Personnel
Administration
Giulia Bonaminio, Ph.D.
Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education
Email: gbonamin@kumc.edu
Office Phone: 913-588-7208
Dr. Giulia Bonaminio is a Research Professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health and the Robert D. Simari, MD, Professor of Medical Education. Dr. Bonaminio received her B.S. degree in Biology from Bowling Green State University and her M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Molecular Genetics from The Ohio State University. She completed a post-doctoral fellowship in medical genetics at Stanford University.
Her 30+ year career in medical education has focused on curriculum design and innovation, educational leadership, accreditation, and medical education research and scholarship. She is a graduate of the Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) fellowship. She is the recipient of the Association of American Medical College (AAMC) CGEA Laureate Award, the International Association of Medical Science Educators’ (IAMSE) Master Scholar Award, and IAMSE’s Edward Patrick Finnerty Lifetime Achievement Award. She served as president of IAMSE and the Society of Directors of Research in Medical Education (SDRME) and is past chair of the AAMC’s Student Surveys Advisory Committee.
Malik Williams, BBA
Administrative Officer for Medical Education
Email: mwilliams58@kumc.edu
Office Phone: 913-588-8220
Malik Williams serves as the Administrative Officer for Medical Education, bringing over five years of experience from the University of Kansas Health System and Medical Center. In his current role, Malik provides strategic and operational support for medical education programs, focusing on process improvement, cross-functional coordination, and administrative efficiency. Prior to this role, Malik served as the Program Coordinator for Phase I of the medical curriculum, where he managed the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) and Case-Based Collaborative Learning (CBCL) education programs. In that position, he worked closely with faculty and academic leadership to support curriculum delivery and foster effective learning environments. Malik received his Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) from South University in 2023 and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Management and Leadership. His professional background also includes roles as an Intensive Care Unit Administrative Assistant and a Psychology Administrative Assistant, where he developed a strong foundation in healthcare operations and academic program support. Driven by a passion for service and organizational excellence, Malik is committed to supporting faculty, staff, and students through thoughtful leadership, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
Assessment, Evaluation, and Scholarship
Cayla Teal, Ph.D.
Associate Dean for Assessment, Evaluation, and Scholarship
Email: cteal@kumc.edu
Office Phone: 913-588-7224
Dr. Cayla Teal is an Education Professor of Population Health and Associate Dean for Assessment, Evaluation and Scholarship in the Office of Medical Education. Dr. Teal is responsible for the assessment of student performance in and program evaluation of the School of Medicine's curriculum. She is a mixed-methods medical education researcher, a Deputy Editor for Teaching and Learning in Medicine and former Associate Editor for Medical Education Online, is the Treasurer for the Society for Directors of Research in Medical Education and a former national chair for the Medical Education Scholarship, Research and Evaluation section at the AAMC. After completing her B.S. in Chemistry at William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri, Dr. Teal received her M.A. and Ph.D. in Community/Clinical Psychology, with emphases in applied research methods and psychometrics, from Wichita State University. She completed a post-doctoral fellowship in Health Services Research at the Center of Innovation in Quality, Effectiveness, and Safety at the Michael E. DeBakey Houston VA Medical Center, where she also served as research faculty for several years. She enjoys hiking, working outside, hanging out with her dog and cats, and reading.
Reagen Kanagawa, B.S.
Program Coordinator for Assessment, Evaluation, and Scholarship
Email: rkanagawa@kumc.edu
Reagen is a 2023 graduate of Longwood University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree with a minor in Applied Statistics. She also demonstrated her athleticism as a college softball player at both Brigham Young University and Longwood University. Reagen gained valuable experience as a Healthcare Associate in the psychiatry clinic on the Health System side, where she supported patient care and the clinic operations of their Treatment Resistant Depression (TRD) Clinic.
Emma Nguyen, Ed.D.
Director of Assessment, Evaluation, and Scholarship
Email: htnguyen@kumc.edu
Office Phone: 913-588-7303
Emma Nguyen received her B.A. in Psychology from the University of Missouri, Kansas City, her M.S. from Avila University, and her Ed.D. in Higher Education Administration from the University of Kansas. Dr. Nguyen is responsible for the oversight of assessment, evaluation and scholarship in undergraduate medical education, including course-based evaluations, longitudinal feedback, and institutional evaluations. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, running, and doing Krav Maga.
