The UAB Medicine Leadership Development Office (LDO) is proud to honor the latest graduates of the Emerging Leaders Series (ELS) — 23 accomplished professionals who represent the breadth and strength of our institution.
Now in its fifth cohort, the ELS program continues to fulfill a vital mission of equipping talented UAB Medicine employees with the tools and connections needed to grow as leaders. Designed for managers, directors, and others in comparable roles who are ready to step more fully into leadership, the program meets participants where they are. Offered each fall and spring semester, the ELS program sharpens skills in communication, decision-making, and organizational awareness, while creating an invaluable lasting professional network that stretches across campus.
What makes Cohort 5 especially remarkable is the range of perspectives its members brought to the table. Participants came from clinical departments, academic units, research enterprises, and administrative offices. This cross-section of UAB Medicine reflects the true scope and complexity of the ELS program. From the bedside to the boardroom, from the laboratory to the dean's suite, these individuals brought their unique experiences to bear shared challenges, learning from one another as much as from the curriculum itself.
The spring 2026 graduates include:
- Navneet Kaur Baidwan, Ph.D. – Family and Community Medicine
- Dana Cristofani – Surgery
- Christina Davis – Cooper Green Administration
- Caroline Dempsey – Dermatology
- Brittny Ewing – St. Vincent's Birmingham Radiology
- Lana Garmire, Ph.D. – Biomedical Informatics and Data Science
- Danielle Grehalva – Human Resources
- Richard Harris III, DPM, FACFAS – Surgery
- Jessica Hodges – Pathology
- Jenna Hudson – Surgery
- Jodie Kanaday – Pediatrics
- Earkiyah King – Pathology
- Megan Leach – Wound Ostomy & Continence, Trauma Services
- Amber Lemon – Surgery
- David Morton – Managed Care
- Olivia Ricks – Surgery
- Deneka Robinson – HSOM Dean's Office
- Megan Rollins – Cell, Developmental, and Integrative Biology
- Damian Schwartz – Surgery
- Joshana Smith – Cooper Green Human Resources
- Dennis Stanley, Ph.D. – Radiation Oncology
- Kiara Wright – Neurology
- Andy Yousef – Neurology
Each of these individuals made a deliberate investment in their own growth, and in doing so, invested in the future of UAB Medicine. Participation in the ELS program calls for dedication, a spirit of openness, and a willingness to connect deeply with ideas and people beyond familiar boundaries. Cohort 5 answered that call without question.
Congratulations to the spring 2026 ELS graduates for their dedication to growth and their continued commitment to UAB Medicine.