Faculty Factory

Faculty Factory
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The Faculty Factory is a community of faculty development leaders in academic health systems. We share a passion for serving faculty and helping them exceed their clinical, research, education, program-building, administrative, and leadership expectations. The Faculty Factory Podcast emerged from a desire to communicate faculty-development-specific information in a consistent, modern, practical, and intimate way. To learn more, visit: FacultyFactory.org.

  1. 3d ago

    Examining the Ethical Obligations of Generative AI with Lacey W. Heinsberg, PhD, RN

    We're joined by first-time guest Lacey W. Heinsberg, PhD, RN, on this week's episode of the Faculty Factory Podcast to examine many of the ethical considerations surrounding the widespread use of generative AI tools (ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Claude, etc.). Dr. Heinsberg is Assistant Professor of Health Promotion & Development in the School of Nursing, and of Human Genetics in the School of Public Health, at the University of Pittsburgh. She also serves as Co-Director of the Genomics of Patient Outcomes HUB in the School of Nursing. It feels difficult to opt out of using generative AI without there being serious consequences to our careers, yet as we learn in today's episode, it's a deeply personal choice whether to use it and how much to use it. Personal Code of Conduct Dr. Heinsberg created her own personal code of conduct about using generative AI and discussed this in the interview today. Some of its themes include: "Enhance it, don't replace it" and staying aligned with her own institution's AI use policy. There is almost a certain slippery slope facing us all when it comes to an overreliance on generative AI. Writing is thinking, so if AI is writing for us, are we thinking more deeply? Is this harming our critical thinking? "When does trust but verify become ‘why bother using it at all?", she said. Broaching Tough Questions No one has all the answers to this, but it is important to be discussing this with your teams and to embrace these tough questions. Other recurring themes in this episode include: Authenticity.  Integrity.  Transparency (and where the line is between ghostwriting and flat-out generation of unoriginal text). If you're not sure where to get started on your code of conduct policies, or if you have any other questions, you can reach out to her directly via email: law145@pitt.edu.

  2. Jul 17

    The Toxicity of Overperformance in Academic Health with Mandy J. Hill, DrPH, MPH, HIVPCP

    Mandy J. Hill, DrPH, MPH, HIVPCP, is a first-time guest on the Faculty Factory who is highly aware of the unique challenges leaders face. She joins us this week to explore a critical yet often overlooked issue: the toxic feeling of a need to overperform in this field. Dr. Hill currently serves as Professor and Chair of the Department of Population Health and Health Disparities, and Centennial Chair in Preventive Medicine and Community Health, in the School of Public and Population Health at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB). Overperforming is frequently normalized because faculty are conditioned to exceed expectations rather than simply meet them. But "when that becomes the norm, you can create a toxic condition," as Dr. Hill points out in the interview's opening moments. “If you are an early-stage investigator without mentors and champions willing to bring you into that ‘winning team,’ the default way of thinking is to do more,” Dr. Hill said. Overperforming is quickly becoming (if not already) the baseline in academia. It is the overwhelming reality of the culture, so what can be done? Autonomy and investing in ourselves are the only paths forward, and choosing when enough is enough has to be implemented or we risk creating a profession that no one will want to enter.

  3. Jul 10

    Resilience, Setbacks, and the Marathon of an Academic Health Career

    This week on the Faculty Factory Podcast, we're exploring overcoming adversity and stressful times for a very special "best of" episode. The snippets from today's podcast focus on viewing your career as a marathon, staying positive through unimaginable circumstances, and embracing a mindset of humility through leadership, teambuilding and mentorship over the course of your career in academic health. We're featuring important highlights from three episodes in our archive: Episode 130 – Habits and Hacks with Barbara Fivush, MD Episode 150 – Habits and Hacks with Fawaz Al Ammary, MD, PhD Episode 312 – Life Lessons in Informal Learning, Mentorship, and On-the-Job Education with David J. Skorton, MD We start out hearing from Dr. Skorton, who reflects on his own approach to overcoming the persistent waves of adversity he must address while leading the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). After that, we hear from Dr. Al Ammary, who shares how he turned a vicious and unprovoked physical attack into a source of positivity, with a take-home message of staying positive no matter what. We close with Dr. Fivush. She outlines crucial tips for building a team to get things done and chats about why working on your career is a long-term process, a marathon and not a sprint. She also touches on how staying focused and resilient through the inevitable ups and downs of a career is a must.

  4. Jun 26

    Why MedEdPORTAL Belongs in Your Faculty Toolkit with Lauren Maggio, PhD, MS(LIS)

    Lauren Maggio, PhD, MS(LIS), Editor-in-Chief of MedEdPORTAL, visits the Faculty Factory this week for a comprehensive look at the value of submitting to this open-access, peer-reviewed publication and why utilizing its resources throughout your career is a must. In addition to her role with MedEdPORTAL, Dr. Maggio is a Professor and the Director of Research in the Department of Medical Education at the University of Illinois College of Medicine. She also serves on the editorial boards of Academic Medicine and Perspectives on Medical Education. Founded in 2005, MedEdPORTAL is the Association of American Medical Colleges' journal of teaching and learning. "MedEdPORTAL is a diamond open access journal. And what that means is that not only can everyone around the world read what's in MedEdPORTAL for no charge, there's also no charge for you to publish in MedEdPORTAL. So there are no fees for the authors and for the readers. Which to me, as someone who came up in information science and open access, is incredibly important," Dr. Maggio said. MedEdPORTAL also supports the creative commons approach to protecting the intellectual property of those who are published, while allowing others to utilize its value. "We use Creative Commons licenses, which ensure that you have your copyright, that you will get credit for your work, but you are allowing others to reuse your work and modify it for their own context. Because at the end of the day we want our colleagues around the world to be able to take those off the shelf and put them into play in their classroom," Dr. Maggio added.

