Boards and Councils

AUPO is governed by a Board of Trustees and each Member constituency has its own Council that reports to the Board of Trustees. Designated representatives from the board, member councils, and the Journal of Academic Ophthalmology, also serve together on an AUPO Council, which functions to provide ongoing, direct input to the board.

Board of Trustees

AUPO is led by a thirteen-member Board of Trustees (Trustees); twelve of the Trustees are elected by the chair members and one is elected by the Board. The member-elected positions include a President, President-Elect, Past-President, and nine Trustees. The Board-elected position is a Chief Executive Officer (CEO). All Trustees, except the CEO, must be current Chair Members; the CEO can be a current or past Chair Member.

AUPO 2025-2026 Board Members
Left to right: Jacque Duncan, Michael Siatkowski, Kimberly Crowder, Sayoko Moroi, Terri Young, Nicholas Volpe, Bennie Jeng, Kathryn Colby, Andreas Lauer, Paul Sternberg, Jr. (Missing: Sophie Bakri, RV Paul Chan, James Tsai)

Program Directors Council 

The Program Directors Council (PDC) consists of seven elected Program Director members who are the Residency Program Directors at their institutions. The elected positions include a President, President-Elect, Past President, and four Members-at-Large. The PDC provides an opportunity for the Program Directors to plan educational activities and to address issues pertinent to their position.

AUPO 2025-2026 Program Directors Council
Back row left to right: Jeffrey Goshe, Jamie Rosenberg, Pavlina Kemp, Saras Ramanathan; Front row left to right: Robert Swan, Jennifer Lindsey, Fasika Woreta

Directors of Medical Student Education Council

The Directors of Medical Student Education Council (DMSEC) encompasses seven elected members who are the Directors of Medical Student Education at their institutions. The positions include a President, Past President, President-Elect, Secretary, and three Members-at-Large. The DMSEC provides an opportunity for the Directors of Medical Student Education to address issues pertinent to their position, and to produce and plan related educational materials.

AUPO 2025-2026 Directors of Medical Student Education Council
Left to right: Neeti Parkih, Ariane Kaplan, Nisha Chadha, Lisa Kelly, Lorri Wilson, Zachary Elkin, Moran Ronnie Levin

Research Directors Council

The Research Directors Council (RDC) is comprised of five elected members who are the Directors of Research at their institutions. The current positions include a President, Past President, President-Elect, and three Members-at-Large. The RDC provides an opportunity for the Research Directors to address issues pertinent to their position, and to plan related educational activities.

AUPO 2025-2026 Research Directors Council
Left to right: Steven Fliesler, Maureen McCall, Manuela Bartoli, Deborah Ferrington, Machelle Pardue

Administrators Council 

The Administrators Council is guided by ten elected members who are the senior administrators at their institutions. Council members include a President, Past President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and five Trustees-at-Large. The Administrators Council provides an avenue for Administrators to address issues pertinent to their position and to plan relevant educational programming.

AUPO 2024-2025 Administrator Council
Back row left to right: Craig Campbell, Salvatore Loiacono, Sean Popoff, Cameron Blount, Garyl Geist, Juan Trujillo; Front row left to right: Abigail Strickland, Michelle Premo, Jenny Hamlin, Craig Kishaba

AUPO Council 

The AUPO Council (Council) was established to empower the Member Councils and the Editor of the Journal of Academic Ophthalmology (JAO) by providing direct input to the Board of Trustees. The eight voting representatives on the Council include the Presidents of the Program Directors Council, Directors of Medical Student Education Council, Research Directors Council, and Administrators Council; the Editor of the Journal of Academic Ophthalmology; and the President, President-Elect, and Chief Executive Officer of the Board of Trustees. The President-Elect of each Member Council, and Board Liaisons to each Council, may attend the meetings as non-voting participants. Council members work together on goals, strategies and issues of interest and concern to AUPO and academic ophthalmology.