Colleen Kalynych, EdD, has been named assistant dean for medical education at the University of Florida College of Medicine – Jacksonville.
In her new role, Kalynych will help the enterprise achieve its multifold mission by fostering greater educational alignment. This includes enhancing training and learning resources and programs for faculty members, trainees and staff on the UF Health Jacksonville campus while working closely with UF colleagues in Gainesville at the College of Medicine and various departments to access additional resources.
She will continue to serve as director of educational development and research in the Office of Educational Affairs and senior lecturer in the department of emergency medicine at the UF College of Medicine – Jacksonville.
“I have a sincere passion for all forms of education and mentorship. I want to help others achieve their goals and stay on a path for lifelong learning,” Kalynych said. “I am thankful for and excited about this new opportunity.”
As assistant dean for medical education, Kalynych will oversee a bevy of planned efforts, such as:
- Building an academic media room, where lectures, public service announcements, staff announcements and podcasts can be recorded.
- Establishing the Center for Medical Education Research and Scholarship. The center will assist faculty members with medical education scholarship, which is often a challenge due to their clinical responsibilities.
- Establishing a campus educational working group and an academic publishing channel through the Cureus Journal of Medical Science.
“I can’t wait to see these ideas come to fruition,” she said. “I will continue to work closely with faculty by listening and obtaining feedback for educational needs on our campus.”
Kalynych has been with the College of Medicine – Jacksonville for 15 years. She began in the department of pediatrics, working with faculty members and trainees on clinical and medical education research and scholarship. She later moved to the department of emergency medicine, where she oversaw similar efforts.
During her time with the college, Kalynych has driven several enterprisewide initiatives, including chairing an early-research managers group, establishing a tobacco-free campus and developing an early-leadership program with UF colleagues in Gainesville.
Focal points and other activities
Kalynych specializes in research design, research implementation feasibility, contract budget negotiations, grants management and staffing, and curricular development in regard to medical education. She instituted University of North Florida’s research internship program and has mentored more than 150 future health care professionals, including physicians, physician assistants, nursing staff and health educators at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
Kalynych holds an appointed clinical professor faculty position at UNF’s Brooks College of Health in the department of public health, where she has been teaching for nearly 20 years. She completed her dissertation work in education and organizational leadership at UNF, where she had previously earned a master’s degree in health science.
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Assistant Dean for Medical Education