Michigan Medicine RISE has unveiled its Cohort 6 innovators for the Innovator Development Program (IDP) starting January 2026. The program is dedicated to fostering innovation in health science education, offering a 12-month curriculum. Participants engage in monthly workshops, community practice, and coaching to master the seven Health Science Education Innovation competencies. The program also involves piloting interventions with newly acquired skills.
The IDP welcomes individuals eager to develop innovation competencies, offering intervention support and FTE funding. Open to all Michigan Medicine faculty, staff, and learners, the application for Cohort 7 starts in spring 2026. RISE encourages applications from diverse health professions within Michigan Medicine.
Meet the Cohort 6 innovators:
Alejandra Arango
Clinical assistant professor of psychiatry, Arango will craft a research-driven curriculum to better equip clinicians for managing youth suicide risk through experiential learning and competency evaluation.
Mary Haas
Clinical associate professor of emergency medicine, Haas will develop a professional identity formation curriculum for early medical students, utilizing case scenarios and guided discussions to foster psychological safety.
Michelle Kees
Clinical associate professor of psychiatry, Kees will create a microlearning video series to enhance mental health literacy among medical students, integrating reflection prompts and self-assessments.
Tonya Kneff-Chang
Lecturer in the Center for History, Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences in Medicine, Kneff-Chang will use a digital story map for historical tours, transforming campus spaces into interactive learning environments.
Catherine McDermott
Clinical assistant professor of internal medicine and pediatrics, McDermott will produce educational tools for hospitalized young adults with chronic illnesses, focusing on equity and improved inpatient experiences.
Joseph Stern
Clinical assistant professor of neurosurgery, Stern will develop a training program incorporating Palliative Care communication skills to enhance empathy and compassion in neurosurgical education.
Alexandra Vinson
Assistant professor of learning health sciences and psychiatry, Vinson will design a seminar series to support Learning Health System initiatives, strengthening institutional capacity for better care delivery.
Justin Yates
Research area specialist senior in emergency medicine, Yates will create a workshop to help providers understand the impact of social factors on patient care, aiming to improve emergency care integration.
Darin Zahuranec
Professor of neurology, Zahuranec will develop communication workshops for neurology trainees, focusing on serious illness communication with scalable training materials for wide dissemination.
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