AUA Annual Meeting 2025 – MEB Awardsby Ameeka Pannu, MD The Membership Engagement Advisory Board (MEB) hosted the Member Reception at the historic Harvard Club, a fitting end to a meeting day where we celebrated the presentation of the MEB awards by Co-Chairs Drs. Valerie Armstead and Michael Aziz following the morning meeting session. These awards recognize the commitment of AUA members to the field of anesthesiology, their colleagues and the progression of academic medicine. The awards are similarly a reflection of the mission of the MEB by highlighting the many ways an AUA membership richly contributes to both individual careers and the growth of our specialty. The MEB awards members in three categories, starting with the Rising Star Award, presented to an AUA Associate Member and awarded this year to Dr. Emmett Whitaker, Associate Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine at Johns Hopkins in recognition of his outstanding work as part of the AUA Mentoring Program. Dr. Maya Hastie, Professor of Anesthesiology at Columbia University received the Active Member of the Year Award in recognition of her service to the AUA, including her tenure on the Leadership Advisory Board where she served as the inaugural Chair. Dr. Jeffrey Kirsch, Professor of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at the University of Washington received the Lifetime Achievement Award following many nominations from academic leaders across the nation who highlighted his many contributions in research, education and mentoring in anesthesia across multiple institutions including Johns Hopkins, the Medical College of Wisconsin, OHSU and UW. Comments shared from nominators included the many objective measures of his success as a leader and spoke to his tremendous character and impact on individuals and groups alike. A member of the AUA since 1991, Dr. Kirsch has served in many roles, including as President from 2020 to 2022 with an indelible impact on its members and growth. His decisions as a leader, vision, strategy and efforts have directly contributed to the AUA’s position as a preeminent academic anesthesia society today. Dr. Aziz’s comments, including the pivotal role Dr. Kirsch had on his own career were followed by Dr. Kirsch’s gracious acceptance of this award to a moving and powerful standing ovation.
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