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.

Committee Members

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

Beth Ipock, MAEd, MSW, QMHP, Staff Representative
Director of Clinical Skills Assessment and Evaluation

Tammy Barry, Carilion Clinic Administration Representative
Human Resources Consultant, Employee Relations

Jerrie Patterson, RN, Carilion Clinic Nursing Representative
Unit Director

Karen Burns, Administrative Support
Executive Assistant to the Dean

VTCSOM Faculty Representatives

• N.L. Bishop, DMin
  Sr. Associate Dean for Diversity, Inclusion, and Student Vitality
• Sarah DeWitt, MD
  Professor of Internal Medicine
  
• Emily Faulks, MD
  Professor of Surgery
• Robert Moylan, MD, PhD
  Assistant Professor of Gastroenterology
  
• Kris Rau, PhD
  Assistant Professor of Basic Science Education

VTCSOM Student Representatives

• Merly Konathapally, M1 Representative
  Class of 2025
• Doug Murray, M2 Representative
  Class of 2024
• Samantha Speroni, M2 Representative
  Class of 2024
• Luma Abunimer, M3 Representive
  Class of 2023
• April DeStefano, M3 Representative
  Class of 2023
• Yazdi Doshi, M4 Representative
  Class of 2022
• Aryo Sorayya, M4 Representative
  Class of 2022

Carilion Clinic Resident/Fellow Representatives

• Nazik Abuelgasim, MD
  Neurology
• Kevin Leal, MD
  Pediatrics
• Badr Ratnakaran, MD
  Psychiatry
• Tyler Wilson, MD
  Family Medicine

Committee Advisors

• Tracey Criss, MD
  Associate Dean for Clinical Science 3 and 4
• Aubrey Knight, MD
  Senior Dean for Student Affairs
• David Musick, PhD
  Senior Dean for Faculty Affairs
• Rebecca Pauly, MD
• Vice Dean