The UW School of Medicine’s Pauline and Edgar Stern Program for Medical Education supports innovation, leadership, and mentorship in medical education across the WWAMI region — Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho. Established through the generosity of the Pauline and Edgar Stern Foundation, the program places a Stern Faculty Educator at each primary teaching site across WWAMI, ensuring every community where UW trains physicians has direct access to faculty development and mentorship. Inspired by Polly Stern’s belief in “training the trainer,” the program invests in the outstanding educators who shape the next generation of physicians.
On June 5, 2026, CLIME and the Stern Faculty Educators gathered in Seattle for a long-awaited in-person retreat, a chance to come together, celebrate the remarkable work happening across the WWAMI region, and strengthen the collaboration between CLIME and the Stern program.
The retreat brought together Stern Educators Michael J. Ryan (Eastern Washington), Andrea Christopher (Idaho), Chris Knight (Western Washington), Ronald Malm (Wyoming), and Toni Biskup (Alaska), along with CLIME leadership. Though Laura Goodell (Montana) was unable to join in person, her contributions to the team were very much present in the conversation.
Special guest Dr. Anna Cianciolo, who also served as keynote speaker at the CLIME Together Symposium that same day, joined the group and offered valuable perspective on collaboration and community building, themes that resonated deeply with this geographically dispersed but tightly connected team.
The day was a reminder of what makes the Stern program special: the passion each educator brings to their work, the extraordinary stories and journeys represented across five states, and the shared dedication to supporting faculty and students across WWAMI. We leave the retreat energized and looking forward to growing the visibility of the Stern Educators and the meaningful work they continue to do in their communities.