Office of Academic and Faculty Affairs
The University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine and Children’s Hospital Colorado are large institutions whose success depends on excellence in our faculty missions of education, clinical care, research and discovery, and service. We know that our faculty are the most valuable resource in maintaining our nationally respected leadership position among pediatric academic medical centers.
The Department of Pediatrics Office of Academic and Faculty Affairs offers support services and career guidance, and maintains helpful information for faculty regarding appointments, policies, and promotion and tenure. We hope our efforts assist faculty members in setting meaningful goals and in pursuing paths to successful, fulfilling careers.
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Career Development and Mentoring
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Faculty Resources
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Faculty Working Groups
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Promotion and Tenure
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2026 Faculty Promotions
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Contact Us
Department of Pediatrics Faculty Affairs is committed to the success of all faculty members in the Department. Our goal is to promote faculty advancement and well-being by providing tools to successfully navigate a career at the University of Colorado Anschutz. The resources provided here are not intended to replace what many sections are already doing, but rather to enhance any existing programs and ensure all faculty have a foundation for a fulfilling career.
Successful academic careers are the result of thoughtful planning and knowledgeable guidance. A defined career plan is an essential “road map” for reaching your goals. Use the resources below to develop your own plan and to find colleagues
who can advise you along the way. Under this section, you will find information tailored to early-career, mid-career, and senior-career faculty.
Early career faculty have less than 7-10 years of faculty experience in their fields. Early career faculty should focus on procuring and maintaining the mentoring, training, and resources necessary as they begin to define their career paths. Career development will vary by area of focus, training, interests, and anticipated faculty series. Please refer to the Faculty Handbook [link will be inserted] for additional details on career development.
Mid-career faculty generally have more than 7-10 years of faculty experience in their fields. Mid-career faculty should focus on achieving excellence in their chosen career path, e.g. building on accomplishments as early career faculty towards a path of increasing independence, focusing on primary areas of interest, actively mentoring trainees and early career faculty, and developing leadership skills. Please refer to the Faculty Handbook [link will be inserted] for additional details on career development.
Senior-career faculty generally have more than 14 - 20 years of faculty experience in their fields. Senior faculty should focus on adding to their accomplishments; contributing to the missions of our department; making an impact on the next generation of clinicians, educators, and scientists; and, in many cases, becoming leaders at the local, regional, national, and/or international levels.
Mentoring
The Department of Pediatrics views mentoring as an important aspect of faculty professional and career development. Our Office of Faculty Affairs, along with the School of Medicine Office of Faculty Affairs, is dedicated to enhancing faculty development through our mentoring program, especially for junior faculty.
Mentoring is a reciprocal and collaborative learning relationship in which mentor and mentee agree to a partnership and share responsibility and accountability toward the achievement of mutually defined goals that will develop a mentee’s skills, abilities, knowledge, and thinking.
Learn more about our mentoring policy, navigator program, and other School of Medicine resources through these links below.
Mentor Navigators will help faculty identify potential mentors and provide objective assessments of career and research plans. The concept of a Mentor Navigator has been developed to augment, not replace, the role of any established faculty mentor or mentoring team.
Mentoring Resources
Clinical Faculty Scholars Program (CFSP)
Helps emerging investigators obtain a career development award (e.g. K08, K23), or a first independent project award (R21, R01 or equivalent) via development of an individual career plan and regular individual mentorship from four experienced senior researchers.
Colorado Immersion Training (CIT)
Brings together experts in community engagement to help investigators address the community relevance of their research activities as well as to help communities ask and answer questions about their health
Colorado Mentor (CO-Mentor) Training Program
Provides evidence-based strategies to teach mentor/mentee pairs the practical skills they need for mentoring success
Colorado PROFILES
A search engine which helps investigators and students find experts, potential collaborators, or mentors both at CU Anschutz and across the nation
Adult & Child Center for Outcomes Research & Delivery Science (ACCORDS)
ACCORDS supports both methodologic cores and programs. Our methodologic cores provide support for the development of new projects, grant proposals for faculty, consultative support to investigators, as well as support for our programmatic areas. Programs focus on the development of an educational or scientific discipline and may also have a methodologic core component.
I-Corps@CCTSI
An entrepreneurial training that and uses proven customer-discovery methodologies for startups and guides teams through the early stages of discovery where they can test their business model hypotheses for their technology/idea and thereby accelerate the translation of innovations from the lab to clinical practice.
KL2 (K12) Research Scholar Awards
Provides career development to train awardees to obtain individual funding via participation in monthly mentoring/career development sessions and the annual national CTSA consortium meeting.
