The Staff Advisory Council serves as an advisory group to suggest, comment and provide feedback on policies and raise awareness of issues that affect the University and the people it serves by providing a forum for communication between University staff and administration on all levels. The School of Medicine has 15 elected representatives on the council. Read more below about profiled members.
Member Profile:
Celinda Brandt Miller
Assistant Director, Case Inquiry Program
Office of Curricular Affairs - School of Medicine
What are the primary activities of your role?
I manage and implement the Case Inquiry curriculum, which is the core curriculum for students in their first and second years of medical school.
What is your favorite thing about working at the School of Medicine (SOM) and Case Western Reserve University?
The people on the SOM curriculum team and interacting with a wide variety of faculty are my favorite things.
As a Staff Advisory Council (SAC) representative, how would you encourage fellow SOM staff members to leverage your role to improve our workplace and culture?
I am available for SOM staff members to contact me with questions and suggestions pertaining to their roles at the university. I can connect staff with appropriate resources and also bring concerns to the larger Staff Advisory Board (SAC). SAC has worked hard to make the issues that are important to staff known to decision-makers at the University. I encourage SOM staff members to let SAC representatives know what they need, how they would like to hear about things and what is important to them. We are fortunate in the SOM to have a regular dialogue with the dean of the school, which gives us an active partner in getting staff concerns addressed by the University.
What is a fun fact about yourself?
I experienced the Grand Canyon in three different ways, all before the age of 20; a small aircraft tour (10 yrs); hiking to the bottom and back (14 yrs) and a week-long river rafting trip (19 yrs).
Member Profile: Mostafa Abouzaid
Mostafa Abouzaid
Bioinformatician, Department of Genetics and Genome Science
Joined the School of Medicine: 2022
What are the primary activities of your role?
I use technology and computer science to study and find biological solutions. By collaborating closely with various scientists, I work to identify opportunities for accelerating product development and use genetic information databases to find ways to identify and treat issues, including human disease. I also translate data into competitive knowledge by providing relevant and innovative bioinformatics analysis.
As a Staff Advisory Council (SAC) representative, how would you encourage fellow SOM staff members to leverage your role to improve our workplace and culture?
I. Build Relationships: Start by building strong relationships with my colleagues in different departments and listening to their concerns and opinions to understand better the challenges they face and their needs.
II. Communicate Effectively: Communicating effectively with my colleagues to keep them informed about SAC initiatives, events, and any important information relevant to the workplace by utilizing various communication channels such as email, social media, and face-to-face meetings.
III. Foster Participation: Encourage my colleagues to participate in SAC meetings and events and ensure everyone has a voice and feels heard.
IV. Share Feedback: Encourage my colleagues to share their feedback on workplace issues, policies and procedures. SAC can be a conduit for feedback to reach decision-makers in the organization. Also, let them know that their feedback is valued and will be taken into consideration.
V. Collaborate: Work with other SAC representatives and campus partners to develop initiatives and recommendations promoting a positive work environment. And also leverage the collective knowledge and expertise of the community to identify and address issues that impact staff members.
What is a fun fact about yourself?
"I am my labor, and I bill myself."
Member Profile:
Lesa Goodman
Executive Aide to the Vice Dean of Medical Education
Joined the School of Medicine: Nov. 2019
What are the primary activities of your role?
I support the vice dean of medical education, Lia Logio, and manage the administrative functions for the Center for the Advancement of Medical Learning—an umbrella that encompasses the Center for Medical Education and the Academy of Scholar Educators.
What is your favorite thing about working at the School of Medicine (SOM) and Case Western Reserve University?
I've really enjoyed getting to know different staff, faculty and students across the University. There's definitely a more diverse environment here than anywhere else I've ever worked.
As a Staff Advisory Council (SAC) representative, how would you encourage fellow SOM staff members to leverage your role to improve our workplace and culture?
My roles throughout my career have always been in "support" positions. [As a middle child], I feel that I've always strived to make everyone happy, to be a mediator and advocate for those who aren't necessarily as comfortable speaking up for themselves. I hope to be a conduit for change and improvement, so please feel free to reach out and let me know how I can best be of service.
What is a fun fact about yourself?
I was not born "Lesa," but I have been using it since a 9th-grade Spanish class where I was experimenting with different name spellings...(don't ask me why!?!?)