Danette Waller McKinley, Ph.D., FAIMER’s Director for Research and Data Resources, has been elected Vice President of Division I, Education in the Professions, American Educational Research Association (AERA), effective in April 2015. The 12 divisions of AERA are organized to represent major scholarly or scientific areas within education research that add to the field and the Association as determined by the AERA Council. Division I focuses on the context and conduct of scientific studies that address education in professional practice disciplines, including medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, and nursing. The Division has a long history with AERA, from its beginning as a special interest group for health professions educators in 1971 to its divisional status approval in 1978. Given the emphasis on education and evaluation of education of professionals, the FAIMER Research staff has been involved in the work of the division for some time. Danette has been a longtime, active member of Division I as a paper submitter and reviewer, presenter, workshop organizer, member of the Established Investigator Awards Committee, and co-chair of the Division I Awards Committee. She was a member of the Division’s Planning Committee for the 2012 Annual Meeting, when FAIMER Associate Vice President for Research and Data Resources Jack Boulet was Program Chair. She has organized sessions supporting Division I’s Learning Communities initiative, and her work with the Awards Committee co-chair and the co-chairs of the Mentoring Committee resulted in a plan to showcase work in progress, engaging newer members of the division. Beginning in 2015, at the conclusion of the AERA Annual Meeting, Danette will represent the interests of Division I members as she serves as a member of the AERA Council. Her tenure as Vice President over the next three or more years will serve to increase the visibility, both nationally and internationally, of FAIMER and the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) in the professional community.
Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research