Optional Clinical Research Training and Resources
Available for study coordinators and investigators and cover issues such as UCD IRB processes, budgeting for a clinical trial, recruitment and informed consent, FDA audits, and good clinical practice guidelines. View regulatory tools and forms.
PreK and K to R Review Programs
Grant pre-submission mock grant review processes for faculty who are submitting their first K- or R-level application to the NIH and provides internal review prior to submission to increase the chances for success
Research Studio Program
A 90 minute structured, collaborative roundtable discussion with relevant research experts to help investigators with specific questions and is based on models from industry that demonstrate that multidisciplinary content experts can increase research impact. The service is free and funded by the CCTSI
Department of Pediatrics Faculty Affairs has compiled a number of resources to assist faculty and staff. You may find the list on our intranet page.
Instructor Faculty Working Group (IFWG)
A faculty working group for instructors, senior instructors, and APPs of any years of experience.
Mission: The Instructor Faculty Working Group (IFWG) represents our inter-professional faculty members including instructors, senior instructors, and advanced practice providers. Our mission is to support opportunities for career development and inter-professional collaboration among these faculty members in the Department of Pediatrics.
For more information including members, events, and resources, please see the dedicated page on the Department of Pediatrics intranet.
PhD Faculty Working Group (PhDFWG)
A faculty working group for PhD research faculty of all ranks and years of experience.
Mission: The function of this group is to serve as a bridge between our diverse PhD faculty within the Department of Pediatrics and our departmental leadership.
For more information including members, events, and resources, please see the dedicated page on the Department of Pediatrics intranet.
Early Career Faculty Working Group (ECFWG)
A working group for faculty with up to seven years of faculty experience in their fields. The group focuses on supporting early career faculty including with topics that include mentoring, training, and resources necessary as they begin to define their career paths.
Mission: The Early Career Faculty Working Group is a small group of junior faculty members with a primary mission to address topics of specific interest to early career faculty in the Department of Pediatrics.
We strive to promote discussion and facilitate interaction among faculty members who may otherwise never work together.
This group also serves as a support network to allow for research and clinical collaborations and for representation of early career faculty interests at the Department of Pediatrics Academic and Faculty Affairs meetings.
We strive to provide seminars on topics of interest to early career faculty and to organize a formal retreat every other year.
For more information including members, events, and resources, please see the dedicated page on the Department of Pediatrics intranet.
Mid-career Faculty Working Group (MCFWG)
A working group that supports faculty who generally have between seven and thirteen years of total experience in their field, regardless of rank or institution. A maximum of 6 members will be elected for a three-year term. The primary charter for this group includes pathway to professor planning, resourcing, and mentoring, increasing awareness of specific faculty needs, provider wellness, and growing networking opportunities across fields and ranks.
Mission: The MCFWG will develop and support activities and projects to enrich and improve the career development of all mid-career faculty in the Department of Pediatrics with a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We will advocate for issues important to faculty and help create connections between faculty members that would not otherwise exist.
For more information including members, events, and resources, please see the dedicated page on the Department of Pediatrics intranet.
Late-career Faculty Working Group
A working group that supports faculty who generally have more than thirteen years of total experience in their field, regardless of rank or institution. A maximum of 6 members will be elected for a three-year term. The primary charter for this group includes identifying and raising awareness of specific faculty needs, provider wellness, generating new opportunities for connections to earlier-career faculty, succession planning, long-range planning including career transition and retirement, and emeritus faculty engagement.
For more information including members, events, and resources, please see the dedicated page on the Department of Pediatrics intranet.
The Department of Pediatrics Academic Affairs Office provides guidance for and oversees the processes of assigning academic rank for new hires, mid-point reviews for assistant professors, academic promotion, and awards of tenure.
Mark Abzug, MD, serves as Vice Chair for Academic Affairs, and Nancy Krebs, MD, MS, serves as Associate Vice Chair for Academic Affairs. Rhonda Buckner and Nikki Ruderman are the administrative support for the Department of Pediatrics Academic Affairs Office.
For resources and guidelines for faculty in the School of Medicine, please visit the School of Medicine’s Faculty Affairs website
For information specific to faculty within the Department of Pediatrics, please visit the Academic and Faculty Affairs intranet page “Promotions and Tenure.” Note you will need to log in with your University of Colorado Anschutz credentials to access the intranet.
For complete School of Medicine information about promotion/appointment processes and rules, promotion/appointment criteria, awards of tenure, and dossier preparation, see the School of Medicine Promotion and Tenure Page.
