Dr. Wonder Drake and Dr. Kyla Terhune have been named as the 2017-18 Chancellor’s Higher Education Fellows, Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos announced today.
“This program is an investment in our people. At the same time, it charts a path forward for the university by preparing the next generation to step in to fill leadership roles,“ Zeppos said. “Wonder and Kyla represent the very best of Vanderbilt and all that we stand for. I look forward to working with them throughout the year ahead.”
This marks the second year for the CHEF Program, which was established by Zeppos to foster a robust pipeline of academic leaders for Vanderbilt and higher education overall.
Drake, who is professor of medicine and professor of pathology, microbiology and immunology, earned her M.D. from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and went on to complete an internship and residency in internal medicine at Johns Hopkins Hospital. She subsequently returned to Vanderbilt as a clinical fellow in infectious diseases. In 2016, she helped establish the Sarcoidosis Center of Excellence and serves as the center’s director.
“I was and am attracted to the presence of people who really have a passion to make the world a better place, using thoughtful science and effective health care,” said Drake on what initially drew her to Vanderbilt and lured her to return in 1999. “One of the many strengths of Vanderbilt is that it has a high percentage of bright, collaborative people. These interactions have led to significant scientific progress. Collaboration is a strong cultural value for Vanderbilt. You have an idea; you email that person and the next thing you know, you’re submitting a grant or a paper.”
“I am interested in learning how administrators foster the varied talents at Vanderbilt to make it the powerhouse that it is,” said Drake about her goals as a CHEF fellow.
Terhune, vice chair for education, surgical sciences and associate professor of surgery and anesthesiology, earned her M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine before coming to Vanderbilt to complete an internship in general surgery. She also completed fellowships in critical care in anesthesiology and surgical education research at Vanderbilt. After being named as General Surgery’s senior and chief resident, and subsequently administrative chief resident, she enrolled in the Owen Graduate School of Management and completed an MBA.
“I love the element of discovery in an academic environment and combining this with developing people — helping people at any level reach their own goals,” Terhune said. “Applying educational principles in a larger institutional context, understanding how to integrate the financial, curricular, political, academic and organizational aspects in order to effect larger change is my ‘broad stroke’ goal for this fellowship. I always look forward to thinking about things in different ways and applying new information to old models of doing things.”
In 2011, Terhune was named faculty head of Hank Ingram House on The Martha Rivers Ingram Commons as the first physician to hold that position. In 2014 while serving in this role, she succeeded John Tarpley, M.D. as director of the General Surgery residency program.
