The Duke Department of Surgery has appointed Trey Blazer, MD, Professor of Surgery and Interim Chief of Surgical Oncology, as Vice Chair for Faculty Affairs (VCFA), effective July 1.
The VCFA is Duke Surgery’s senior-most leader for faculty issues, overseeing appointments, promotions, and faculty development, as well as serving as the primary point of contact for coaching opportunities. Serving as chair of the department’s Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure Committee, this role oversees all academic promotions within the department. The role also oversees opportunities for both internal and external sponsorship, such as awards, society memberships, and traveling lectureships/fellowships.
Dr. Blazer has prioritized faculty development throughout his career at Duke. In his roles as Interim Chief of the Division of Surgical Oncology and as Section Chief of Hepatopancreatobiliary Cancer, he has supported the career progression of numerous faculty members. Before assuming those positions, he served as clinical mentor to multiple junior faculty members, and he has successfully helped place multiple surgical oncology fellows into assistant professor jobs at top academic medical centers.
“Dr. Blazer has long been a steadfast supporter of the department and of our faculty,” said Peter J. Allen, MD, David C. Sabiston Jr. Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Surgery. “He is honest, willing to have difficult discussions, and able to see multiple perspectives. Given his longstanding membership on the APT committee, and his significant institutional knowledge, I believe he will do an outstanding job improving our processes to promote our faculty.”
Dr. Allen also thanked Cynthia Shortell, MD for her work leading faculty affairs for the department in related roles since 2015. “The work Dr. Shortell has done for our faculty over the past decade-plus has cleared a path that will help Dr. Blazer succeed in this new role. We are grateful, and we owe her tremendous thanks for her contributions. I doubt there is a faculty member in our department who has not benefited from her commitment to our collective success.”