Administrative Staff

Department Administration
Amy

Amy D. Cavanaugh

Associate Administrator
612-626-3111
[email protected]

  • Supervision of Administrative Staff, Student Worker(s)
  • Support clinical services and administrative/operational activities for GynOnc Division
  • Department Facilities Representative
  • Faculty Affairs Representative, Medical School

Primary contact for: Dr. Melissa Geller (Division Director)

Kristina Cecka

Kristina Cecka

Program/Project Specialist
612-626-3111
[email protected]

  • Manage and update OBGYN clinic/call calendars online
  • General administrative support for OBGYN faculty

Primary support for: Drs. Erickson, Argenta, Rivard, O'Shea, Bazzaro, Teoh and Vogel

olson

Brenda Olson

Project/Program Specialist
612-626-3111
[email protected]

  • Manage and update OBGYN clinic/call calendars online
  • General administrative support for OBGYN faculty

Primary contact for: Drs. Fisher, Ghebre, Mattson, Mullany, Nardos, Schefter and Winterhoff

Homich

April Homich

Project/Program Specialist
612-301-3408
[email protected]

  • Manage and update MFM clinic/call calendars online
  • Support MFM academic search and recruitment processes
  • General administrative support for MFM faculty and fellows

Support for: Dr. Martina Burn; Dr. Sabrina Burn; Dr. Stephen Contag; Dr. Elizabeth Hoover; Dr. Cresta Jones; Dr. Sereen Nashif; Dr. Jessica Nyholm; Dr. Bethany Sabol; Dr. Sarah Wernimont; Dr. Yasuko Yamamura (Acting Division Director)

Wintersteen

Linka Wintersteen

Project / Program Specialist
[email protected]

  • Administrative support for all general OBGYN (WHS) faculty
  • Back-up administrative support for MFM
  • Administrative support for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee
  • Qgenda and clinic scheduling for general OBGYN division

Support for: Drs. Boraas, Darnell, French, Hammer Burns, Henke, Hutto, Larsen, Petzel, Pukite, Ralph, and Terrell

girtz

Dani Girtz

Event Coordinator / Administrative Associate
612-626-3111
[email protected]

  • Coordination of departmental / division events, including:
    • Grand Rounds
    • Annual faculty meetings 
    • Annual department events
    • Major department conferences 
      • OCMF, HAGO
    • Graduation
    • Research Day
    • OBGYN Business Meetings
  • Back-up administrative support for GynOnc division
Pelletier

LeAnn Pelletier

Financial Analyst
952-240-2920
[email protected]

  • Post-Award Accountant for Sponsored Projects
  • Clinical Analyst for Ob/Gyn's Clinical Service Unit (CSU) through UMP
  • Budget, manage, and report on all sources of funds for the Department
Medical Education
Deborah Egger-Smith

Deborah Egger-Smith

Director, Medical Education
612-626-4939
[email protected]

  • Coordinator for GynOnc and MFM Fellowship Programs
  • Coordinate faculty/adjunct faculty support for PBLs, Breast and Pelvic Workshop and RPAP visits
  • Notary for Faculty and Staff
  • Primary point of contact and operational link for all residency-related matters 
  • Manages annual recruitment season, onboarding, and orientation for all OB/GYN residents 
  • Ensures the resident program and trainees are compliant with all ACGME and GME policies and administrative requirements 

Primary contact for: fellows, residents, medical students, externs, and observers

Fods

Heidi Fods

Medical Student Administrator
[email protected]

  • Ob/Gyn 7500 Clerkship and Elective Courses for 3rd and 4th year Medical Students 
  • SLOE letters for residency applications
  • Manages Canvas courses sites
  • Manages Medtrics for evaluations
  • Primary Contact for student observers and VSLO (visiting students)
  • Adjunct Faculty contact 
Allison Mitchell

Allison Mitchell

Fellowship Program Administrator/Coordinator
[email protected]

  • Primary point of contact and operational link for Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship and Maternal-Fetal Medicine Fellowship
  • Ensure compliance with ACGME and GME policies and administrative requirements for fellowship programs
  • Manage annual recruitment season and onboarding for OB/Gyn fellowships.
Research Operations
Zielinski

Erin Zielinski, MS, CCRP

Director of Research Operations
612-626-3111
[email protected]

  • Supervises research staff
  • Liaison between department and internal/external collaborators
  • Oversees program development and growth 
  • Sets research team goals and milestones
Bunch

Maria Bunch

Project Manager
[email protected]

  • Develops protocol for studies
  • Handles IRB submissions
  • Maintains budget & contract submissions
  • Continually amends and reviews studies
  • Manages PI meetings
Simpson

Annika Simpson

Clinical Research Coordinator
[email protected]

  • Assist Gynecologic Oncologists with screenings
  • Enroll and conduct study visits
  • Assist in the development and growth of the department's new cooperative group initiative
Pecoraro

Alyssa Pecoraro

Clinical Research Coordinator
[email protected]

  • Schedule scrubbing
  • Recruitment
  • Consent
  • Study Procedures
  • Specimen Collection 
  • Data Entry
Hansen

Sydney Hansen

Nurse Coordinator
[email protected]

  • Screen and consent patients eligible for research studies
  • Assist in start up and management of clinical studies
  • Coordinate study related activities