Celebrating Faculty Promotions and Awards of Tenure
We are pleased to announce our faculty who have been promoted to associate professor, professor and awarded tenure during the 2025–26 academic year, which go into effect on July 1, 2026.
| Section of Adolescent Medicine | |
| Michael Spaulding-Barclay, MD | Associate Professor Appointment |
| Section of Allergy & Clinical Immunology | |
| Allison Hicks, MD | Promotion to Associate Professor |
| Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes | |
| Erin Cobry, MD | Promotion to Associate Professor |
| Gregory Forlenza, MD | Promotion to Professor |
| Mia Smith, PhD, DVM | Promotion to Associate Professor |
| Andrea Steck, MD | Award of Tenure |
| Taylor Triolo, MD | Promotion to Associate Professor |
| Section of Cardiology | |
| Emily Bucholz, MD | Promotion to Associate Professor |
| Matthew Campbell, MD | Associate Professor Appointment |
| Jeffrey Darst, MD | Promotion to Professor |
| Jesse Davidson, MD | Promotion to Professor |
| Anastacia Garcia, PhD | Promotion to Associate Professor |
| Ryan Leahy, MD | Promotion to Professor of Clinical Practice |
| Elizabeth Yeung, MD | Promotion to Professor of Clinical Practice |
| Adel Younoszai, MD | Professor Appointment |
| Child Abuse & Neglect/Kempe Center | |
| Rashaan (Curtis) Ford, MD | Promotion to Associate Professor |
| Child Health Associate/Physician Assistant (CHA/PA) | |
| Kelsey Dougherty, MMSc, PA-C | Promotion to Associate Professor |
| Jackie Sivahop, EdD, MS, PA-C | Promotion to Professor |
| Section of Child Neurology | |
| Jennifer Hranilovich, MD | Promotion to Associate Professor |
| Arianna Martin, PysD | Promotion to Associate Professor |
| Michael Mesches, PhD | Promotion to Associate Research Professor |
| Andrea Miele, PhD | Promotion to Associate Professor |
| Benjamin Ross, MD | Promotion to Associate Professor of Clinical Practice |
| Elizabeth Troy, MD | Promotion to Associate Professor |
| Michele Yang, MD | Promotion to Professor |
| Section of Critical Care Medicine | |
| Blake Martin, MD | Promotion to Associate Professor |
| Patrick Cripe, MD | Promotion to Associate Professor of Clinical Practice |
| Claudia Kunrath, MD | Promotion to Professor of Clinical Practice |
| Kathryn Walsh, MD | Promotion to Associate Professor |
| Section of Developmental Biology | |
| Christian Mosimann, PhD | Promotion to Professor with Award of Tenure |
| Julie Siegenthaler, PhD | Promotion to Professor with Award of Tenure |
| Section of Developmental Pediatrics | |
| Elizabeth Bennett, PhD | Promotion to Associate Professor of Clinical Practice |
| Section of Emergency Medicine | |
| Bernadette Johnson, MD | Promotion to Professor of Clinical Practice |
| Kelley Roswell, MD | Promotion to Professor |
| Sandra Spencer, MD | Promotion to Professor |
| George Wang, MD | Promotion to Professor |
| Joseph Wathen, MD | Promotion to Professor |
| Alexandria Wiersma, MD | Promotion to Associate Professor |
| Section of Endocrinology | |
| Junxiao Hu, PhD | Promotion to Associate Professor |
| Christopher Lewis, MD | Associate Professor Appointment |
| Animesh Sharma, MD | Promotion to Associate Professor of Clinical Practice |
| Section of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition | |
| Caroline Hall, MD, PhD | Promotion to Associate Professor |
| Alexandra Kilgore, MD | Promotion to Associate Professor |
| Jacob Mark, MD | Promotion to Associate Professor |
| Section of General Pediatrics | |
| Lisa DeCamp, MD | Promotion to Professor |
| Christina Studts, PhD | Promotion to Professor |
| Meghan Treitz, MD | Promotion to Professor |
| Section of Genetics and Metabolism | |
| Curtis Coughlin, PhD, MS | Promotion to Professor |
| Section of Hematology, Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplantation | |
| Kelly Faulk, MD | Promotion to Associate Professor |
| Craig Forester, MD, PhD | Promotion to Associate Professor |
| Adam Green, MD | Promotion to Professor with Award of Tenure |
| Jean Mulcahy-Levy, MD | Promotion to Professor |
| Taizo Nakano, MD | Promotion to Professor |
| Section of Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology | |
| Sam Dominguez, MD, PhD | Award of Tenure |
| Sean O'Leary, MD | Award of Tenure |
| Section of Neonatology | |
| Stephanie Chassen, MD | Promotion to Associate Professor |
| Evgenia Dobrinskikh, PhD | Promotion to Associate Professor |
| Megan Turner, MD | Promotion to Associate Professor |
| Clyde Wright, MD | Award of Tenure |
