UAB Medicine’s Leadership Development Office (LDO) honored 33 graduates of the Emerging Leaders Series (ELS) fall 2025 Cohort 4 during a ceremony held on Thursday, Nov. 12. The cohort completed a multi-session program designed to strengthen leadership capability for emerging leaders across the enterprise.
The ELS program provides a development opportunity for employees at the manager, director, or similar level who do not currently supervise direct reports but serve, or are poised to serve, in leadership capacities. Offered each fall and spring, the program focuses on enhancing communication, decision-making, and organizational awareness while building a strong cross-campus network.
This cohort represented diverse areas, including clinical, academic, research, and administrative aspects of UAB Medicine. Participants also engaged with guest speaker Jean Ann Larson, Ph.D., during Session 3.
The fall 2025 graduates are:
- Alyssa Amato – Administrative Fellow, UAB Highlands
- Alyssa Barefield – Administrative Fellow, UAB Highlands
- Kaitie Benos – Practice Operations Manager, Medicine & Surgery
- Caroline Boswell – Engagement Manager, Clinical Transformation Office
- Tawanna Brown – Program Manager I, Civitan International Research Center
- Thomas “Tommy” Burt – Manager of Group Practice, Cooper Green Mercy Health Services Authority
- Audrey Coachman – Program Director II, Comprehensive Neuroscience Center
- Nyia Cotton – Patient Service Coordinator II, Endocrinology
- Clifton Gardner – RN, Patient Safety Coordinator, Patient Safety
- Andrea Gillis, M.D. – Assistant Professor, Surgery
- Tamara Gillispie – Nurse Manager, Transplant & General Surgical Services
- Katherine Griesmer, M.D. – Assistant Professor, Emergency Medicine
- Anita Gupta, M.D. – Program Director, Pediatric Infectious Disease
- Mohammad Zain Hashmi, M.D. – Assistant Professor, Surgery
- Joseph “Joey” Johnson, M.D. – Director of Clinical Research/Associate Professor, Orthopaedic Surgery/Sports Medicine
- Rashida (Rosie) Khalid – Infection Prevention Manager, Cooper Green Mercy Health Services Authority
- Hye Kim – Assistant Nurse Manager, Transplant & General Surgical Services
- Nick Leibengood – Senior Data Analyst, Clinical Transformation Office
- Rachel Martin – Manager, Transplant
- Angela McCombs – Grants Administrator, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
- Heather McElroy – Quality Outcome Manager, Oncology – Cancer Service Line
- Ryan Miller, M.D. – Professor, Pathology (Neuropathology)
- Andy Morris – CRNA, Anesthesia Services – UAB Hospital-Highlands
- Kayla Naish – Supervisor, Pharmacy
- Chinwendu Onwubiko, M.D. – Assistant Professor, Surgery
- Nicole Otero – Program Director II, Office of Academic Initiatives & Programs
- Madeline Palmer, M.D. – Assistant Professor, Emergency Medicine
- Amy Richardson – Communication Manager, UAB Comprehensive Diabetes Center
- Aliaksei Salei, M.D. – Associate Professor, Interventional Radiology
- Cynthia Sammons – Clinical Administrative Office Specialist III, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
- Dennis Scott – HRP Personnel Generalist, Pulmonary, Allergy, & Critical Care
- Saulat Sheikh, M.D. – Assistant Professor, Surgery
- Laura Stafman, M.D. – Assistant Professor, Surgery
- Amy Stone – Engagement Manager, Clinical Transformation Office
- Carmen Tong, M.D. – Assistant Professor, Pediatric Urology
- Marie Wilson – Patient Safety Coordinator, Patient Safety
- Sarah Worth – Supervisor, TKC Pharmacy
Congratulations to the fall 2025 ELS graduates for advancing their leadership journeys at UAB.