In addition to its governance and fiduciary duties, The Beckwith Institute Board has another critical role. It is the final selection body for all project funding.
Its members share a passion for making health care more efficient, more compassionate and more effective. They bring a wide range of internal and external expertise, competencies, and perspectives to the selection process. Their unique perspective is key to prioritizing innovative solutions to critical health care issues.
Co-Founder, The Beckwith Institute
Co-Founder, The Beckwith Institute
Chairman Emeritus, UPMC Board of Directors
Timothy Billiar, MD
Bruce Bowden
Deborah Brodine
Louise Brown
Jeanne Cunicelli
Eric Dueweke, MD
Jackie Dunbar-Jacob
Robert Edwards, MD
Toren Finkel, MD/PhD
Bartley P. Griffith, Jr.
Dawndra Jones
Edward Karlovich
Louis Leff, MD, FACP
Amanda Lenhard, MD
Anne Marie Lennon, MD
Holly Lorenz
Jennifer March
Ed McCallister
Maribeth McLaughlin
Suresh Mulukutla, MD
Sandra L. Rader
Fred Rubin, MD
Graham Snyder, MD
J.C. Stilley
John P. Surma
Elizabeth Surma
Becky Taylor
Jessica Trybus
V. Thomas Worrall, MD
Donald M. Yealy, MD
The Beckwith Institute welcomes the opportunity to inspire and encourage the next generation of health care leaders through our Student Board. Each year, The Beckwith Institute appoints two high school students as non-voting members of the Board, offering them the opportunity to learn about options in the health care field while working on projects alongside our staff.
Senior Board Member, Shady Side Academy
Sissi is a senior at Shady Side Academy who has a keen interest in healthcare stemming from her grandparents, who worked as nurse and doctor. With a strong belief that the best way to improve healthcare for patients is to directly interact with them, she is passionate about learning about innovative ideas in healthcare aimed at improving patient experience. She hopes that by learning more about the healthcare system, she could one day improve the system and contribute to her community.
After interning at WellGenetics to learn more about genome editing (using CRISPR on fruit flies) in the summer of 2023, Sissi spent her time collaborating with her teammates to do gene comparisons to find genes with significant levels of mutation in different cancer subtypes. She and her teammates aim to publish a paper on their findings in the summer of 2024 and continue delving into other areas concerning health and biology. Aside from academics, Sissi also does community service, whether it’s packaging books for the Prison Book Project or volunteering at PCS to mentor the children’s choir class.
At Shady Side Academy, Sissi serves on the Newspaper Editorial Board and the history department as the History Department Associate. She plans to continue promoting civic engagement at school by inviting speakers involved in government, along with delving into the chemistry of cosmetics and their effects. She enjoys being involved in the Pre-Med Club, the Quantum club, and the ASL club, which allowed her to see and learn about different perspectives. Sissi also participates in the Science Olympiad and loves reading Shakespeare, swimming on the swim team, participating in the Symphonic Band, and writing poetry in her free time.
New Junior Board member, Shady Side Academy
Ahmed is a junior at Shady Side Academy with a growing passion for medicine and public policy, particularly how both influence the future of patient care. He hopes to follow in the footsteps of his mother and father, who immigrated from Sudan and built meaningful careers in pediatrics and radiology through a commitment to public service.
After extensive volunteering at UPMC Children’s Hospital, Ahmed gained firsthand insight into the patient experience, serving as both a Patient Transporter and a Patient Experience Ambassador. In these roles, he focused on building connections with patients and families, observing how simple kindness and attentiveness can make a meaningful difference. He is also set to intern through Shady Side’s Research Seminar class, where he will conduct independent scientific research under the guidance of a professional mentor and present his findings in the fall.
Outside the hospital, Ahmed is deeply engaged in public policy through competitive speech and debate. As the newly elected Co-President of Shady Side Academy’s team and a National Tournament qualifier in Congressional Debate, he regularly drafts and debates legislation on issues such as the environment, foreign policy, and healthcare.
At Shady Side Academy, Ahmed serves as Co-President of the Speech & Debate Team, an Admissions Ambassador, a Peer Leader, a member of the Boys’ Basketball Team, and, most importantly, Co-President of the Ping-Pong Club. On his brain breaks, Ahmed loves to play basketball, hang out with friends, visit family, and travel the world!
UPMC provides executive support to protect, sustain, and execute the vision of The Beckwith Institute. The Institute works closely with UPMC leadership to identify innovation opportunities and seek proposals. We also partner with grantees to give them the support they need to complete their projects.
Senior Vice President, Health Services Division
Chief Quality & Operational Excellence Officer, UPMC
Senior Manager, Clinical Improvement
Wolff Center at UPMC
Project Manager, The Beckwith Institute
Wolff Center at UPMC
Financial Analyst Senior
Community Provider Services