| Section of Nephrology | |
| Eliza Blanchette, MD | Promotion to Associate Professor |
| Section of Nutrition | |
| Kristen Boyle, PhD | Promotion to Professor with Award of Tenure |
| Liliane Diab, MD | Promotion to Associate Professor of Clinical Practice |
| Jaime Moore, MD | Promotion to Associate Professor |
| Noel Mueller, PhD | Promotion to Professor with Award of Tenure |
| Section of Palliative Medicine | |
| Brooke Geyer, DO | Promotion to Associate Professor of Clinical Practice |
| Benjamin Moresco, MD | Associate Professor Appointment |
| Kristen Eisenman, MD | Associate Professor of Clinical Practice Appointment |
| Section of Pediatric Hospital Medicine | |
| Lauren Anderson, MD | Promotion to Associate Professor |
| Tracey Clark, MD | Promotion to Associate Professor of Clinical Practice |
| Lee Engelbreth, MD | Promotion to Associate Professor of Clinical Practice |
| Katja Gist, DO | Professor Appointment |
| Alexandra Kilinsky, DO | Promotion to Associate Professor |
| Hannah Neubauer, MD | Promotion to Associate Professor |
| Kyle Pronko, MD | Promotion to Associate Professor |
| Suchitra Rao, MBBS, MSCS | Promotion to Professor |
| Lisa Umphrey, MD | Promotion to Associate Professor |
| Amy Willis, MD | Promotion to Associate Professor of Clinical Practice |
| Jason Zamkoff, MD | Promotion to Professor of Clinical Practice |
| Prevention Research Center | |
| Venice Williams, PhD | Promotion to Associate Professor |
| Section of Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine | |
| Antoinette Burns, DO, MPH | Promotion to Professor of Clinical Practice |
| Oren Kupfer, MD | Promotion to Professor of Clinical Practice |
| Kate Smith, MD | Promotion to Associate Professor |
| Katherine Wesley, PhD | Promotion to Associate Professor |
| Edith Zemanick, MD | Award of Tenure |
Academic Affairs
Contact Academic Affairs Program Coordinators Rhonda.Buckner@childrenscolorado.org or nicole.ruderman@childrenscolorado.org for questions regarding
- Scheduling an appointment with Mark Abzug or Nancy Krebs
- Faculty promotion process including
- Nominations
- Dossier preparation
- Mid-Point Review
- Promotion readiness
- Diversity and Inclusion Committee
Faculty Affairs
Contact Faculty Affairs Program Manager and PRiSM Manager Justin.Lotspeich@childrenscolorado.org for questions regarding
- Scheduling an appointment with Andrew Sirotnak about faculty concerns, feedback, or questions
- PRiSM (Performance Review in the School of Medicine)
- Pediatrics LAUNCH Program
- New Faculty Reception
- Academic and Faculty Affairs webpages and intranet pages
- Early Career Faculty Interest Group (ECFWG), events, and webpage
- Mid-Career Faculty Interest Group (MCFWG), events, and webpage
- Late-Career Faculty Interest Group (SCFWG), events, and webpage
- PhD Faculty Working Group (PhDFWG), events, and webpage
- Instructor Faculty Working Group (IFWG) events, and webpage
Vice Chairs
Mark Abzug
Vice Chair for Academic Affairs
Mark.Abzug@childrenscolorado.org
My role is to provide counseling to faculty on academic rank and advancement and guidance regarding midpoint, promotion, and tenure reviews. I serve as Co-Chair of the Department of Pediatrics Promotions and Tenure Committee.
Nancy Krebs
Associate Vice Chair for Academic Affairs
Nancy.Krebs@ucdenver.edu
I support the Department of Pediatrics’ academic actions for faculty including appointments, midpoint reviews, promotions, and tenure awards. I directly assist faculty by providing counseling and reviewing CV’s, dossiers and activities related to their academic position. I co-Chair the Department of Pediatrics’ Promotions and Tenure Committee, and maintain a close liaison with the School of Medicine Office of Faculty Affairs.
Andrew Sirotnak
Vice Chair for Faculty Affairs
Andrew.Sirotnak@childrenscolorado.org
My Vice Chair role for all department faculty is to provide a venue for confidential support, career satisfaction counseling, and assistance with conflict management. I manage initiatives in mentoring, faculty development and the annual PRISM performance review process.
Administration
Jodi Naylor
HR Program Director
jodi.naylor@childrenscolorado.org
Rhonda Buckner
Talent Management & Academic Affairs Project Manager
Rhonda.Buckner@childrenscolorado.org
Nikki Ruderman
Talent Management & Academic Affairs Coordinator
nicole.ruderman@childrenscolorado.org
Justin Lotspeich
Faculty Affairs Program Manager and PRiSM Manager
Justin.Lotspeich@childrenscolorado.org