Christian Steciuch, Ph.D.
Senior Research Analyst of Assessment, Evaluation, and Scholarship
Email: csteciuch@kumc.edu
Dr. Christian Steciuch received his B.A. in Psychology from Purdue University Northwest and his M.A. and Ph.D. in Cognitive Instructional Psychology from Northern Illinois University. He previously served as an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Rockford University, teaching cognitive psychology, research methods, and neuroscience. As the Senior Research Analyst, Dr. Steciuch is responsible for conducting medical education research, serving as a consultant for faculty research projects, grant reviews, processing data usage requests, and assisting with assessment, evaluation, and scholarship issues. He also has a faculty appointment in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. Outside of work, he enjoys reading biographies, cooking new dishes, and traveling.
Charles Waller, M.A.
Data Management and Analytics Lead for Assessment, Evaluation, and Scholarship
Email: cwaller@kumc.edu
Charles Waller holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Master of Arts in Quantitative Psychology from Middle Tennessee State University. He joined the University of Kansas Medical Center's Office of Medical Education in Spring 2020. As the Data Management and Analytics Lead, Charles oversees the development, implementation, and maintenance of advanced data management systems, conducts complex statistical analyses, and generates customized reports to support medical education initiatives. He also collaborates on accreditation monitoring, program evaluation, and predictive analytics to enhance student outcomes. In his free time, Charles enjoys spending time with his wife and pets, watching movies, and learning new skills.
Samantha Wassenaar, L.M.S.W.
Analyst for Assessment, Evaluation, and Scholarship
Email: swassenaar@kumc.edu
Samantha Wassenaar is the Information Resource Specialist and works closely with the Assessment, Evaluation, and Scholarship team and coordinates the Honors and Certificate of Distinction in Research programs. She is a licensed social worker and obtained her degree from Baylor University. She is responsible for developing and collecting curriculum evaluations and the creation of block exams for years 1 and 2 of the medical student curriculum. She is responsible for developing and collecting curriculum evaluations and the creation of module exams for the Phase I curriculum. She is originally from Iowa and completed her undergraduate degree from the University of Northern Iowa in Family Services and Gerontology.
Clinical Skills Lab
David Becker, M.D.
Medical Director of the Neis Clinical Skills Laboratory
Email: dbecker@kumc.edu
Dr. David W. Becker is an Internist by training and a lifelong Jayhawk. Dr. Becker graduated with a BA in Biology in 2001 from the Lawrence campus, earned his M.D. from KU Medical Center in 2005 and completed an Internal Medicine residency in 2008. Since the training, he has stayed within the KU system as a hospitalist working beside students and residents in patient care duties.
In 2017, he was named Assistant Medical Director of the Neis Clinical Skills Lab and in 2019 he became Medical Director of the Neis Clinical Skills Lab. Dr. Becker helps coordinate faculty for student assessments, writes standardized patient cases and teaching outlines, and gives feedback to learners on performance. Dr. Becker's other duties include working as an Assistant Clerkship Director for the Internal Medicine third-year clerkship and leadership on multiple School of Medicine committees.
Candice R. Coffey, M.D., FAAFP, AGSF
Assistant to the Medical Director of the Neis Clinical Skills Lab
Email: ccoffey2@kumc.edu
Dr. Candice R. Coffey is a Geriatrician and loves caring for older adults! Dr. Coffey graduated from Southeast Missouri State University with a BS in Biomedical Sciences and went on to obtain her medical degree from the University of Kansas School of Medicine. Afterward, she completed Family Medicine residency followed by Geriatric Medicine fellowship at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City.
Dr. Coffey believes that the students, residents and fellows at the University of Kansas Medical Center are the biggest asset and most valuable resource to our health system, community, state and region. Because of this she is passionate about medical education and supporting the learners within KU Medical Center.
Dr. Coffey serves as the course director for the M1 Course Introduction to Doctoring and is also the co-director of the Pre-Matriculation program within the School of Medicine. She is the Program Director for the Geriatric Medicine Fellowship and enjoys working with and teaching learners of all levels.
Julie Mack, M.S.
