all academic anesthesiologists. Candidate for Councilor-At-Large: Deepak Sharma, MBBS, MD, DM
I have been a PI/co-investigator on grants funded by NIH, AHRQ, AMA, and others. I have edited textbooks and serve on editorial boards of leading journals in our field. I have led educational innovations, research advancements, clinical guideline development and built multidisciplinary partnerships. I have valuable experience in quality management, clinical performance measures and global health. I have served in leadership roles in other professional organizations. These include serving as the President of Society for Neuroscience in Anesthesiology & Critical Care (SNACC) and chair of the Neuroanesthesia education track for American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA). Currently, I serve as a vice-chair of the ASA’s Annual Meeting Oversight Committee (AMOC). These roles have helped me develop important insights into enhancing the effectiveness of professional societies. I believe anesthesiology as a specialty can uniquely contribute to the advancement of medicine and science and would like to serve as a councilor-at-large to advance the mission of AUA. I believe it is critical to build an inclusive and collaborative academic community with broad engagement from departments that are not prominently represented in AUA. I would like to strategically enhance the outreach and impact of AUA by focusing on mentorship and career advancement opportunities for diverse pool of anesthesiologists. I have the enthusiasm, experience, and commitment to serve. Thank you for your consideration. Candidate for Councilor-At-Large: Tracey Straker, MD, MS, MPH, CBA, FASA
When I was inducted into the AUA , I was so proud to be aligned with this organization. Serving as a member of LAB bringing scientific rigor to many of the social issues within our specialty, receiving the first IDEAL award, and serving my term as an AUA council member have further engraved the respect and need for academia and rigor in our specialty. As I seek another term as a council member, I am energized with thoughts about the work that we as a society have yet to do. Increasing our membership with experienced and younger clinicians to maintain the longevity of society, mentoring and reverse mentoring of the clinicians of our specialty, contributing to the social aspects of specialty with an evidence based approach, imparting strong research values and opportunities to our membership – all culminating in sustaining and supporting the future of academic anesthesiology. I would be honored to be reelected to serve the AUA and its membership. My value to the membership is that I hear you, and I bring your voices and thoughts back to AUA leadership. My value to the AUA is that I am poised to do what is needed to ensure that AUA continues to meet its mission and contribute to the sustainability and growth of academic anesthesiology. |
Fellow AUA Members,
It’s an honor to be considered for Councilor-at-Large with the Association of University Anesthesiologists. The AUA has long stood as a home for purposeful, forward-facing academic leadership—and I would be proud to help advance that mission.
Since first presenting at the AUA annual meeting in 2017 on the flipped classroom, I have been deeply committed to our mission of advancing academic anesthesiology through education, research, and mentorship. My service has focused on educational leadership. I joined the Educational Advisory Board (EAB) in 2018, chaired it in 2022, and now serve as immediate past chair. I am especially proud to have helped create and lead the Fundamentals of Professional Mentoring workshop for two consecutive years (2024 and 2025).
I would be honored to serve the AUA as a Councilor-At-Large to fulfill its mission to promote excellence in academic anesthesiology. As a Councilor-At-Large, I would work toward advancing our strategic goals: To promote the development and mentoring of our membership; to foster and promote member engagement; and to sustain and support the future of academic anesthesiology.
Thank you for considering me for the AUA Council. I am a clinical Neuroanesthesiologist, educator, and researcher with special interest in cerebrovascular disease. I am currently the vice-chair for Faculty Affairs & Development and hold an endowed chair in my department. Previously, I served as the Division Chief of Neuroanesthesiology & Perioperative Neurosciences for over 10 years. I am a dedicated member of the AUA, currently serve on the Scientific Advisory Board and have been involved in planning scientific sessions for the annual meeting, abstract presentations, and webinars over the years. I have also moderated abstracts at the AUA meetings. For the 2026 meeting in Seattle, I am serving as the primary liaison between AUA and my department and leading local organization of the meeting.
It has been my pleasure to serve the AUA over the years. As a young clinician, I often wondered in awe about the caliber of physicians who were selected into AUA, and how I could become one of them. The mystique of the organization was known for excellence in academic anesthesiology , inclusion in its membership and professional growth.