Developing and Elevating Leaders with Tools for Advancement (DELTA) is one of the newest professional development opportunities for AAA members. Funded by a 2021 AAA Innovations Program Award, the DELTA program is focused on helping individuals gain leadership skills and knowledge to better prepare them for new leadership roles and career advancement. 

As mid-career women in academia, Rebecca Lufler, Associate Professor of Medical Education at Tufts University School of Medicine and Eustathia Lela Giannaris, Associate Professor in the Department of Radiology at UMass Chan Medical School say they have both benefited from participation in leadership development programs, such as the AAMC LEAD certificate program.  

“These opportunities have equipped us with essential skills and networks to help advance in our individual leadership journeys,” Lufler and Giannaris explained. “Given the staggering statistics related to inequities in gaining promotion, leadership positions, and award opportunities, we saw an opportunity to create a leadership program within our own Association to help elevate others as they embark on their own career advancement journeys.”

The DELTA program will consist of three parts. During summer 2023, program participants will gather in Boston, Massachusetts for a three-day retreat with invited speakers, face-to-face mentoring sessions and workshops. The retreat will bring together leaders in faculty development and anatomy to cover topics including: development of leadership skills and opportunities, negotiation skills, effective communication skills, feedback, bias education, wellness, and mentoring.

Second, DELTA participants will take part in virtual mentored projects, meeting monthly with an assigned mentor as they work toward achieving their leadership goals. For the third part, Fellows will present their leadership and personal accomplishments to the rest of the DELTA cohort at the 2024 AAA meeting.

Currently, Lufler and Giannaris are busy working with their invited speakers and mentors and preparing for the program. They’ll start accepting applications January 1, 2023. “We are excited to bring this program to our AAA members and are thrilled to be working with an amazing group of speakers and mentors,” the organizers said.

To apply, you will need to submit your CV, a statement on why you are interested in participating in DELTA, list of leadership roles within the last 3-5 years, previous leadership training or workshop experience, two specific leadership goals and obstacles to reaching those goals that can be addressed through DELTA attendance.  

Visit the DELTA program page for more details and to apply.