Jeffrey Lee, Chief Cancer Network Officer and Deputy Chief Operating Officer at MD Anderson Cancer Center, recently posted on LinkedIn:

“We are delighted to extend our heartfelt congratulations to Kathleen Schmeler, on being named Faculty Educator of the Year at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Dr. Schmeler, a Professor in the Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine who serves as Associate Vice President of Global Oncology for Cancer Network, is an inspiration to all of us in her relentless dedication and critical contributions to our mission to end cancer.

Dr. Schmeler is widely known for her broad-reaching and highly impactful education and mentorship activities, including through her championship of Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes), a virtual mentoring program that can leverage expertise, education, and training to benefit a worldwide audience. Dr. Schmeler was instrumental in bringing Project ECHO to MD Anderson in 2014, and the program has since been adopted by many faculty members and other educators across the institution; 20 MD Anderson programs now participate in Project ECHO.

In addition to piloting the Project ECHO program at MD Anderson, Dr. Schmeler has also helped support global oncology trainees across multiple disciplines through the establishment of MD Anderson’s Global Cancer Care Track curriculum, and she has served as chair of the committee that developed the International Gynecologic Cancer Society (IGCS) Global Curriculum and Mentorship Program, which helps bring gynecologic oncology training to regions of the world that do not have formal programs in that field.

Finally, Dr. Schmeler and her team members have worked tirelessly to create hands-on training programs in cervical cancer prevention and have educated many hundreds of providers in effective cervical cancer prevention through these programs worldwide.

This award honors Dr. Schmeler as an MD Anderson faculty member who exemplifies excellence and innovative practices in education; Dr. Schmeler’s coordinated induction as the 2024 member of the MD Anderson Academy of Health Science Education is an additional testament to her exceptional achievements and confers the esteemed title of MD Anderson Distinguished Educator.

We are tremendously proud of Dr. Schmeler’s incredible achievements in education and mentorship, and her dedication to training the next generation of global cancer prevention, detection, and treatment champions.”

Source: Jeffrey Lee/LinkedIn