Director, Standardized Patient Program and Neis Clinical Skills Laboratory
Email: jmack@kumc.edu
Office Phone: 913-588-2259
Julie Mack is the Director of the Standardized Patient Program and the Neis Clinical Skills Lab at the University of Kansas, School of Medicine. She holds a B.S. in Music Business from Quincy University and an M.S. in Recreation and Parks Administration/Arts Administration from Western Illinois University. Ms. Mack became Director in 2008 and is responsible for supervising the Neis Clinical Skills Lab Staff in providing nearly 9,000 student/standardized patient encounters for medical and nursing students annually.
Carey Rawson, M.D.
Senior Standardized Patient Coordinator for SP Training and Quality Assurance
Email: crawson@kumc.edu
Dr. Carey Rawson is a pediatrician by training. Carey graduated from Kansas State University with a BS in Biology in 1997, then went on to obtain her medical degree from the University of Kansas Medical Center in 2002. She completed her Pediatrics residency at the University of Kansas Medical Center in 2005 and then worked as a pediatrician in Private Practice at Johnson County Pediatrics for 10 years.
Dr. Rawson has a passion for teaching and returned to the University of Kansas Medical Center to be able to work with students. She started off working as a Physical Exam Teaching Assistant (PETA) and played numerous roles as a standardized patient. Carey took on the full-time position as the Standardized Patient Coordinator for SP Training and Quality Assurance in 2021.
Emma Carter, B.F.A.
Standardized Patient Program Coordinator
Email: ecarter9@kumc.edu
Office Phone: 913-588-3425
Emma Carter earned her BFA in Theater Arts with a minor in Music at Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri. She started working with KU Medical Center as a standardized patient in 2016, moving to the role of Senior Coordinator of the Neis Clinical Skills Lab in 2021. As Senior Coordinator, Emma utilizes her theatrical experience to help hire, schedule, build, and run simulated patient encounters for first, second, and third-year medical students. In her free time, she still works as a local playwright.
Max Romine
Neis Clinical Skills Lab Coordinator and Video Technician
Email: mromine2@kumc.edu
Max grew up in Grain Valley Missouri, a small town 20 minutes east of Kansas City. After graduating High School in 2003, Max spent five years in the work force before going to culinary school in 2008. In 2010 Max received his Associates Degree in the culinary arts from the Art Institute of Kansas City. Following this came 10 years of working in various restaurants around the city. Throughout this time Max could occasionally find work at KU Medical Center as a standardized patient or an event monitor. In 2020 Max made the decision to change careers and accepted the Video Technician position at the KU Medical Center Neis Clinical Skills Lab. Now Max maintains the lab, and sets up, monitors, times, and records Standardized Patient events.
Ralph Corse, B.A.
Program Manager Standardized Patient Program
Email: rcorse@kumc.edu
Office Phone: 913-588-3426
Ralph Corse overseas the programming for events in the Neis Clinical Skills Lab. Working with faculty, students, and standardized patients he helps deliver the educational clinical skill needs required. He coordinates the Basic Life Support Training program and is also involved with coordinating the PETA (Physical Examination Teaching Assistant) program. He is skilled in technical aspects and helps troubleshoot video, camera, and computer-related issues that may occur. Ralph graduated from Vatterott College and has 15 years of experience in Electronic and IT quality control. He became an SP in 2010 and has worked with facilitating events, student orientation, as well as daily lab logistics.
Curriculum
Pam Shaw, M.D.
Associate Dean for Medical Education
Email: pshaw@kumc.edu
Office Phone: 913-588-8220
Pam Shaw obtained her medical degree from the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, KS. She then did her internship and residency in Pediatrics at the University of Kansas Medical Center. After completing her residency she entered private practice in a rural community in Southeast Kansas. Dr. Shaw is board certified in Pediatrics and is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Shaw returned to practice as an academic pediatrician at the University of Kansas in 1990.
Dr. Shaw has held several positions in the Department of Pediatrics where she is a Professor. In 2006, Dr. Shaw was appointed Curriculum Director for the Phase II years of the medical school, or the clinical years. In 2008, Dr. Shaw was appointed as Medical Director of the Neis Clinical Skills Lab in Kansas City, KS. In 2015 she was appointed to the role of Assistant Dean of Clinical Sciences, which encompasses the clinical experiences across the curriculum. In 2017 she was also appointed Director of the Honors and Enrichment Program as part of the new ACE curriculum and in 2019, she was appointed Associate Vice Chancellor or Student Affairs, serving all three schools at KU Medical Center. In July of 2020 she became the Associate Dean for Medical Education and now serves in that role.
