The mission of the Association of University Anesthesiologists (AUA) is “to promote excellence in academic anesthesiology through mentorship; promotion of diversity and inclusivity; and professional growth throughout the careers of educators, academic leaders, and researchers.” This mission, with a focus on the promotion of excellence in academic anesthesiology, might seem inconsistent with the common or historical perception of the AUA as an honorific society that merely recognizes excellence. The AUA is, however, thoughtfully transitioning to a more functional organization with the goal of actively expanding, advancing, and diversifying academic anesthesiology. This evolution might create discomfort for some, or even concern. As I consider the AUA and the state of academic anesthesiology, here are some reflections as to why this strategic refocusing is imperative.  

This is such an exciting time to be part of the AUA. As the new Chair for the Educational Advisory Board (EAB), I am grateful for the opportunity to participate in the growth and development of our organization according to the desires and needs of our membership. I joined the AUA in 2017 and have been a member of the EAB since 2018. My passions within our field lie in resident education and education research. I would like to thank Dr. Keith Baker for his service as the EAB Chair for the past four years. He has done a tremendous job steering our Board and is an incredible mentor to me.

Mentorship: Challenges and Future Direction

Throughout the ages, mentorship has remained an attractive concept of connection, learning, and support. In the Greek epic, the Odyssey, Ulysses leaves to war and entrusts his son Telemachus to the care of the old and wise Mentor. With Mentor’s guidance, it was hoped that the young prince would develop to his full potential. Later, mentorship became an integral aspect of learning the practice of medicine. As an apprentice, the student learned the skills of the expert master physician who imparted their wisdom, knowledge, and expertise.

The AUA Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) is looking forward to continuing ongoing efforts and launching new projects to actively promote the interests of anesthesiologist physician scientists across our specialty. The SAB has new membership, with Dr. C. David Mintz taking over as the Chair, and with the addition of Drs. Miriam Treggiari, Ben Palanca, Jiapeng Huang, Eellan Sivanesan, and Kimberly Rengel as new members to replace those who are rotating off. Returning members include Drs. Christine Sang, Niccolo Terrando, Anthony Anderson, Frederick Billings, Maurizio Cereda, Christina Pabelik, Jean-Francois Pittet, Rene Przkora, and Deepak Sharma. The SAB had its opening meeting with the newly constituted group and discussed last year’s meeting, ongoing initiatives, and ideas for new initiatives. The group decided to work collaboratively to develop a mission statement and strategic goals which are aligned around the new strategic plan crafted by the AUA Council, to serve as guidance for the current and future boards in developing and maintaining initiatives.

It gives me great pleasure, as a member of the Association of University of Anesthesiologists (AUA) Leadership Advisory Board, to announce that the AUA will have a presence at the annual meeting of the National Medical Association (NMA) in Atlanta, GA from July 30 – August 3, 2022. A few members of the AUA are also members of the NMA. Nearly every year since its founding in 1895, the NMA has held the Annual Convention & Scientific Assembly, which is regarded as the nation’s foremost forum on medical science and African American health.

It is with tremendous sadness that we inform you of the passing of Dr. Lisa Wise-Faberowski. Lisa was an important contributor to advancement in academic anesthesiology. I have had the pleasure to consider myself as Lisa’s colleague and friend for the past 25 years. 

She was a gifted clinician and an incredible intellectual. Her intense work-ethic and high personal standards created a natural path to leadership within organized medicine.

It is with profound sadness that we inform you about the passing of a beloved member of our Duke Anesthesiology family and one of Duke’s most distinguished faculty, Dr. David S. Warner. He passed away on December 5 at the age of 68.

An eminent leader in our field, Dr. Warner was one of the world’s most respected neuroanesthesiologists and described as a beacon of integrity. He will be remembered as an extraordinary but humble academician, physician, scientist, and mentor who dedicated his career to training the next generation in our specialty and multidisciplinary collaboration. His life’s work was focused on understanding the biology of acute central nervous system (CNS) injury, with a specific focus on the development of preclinical models of human disease and the development of therapeutics.

Dr. Ben F. Rusy, Emeritus Professor and former Chair of the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, passed away on December 27, 2021.