Faculty Development Opportunities at UC-COM

The Office of Faculty Affairs & Development have created new development programming for our faculty in the areas of professional development, research development, teaching and education development, and wellness. Programs in these four tracks will be offered on a monthly basis during the academic year. Complete listing of development programs being offered 2025-2026 Programs (PDF).

February 2026

February 11, 2026 Creating Psychological Safety in Collaborative Teams​

Facilitators: Jenn Molano, MD & Laura Hildreth
Via: Microsoft Teams
Time: 12-1:00pm

Description: Explore how VIA Character Strengths and Appreciative Inquiry can foster psychological safety, trust, and cohesion in collaborative teams.

Learning Objectives:

1. Define psychological safety
2. Recognize the link between strengths-based practices and psychological safety
3. Apply a strengths-based approach to collaborative processes

February 12, 2026 Championing Culture Building in your Department (repeat)​

Facilitator: Steven D Kniffley Jr., PsyD MPA ABPP HSP
Via: Microsoft Teams
Time: 12-1:00pm

February 17, 2026 Vision Quest: Purpose, Identity, and Burnout in a Medical Career​

Facilitator: Houman Varghai, MD
Via: Microsoft Teams
Time: 12-1:00pm

1. Describe how personal and professional values evolve over the course of a medical career and how misalignment between values and roles can contribute to dissatisfaction or burnout.
2. Use a structured reflective framework to clarify personal and professional values and examine how these values influence career direction, priorities, and sense of meaning.
3. Recognize that uncertainty, non-linear career paths, and periods of recalibration are common experiences among physician faculty, and reframe these moments as opportunities for reflection rather than failure.

February 23, 2026 Introduction to the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI)

Facilitators: Robin Selzer, PhD & Darlene Taylor, MSW, IDI Qualified Administrators
Via: Zoom
Time: 12-1:00pm

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe the developmental approach of the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) continuum
2. Explain how the IDI assesses and tracks intercultural competence
3. Draw on highlights from prior research to contextualize the application of the IDI process
4. Explore how the IDI enhances perspective taking and cultural understanding in medical education

March 2026