Holden Emerging Leaders Council
Purpose and focus
The Emerging Leaders Council (ELC) would represent the interests of Holden early career faculty and advises leadership on how to best leverage its resources to promote the success of early career faculty and accelerate the impact of their research.
- Identify high priority issues and opportunities of interest interest/importance to early career faculty members
- Assist and support Holden senior leadership and program leaders in developing and implementing center-wide initiatives and activities
- Advocate on behalf of early career Holden faculty members
- Highlight promising new research opportunities, approaches and techniques likely to be impactful for all members
- Lead selected research program-focused indicatives and activities
Membership
In 2025-2026, membership includes:
- Po Hien Ear, PhD, Assistant Professor of Surgery - Surgical Oncology and Endocrine Surgery
- Naomi Fei, MD, MS, Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine, Hematology/Oncology
- Nicole Fleege, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine, Hematology/Oncology
- Phillip Gander, PhD, Research Assistant Professor of Radiology, Nuclear Medicine
- Jenna Gedminas, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Hematology/Oncology
- Andrew Groves, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics - Hematology/Oncology
- Kristina Guyton, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery - Gastrointestinal, Minimally Invasive and Bariatric Surgery
- James Holmes, PhD, Assistant Professor of Radiology
- Sara Claire Horton, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Hematology/Oncology
- Michelle Howard, PhD, Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology
- Colin Kenny, PhD, Assistant Professor of Surgery - Surgical Oncology and Endocrine Surgery
- Helen Lillie, PhD, Assistant Professor of Communication Studies
- Adam Mailloux, PhD, Assistant Professor of Microbiology & Immunology
- Ananya Panda, MBBS, MD, DNB, FRCR, Clinical Assistant Professor of Radiology, Body Imaging
- Michael Petronek, PhD, Research Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology
- John Rieth, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine, Hematology/Oncology
- Hira Shaikh, MBBS, Clinical Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine, Hematology/Oncology
- Sarah Short, PhD, Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine, Hematology/Oncology
- Jennifer Strouse, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine - Immunology
- Yuanlu (April) Sun, PhD, RN, CLT, Assistant Professor, College of Nursing, Community and Primary Care
- Moon Ley Tung, MBBS, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Medical Genetics and Genomics
- Vincent Wagner, MD, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology - Gynecologic Oncology
- Shujie Yang, PhD, Assistant Professor of Pathology
- Jessica Zimmerman, MD, MS, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics - Hematology/Oncology
Requirements for participation
Applications for 2025 have closed.
To apply for the Holden Emerging Leaders Council, you must:
- Be appointed as an Assistant Professor in the tenure track, research track or clinical track, or be appointed as an Associate Professor that is new to the position or new to UI campus (within 2 years).
- Be an affiliate, associate, or full member of the cancer center
- Be willing and able to attend monthly meetings and contribute to the success of Holden
- Letter of support from your Department Chair
Structure
20–25-member council with 2-year terms
- Council members apply and are selected by Holden Senior Leadership
- ELC appoints their leadership
- Chair – member on Holden Research Executive Committee (meets monthly) and other senior leader meetings (such as External Advisory Board), as needed.
- Vice Chair – member on Holden Research Executive Committee (meets monthly) and other senior leader meetings (such as External Advisory Board), as needed
- ELC members are expected to participate regularly and actively in the full range of Holden activities, including research program meetings and retreats, seminars and lectures, and education, training and outreach activities
- ELC members contribute to CCSG renewal, upon request
- Members serve on Holden advisory committees
Frequency
Monthly meetings with scheduling and room reservations supported by OCCET
Benefits
ELC members can leverage tangible and intangible benefits from their service
- Travel and registration fee (up to $500/yr) for cancer conference trip or leadership training opportunity for ELC members who attend at least 50% of the council meetings.
- Obtain deeper understanding of Holden’s mission, vision, and strategies
- Provide strategic input to Holden leadership at various meetings and forums
- Opportunity to interact with internal and external leaders in cancer research
- Visibility on cancer center website, promoted internally and externally