Lisa Gilmer, M.D.
Assistant Dean for Clinical Sciences
Email: lgilmer@kumc.edu
Dr. Lisa Gilmer is a Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Kansas School of Medicine. She received her undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of Kansas and completed pediatric residency training at the University of Kansas Medical Center. She joined the faculty in 2000. Dr. Gilmer's educational leadership spans the spectrum of learners including medical students, residents, and faculty. Currently, she serves as the Vice-Chair for Education in the Department of Pediatrics, the 2022-2025 Joy McCann Professor of Women in Medicine and Science, the Co-Founder of the Careers and Specialty Advising Program (CASA) for medical students and is a 2025 graduate of the ELAM fellowship (Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine.) Previous roles include 15 years as the Pediatric Residency Program Director and 3 years as the Delp Society Director/Assistant Dean for Student Affairs when the ACE curriculum was implemented. A general pediatrician, Dr. Gilmer’s interests include competency-based medical education, feedback and assessment, accreditation, and mentorship.
Laurel Witt, M.D., M.Phil
Assistant Dean for Foundational Sciences
Email: lwitt2@kumc.edu
Dr. Laurel Witt is an Associate Professor of Family Medicine and Assistant Dean for Foundational Sciences at the University of Kansas School of Medicine. She provides hospital medicine and outpatient family medicine at the University of Kansas Health System. Dr. Witt also serves as faculty co-advisor for the Jaydoc Free Clinic, the student-run free clinic affiliated with the school. She enjoys teaching medicine in all four years of the medical curriculum and with family medicine residents.
Dr. Witt earned her Doctor of Medicine degree at the University of Kansas School of Medicine. She completed her Internship and Residency in Family Medicine at Oregon Health Sciences University, where she served as clinic Chief Resident. She practiced full-scope rural family medicine in Oregon, prior to moving home to Kansas City to join the faculty at KU.
Michael Abell, M.S.
Instructional Designer for Medical Education
Email: mabell@kumc.edu
Michael earned his Graduate Degree in Instructional Design and Performance Technology from Baker University. He is responsible for working with educational technology. Michael enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, and watching sports in his spare time.
Teresa Beacham, M.B.A.
Program Director, Phase I
Email: tbeacham@kumc.edu
Office Phone: 913-588-7211
Teresa Beacham received a B.G.S. in Sociology with a minor in African American Studies from the University of Kansas and completed her MBA with a concentration in Healthcare Administration at Baker University. She is currently a doctoral student in Health Policy and Management at KU Medical Center. Before joining KU Medical Center, she worked in the field of Graduate Medical Education as a Fellowship Program Coordinator.
Megan Frasher, M.A.Ed
Program Manager, Phase I
Email: mfrasher@kumc.edu
Office Phone: 913-945-6671
Megan Frasher received her B.S. in Digital Media Production from the University of Central Missouri and a M.A.Ed with a focus in Higher Education Administration from the University of Missouri – Kansas City. With over 8 years of experience in medical education, she brings her knowledge of curriculum design and policy development to Phase I of the program. As Program Manager for Phase I, she is responsible for facilitating faculty engagement and supporting the continuous improvement of the Case-Based Collaborative Learning (CBCL) and Problem-Based Learning (PBL) programs. In her free time, Megan enjoys reading, traveling with her husband, and rooting for the KC Current.
Shawnalee Criss Petty, M.A.
Program Director, Phase II
Email: scrisspetty@kumc.edu
Office Phone: 913-588-9715
Shawnalee Criss Petty received her B.A. in Psychology from Avila University and her M.A. in Counseling from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. She joined the Office of Medical Education in the Fall of 2014. In her spare time, she enjoys teaching Jazzercise, traveling, and visiting local art museums.
Tara Shirley, B.S.