  5. Jun 19

    Strategic Retirement and Transitions for Academic Health Leaders with David Niesel, PhD

    This week on the Faculty Factory Podcast, David Niesel, PhD, tackles one of the most underexplored questions in academic medicine: do you actually know how to be happy outside of your career? It's a provocative starting point, but one that gets at something real in a broader discussion on being strategic when approaching retirement and transitions for leaders in academic health. "Not everybody is ready for retirement at the same time," Dr. Niesel said, "and that question of readiness sits at the heart of this conversation." Over the course of his career, Dr. Niesel rose through the ranks of academic leadership, serving as Vice Dean for the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Department Chairman, Dean, and ultimately as the Chief Research Officer at University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB). He retired from full-time employment in 2021 and continues as an adjunct professor. He also co-hosts Medical Discovery News, a weekly radio show that recently surpassed 1,000 episodes and publishes a 500-word column each week. You can find out more and tune in here: https://www.medicaldiscoverynews.com/ Dr. Niesel makes the case that skills you've built over decades don't disappear when you step away from the institution. They remain in demand, and that's exactly why intentionality matters. You can't afford to live this next stage by default.

  6. Jun 12

    Providing Effective Career Guidance and Addressing Learner Concerns with Donna J. Adams, EdD

    On this week's episode of the Faculty Factory Podcast, Donna J. Adams, EdD, discusses the noticeable rise in learner concerns over the past five years. Now that we are more than half a decade removed from the peak of the pandemic, managing these issues has become a top priority. With UTMB in Galveston, Texas, Dr. Adams serves as Program Director, Translational Research Education, in the Institute for Translational Sciences Office of Educational Programs. We're excited to welcome Dr. Adams for her first appearance on the show as we explore how faculty leadership can actively step in and help address these challenges. "I always tell students you need to look long term. You need to think about what skills can I pick up now that could be transferable to a postdoc to get into where I really want to go? Sometimes you have to play the long game instead of the short game," Dr. Adams said. Learning about unexpected career paths, opening new doors, and playing the "long game" (since some of the skills you gain will stay with you throughout your career) are all explored in this episode through the lens of Dr. Adams's robust experience. Transferable skills, a sense of curiosity, and relationship building are also covered. As the discussion wraps up, Dr. Adams also addresses getting comfortable with change, one of the few constants in academia, and why providing psychological safety is essential.

  7. Jun 5

    Best of Education: Innovative and Micro-Scale Instructional Approaches

    This week on the Faculty Factory Podcast, we’re talking about education once again, and this time it's all about exploring teaching that goes way beyond the status quo for a very special "best of" episode. The snippets from today’s podcast focus on technology, meeting learners where they are, avoiding cognitive overload, and introducing clinical and micro-scale instructional approaches. We're featuring important highlights from three episodes in our archive: Episode 283 – Tiny Talks, Academic Medicine and the Clinical Learning Environment with Anna Handorf, MD Episode 158 – Just in Time Teaching (JiTT), Evidence-based Knowledge, and Technology with Alice Fornari, EdD, FAMEE, RDN Episode 297 – The Art and Science of Delivering “Micro Resources” in Academic Medicine with Alice Fornari, EdD, FAMEE, RDN We start out hearing from Dr. Handorf about the three rules of Tiny Talks. These three guidelines are so important to consider when crafting learning materials at any level. After that, we move on to back-to-back interviews with Dr. Fornari, who is constantly incorporating the latest technology and applications to bring just-in-time teaching elements and “micro resources” to learners. Our education-themed archive of content is robust here at the Faculty Factory. We've organized this content into its own dedicated section on our website, so it's never been easier to find the next episode that might inspire you.

  8. May 29

    Neurodivergence and the Faculty Experience with Kelley J. Slack, PhD

    This week on the Faculty Factory Podcast, we explore what neurodiversity is and how it plays out in the workplace with our guest, Kelley J. Slack, PhD. Dr. Slack is an Organizational Psychologist in the Department of Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, Texas. First things out of the gate, we learned neurodiversity is not a medical term but rather a social construct. "You're not going to find neurodiversity in a medical textbook, but at the same time it's 'not not' a medical term in that it highlights the natural variation in human neurology," she said. Dr. Slack reminds us that we all possess cognitive strengths and deal with different challenges. This natural range has played a vital role in human flourishing, and our latest episode is the perfect starting place to learn more. You can contact Dr. Slack by email. And learn more about the study she mentioned in the closing moments of the podcast.

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About

The Faculty Factory is a community of faculty development leaders in academic health systems. We share a passion for serving faculty and helping them exceed their clinical, research, education, program-building, administrative, and leadership expectations. The Faculty Factory Podcast emerged from a desire to communicate faculty-development-specific information in a consistent, modern, practical, and intimate way. To learn more, visit: FacultyFactory.org.

Information

  • Creator
    Faculty Factory
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    391
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Faculty Factory

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