Learning Environment Advocacy Committee

The Learning Environment Advocacy Committee (LEAC) is a committee composed of faculty, staff, students, residents, and Carilion health professionals appointed by the dean.

The committee is charged with:

• promoting a learning environment that best supports student education;
• raising awareness about what constitutes mistreatment and unprofessional behavior through educational sessions for medical students, residents, and faculty;
• investigating allegations of mistreatment and unprofessional behavior in the learning environment; and
• resolving reported incidents through a committee process that determines appropriate disciplinary action to address the unacceptable behavior.

Chair

Felicity Adams-Vanke, MD, Committee Chair
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

VTCSOM Faculty Representatives

• N.L. Bishop, DMin
  Faculty/Senior Associate Dean for Diversity, Inclusion and Student Vitality
• Chad J. DeMott, MD
  Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine
  
• Emily Faulks, MD
  Professor of Surgery
• Robert Moylan, MD, PhD
  Assistant Professor of Gastroenterology
  
• Badr Ratnkaran, MBBS
  Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine
• David O'Neil, MD
  Assistant Professor of Pediatrics

VTCSOM Student Representatives

• Katie Bower
  Class of 2028
• Matthew Drescher
  Class of 2027
• Anvitha Metpally
  Class of 2027
• Alexis Dowiak
  Class of 2026
• Lilian Brouwer
  Class of 2026
• Alana Hull
  Class of 2025
• Merly Konathapally
  Class of 2025

VTCSOM/CarilionClinic Resident/Fellow Representatives

• Shannon Howard, MD
• Rohit Dasgupta, MD
• Akhil Pola, MBBS
• Derek Schaap, MD
• Elise Zhao, MD
• Violet Swanson, DO
• Benjamin Wiener, MD

Committee Advisors

• Jed Gonzalo, MD
  Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education
  
• Aubrey Knight, MD
  Phase 2 Curriculum Director
• David Musick, PhD
  Senior Dean for Faculty Affairs
• Rebecca Pauly, MD
  Vice Dean
• Lisa Uherick, MD
  Chief Well-Being Officer
• Amanda Murchison, MD
  Senior Associate Dean for Student Affairs

VTCSOM Staff Representative

• Beth Ipock
  Standardized Patients

CarilionClinic Administration Representative

• Tara Wiedeman
  Senior Director, Education and Organizational Development

Administrative Support

• Beth Bond
  Administrative Support