Program Manager for Medical Education
Email: tshirley@kumc.edu
Tara Shirley holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Human Services from Friends University. She has been with the KU School of Medicine since 1999, gaining valuable experience in both graduate and undergraduate medical education. Before joining the Kansas City campus and the Office of Medical Education in March 2022, Tara served as the pediatric residency administrator at the Wichita campus. She enjoys traveling, cheering on the KU Jayhawks, watching college and Royals games, playing trivia, and spoiling her grandchildren.
Alexis Sisk, M.Ed.
Instructional Designer for Medical Education
Email: asisk3@kumc.edu
Office Phone: 913-588-3410
Alexis earned her B.A. in Elementary Education and M.Ed in Curriculum and Instruction: Teaching Technology from Northwest Missouri State University. She joined the office of medical education as an education support technologist in September of 2022 and is looking forward to all KU Medical Center has to offer. Alexis' background is in education, having taught technology to grades 5-12. In her free time, Alexis enjoys playing with her kitties, taking in nature, and traveling.
Gross Anatomy Lab
Sarah A. Keim, Ph.D.
Assistant Dean for Foundational Sciences
Director of the Gross Anatomy Laboratory
Email: skeimjanssen@kumc.edu
Dr. Sarah Keim received her B.S. in Medical Technology and her Ph.D. in Genetics, Cell Biology, and Anatomy from the University of Nebraska Medical Center. She is a Professor in the Department of Surgery and the Director of the Gross Anatomy Laboratory on the Kansas City Campus. Dr. Keim oversees foundational science content and operations of Phase Blocks in the ACE curriculum, is the Director of the Gastrointestinal/Renal block, and the Anatomy Thread Content Monitor.
Cameron Schenk
Manager, Gross Anatomy Laboratory
Email: cschenk@kumc.edu
Office Phone: 913-588-7089
Cameron A. Schenk is the Gross Anatomy Laboratory Manager for the Kansas City Campus. He received a Mortuary Science Degree in 1992 from Kansas City Kansas Community College. Since that time, he has been involved in every aspect of the mortuary field: Mortician, Tissue Procurement Coordinator/Technician, Brain Bank Procurement Technician, Forensic Autopsy Technician, and Pathology Assistant. Cameron is also currently an Autopsy Technician on the Federal Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team for Region 7 for the National Disaster Medical System, a position he has held for 25+ years. He has been on multiple deployments such as Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, Princess Cruise Lines Coronavirus Quarantine and assisted the City of New York, Office of Chief Medical Examiner Covid-19 Response Team. In his spare time, he cares for his non-traditional rescue animals on his hobby farm and enjoys gardening.
Willed Body Program
Barth Wright, Ph.D.
Director, Willed Body Program
Email: bwright14@kumc.edu
Dr. Barth Wright received both his BA and MA degrees in Anthropology from the University of Colorado, Boulder. Dr. Wright’s PhD training took place at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign where he received his PhD in Anthropology in 2004. Following this, he undertook postdoctoral training at the Center for the Advanced Study of Hominid Paleobiology (CASHP) at Washington University. After his academic training, he was an Assistant, Associate, and then full Professor of Anatomy at Kansas City University, where he was also the Chair of Anatomy and Director of the university's Gift Body Program for the last four years of my 15-year tenure at KCU. Dr. Wright is presently the director of the KU Willed Body Program, the director of the Muscles and Movement Block for the KU School of Medicine, and teaches in all Human Anatomy laboratory sessions.
Mike McClenahan, AAS
Mortician, Willed Body Program
Email: mmcclenahan@kumc.edu
Mike was born and raised in Hastings, NE and had attended Hastings College majoring in English Literature, before moving to Kansas City where he finished his degree in Mortuary Science. He has been a Licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer since 1996, serving families in Hutchinson, KS, Lancaster, PA, and Cincinnati, OH, before returning to Kansas City in 2020.
Patricia Yewell, AAS
Program Coordinator, Willed Body Program
Email: pyewell@kumc.edu
Office Phone: 913-588-2735
Patricia Yewell is the Program Coordinator for the Willed Body Program. She received a Mortuary Science Degree in 1998 from Kansas City Kansas Community College. Since that time, she has been a dually licensed funeral director and embalmer for both the State of Kansas and Missouri. Her role as the Willed Body Coordinator allows her to fulfil her calling to serve and assist families in their time of need. In her spare time, she enjoys reading her bible, spending time with her family, nature walks and gardening.