The GSA Steering Committee is the executive committee for the Group on Student Affairs and is comprised of the executive leadership, the chairs of the GSA National Committees, the GSA regional chairs, as well as liaisons from the Council of Deans (COD), Organization of Student Representatives (OSR), and National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions (NAAHP). The areas represented by the GSA encompass a wide range of issues, policies, and operational characteristics that require study and deliberation on an ongoing basis. In order to provide a mechanism for the study of issues and problems associated with this full range of complex and diverse issues, the GSA Steering Committee established national committees in the areas of admissions, student affairs, student diversity affairs, student financial assistance, and student records.
Message from the GSA National Chair
Dear Colleagues,
It is a privilege and honor to serve as the National Chair of the Group on Student Affairs (GSA), the affinity group within the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) whose mission is “...to represent the interests of medical schools and medical students in the areas of admissions, student affairs, financial aid, diversity affairs, and student records.”
There are a myriad of issues facing our students, whether personally or professionally, and we must ensure a safe and equitable learning environment that ensures professional growth, wellbeing, inclusivity and compassion for our learners, as well as for medical educators and student affair professionals. You will find that GSA is student-centered and positioned to address these challenges by creating a space that includes and engages voices from all of the AAMC constituents as well as our outside partners (e.g., program directors, ACGME, NRMP, NBME).
We hope you take advantage of the information, resources and tools provided on this GSA website, so that you and your students are successful and prosper. Please feel free to contact me or any member of the GSA steering committee team with any questions.
Kindest regards,
Charles A. Pohl, MD
Chancellor (Center City Campus) & Vice Provost (Student Affairs) – Thomas Jefferson University
Vice Dean (Student Affairs and Career Counseling) & Professor of Pediatrics – Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University
Steering Committee Members
Chair
Charles A. Pohl, MD (November 2020 – November 2021)
Vice Provost for Student Affairs
Vice Dean for Student Affairs and Career Counseling
Professor of Pediatrics
Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University
Chair-Elect
Kathleen Kashima, PhD (November 2020 – November 2021)
Senior Associate Dean for Students
University of Illinois College of Medicine
Vice-Chair
Hilit Mechaber, MD (November 2020 – November 2021)
Senior Associate Dean for Student Affairs
Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
Immediate Past Chair
Anita Pokorny, MEd (November 2020 – November 2021)
Assistant Dean of Students
Assistant Professor, Family and Community Medicine
College of Medicine
Office of the Dean and Medical Education
Northeast Ohio Medical University
Previous Past Chair
Wanda Dean Lipscomb, PhD (November 2020 – November 2021)
Associate Dean for Student Affairs
Senior Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion
Associate Professor of Psychiatry
Michigan State University College of Human Medicine
Committee on Admissions (COA) Chair
Lina Mehta, MD (April 2020 – November 2023)
Associate Dean for Admissions
Professor of Radiology
Case Western Reserve School of Medicine
Committee on Student Affairs (COSA) Chair
Tara K Cunningham, EdD, MS (November 2020 – November 2023)
(November 2020 – November 2023)
Senior Associate Dean for Student Affairs
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Committee on Student Diversity Affairs (COSDA) Chair
Ann-Gel S. Palermo, MPH, DrPH (November 2018 – November 2021)
Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion in Biomedical Education
Associate Professor of Medical Education and Pediatrics
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Committee on Student Financial Assistance (COSFA) Chair
Damien Jackson, MEd (November 2018 – November 2021)
Assistant Dean for Student Finances
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Yeshiva University
Committee on Student Records (COSR) Chair
Alisha Corsi (November 2020 – November 2023)
Registrar Coordinator
University of Central Florida College of Medicine
Central Region (CGSA) Chair
Carol Tsao, MD, JD (April 2021 – April 2022)
Associate Dean of Student Affairs
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Northeastern Region (NEGSA) Chair
Kristin DeSimone (April 2021 – April 2022)
Associate Dean, Student Affairs and Career Counseling
Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University
Southern Region (SGSA) Chair
Christina Grabowski, PhD (April 2021 – April 2022)
Associate Dean for Admissions and Enrollment Management
University of Alabama, Birmingham
Western Region (WGSA) Chair
Teresa A. Vigil, MD (July 2020 – April 2022)
Professor, Department of Pediatrics
Assistant Dean of Students, Office of Medical Student Affairs
University of New Mexico School of Medicine
Council of Deans (COD) Liaison
Scott Strome, MD (July 2020 – July 2021)
Vice Chancellor for Clinical Affairs
University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine
National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions (NAAHP) Liaison
Francie Cuffney, PhD (June 2020 – June 2022)
President-Elect, NAAHP
Professor of Biological Sciences
Department Head, Biology
Meredith College
Organization of Student Representatives (OSR) Liaison
Lior Levy (November 2020 – November 2022)
MD Candidate
New York Medical College
AAMC Staff Liaison
Irena Tartakovsky, MD, MS
Director, Constituent Engagement
Association of American Medical Colleges
Related Resources
Please send any questions, suggestions, or requests for meeting minutes and archived agendas to gsa@aamc.org.