Randi Stanulis, PhD Professor of Surgical Education College of Human Medicine

Randi Stanulis, PhD, serves as a tenured professor of surgical education in the Department of Surgery in the College of Human Medicine at Michigan State University. Stanulis (she/hers) received her PhD in Curriculum, Teaching and Staff Development from MSU, which has been ranked #1 from US News and World Report program for the past 18 years. Being a member of this top-ranked program meant premier faculty and doctoral students were recruited, and collaboration with these scholars had a profound impact on Stanulis’ development as a scholar and educator. Dr. Stanulis was the 2007 recipient of Michigan State University’s prestigious Community Engagement Scholarship Award for her partnership work with the local Lansing School District to enhance the learning culture and support new teachers to accelerate their effectiveness. A multi grant-funded initiative ‘Launch into Teaching’ (LIT) was led by Stanulis from 2003-2016 in five urban school districts. Stanulis brings a lens of teacher learning and a systems approach to organizational change to her work in medical education.

During her tenure at both University of Georgia and MSU’s College of Education, Dr. Stanulis held multiple leadership positions including heading the elementary education program, chairing RPT, serving as associate department chair, coordinating the master’s program, and chairing the college advisory committee.

In 2016 Dr. Stanulis joined the College of Human Medicine (CHM), to lead the medical education unit (OMERAD) where she led the vision for initiatives including the Medical Educator Excellence in Teaching (MEET) certificate program, the McLaren Teaching and Learning Fellowship, and online professional development modules for Residents as Teachers that are used with all residents on MSU’s eight community clinical campuses. She stepped down from this leadership role in August 2023 to rekindle her research and professional development work to join the Department of Surgery as a tenured professor in surgery education. Her faculty development and research expertise are now focused on learning from and fostering collaborations to create compelling teaching and learning environments in surgical contexts where learners and care teams flourish.

Stanulis also currently serves as the Director of Professional and Leadership Development for the Office of Health Sciences, and as Assistant Dean for Professional Development as part of the Faculty Affairs and Staff Administration unit in CHM, where she is part of the leadership team preparing to actualize components of the CHM Strategic Plan related to faculty and staff success.

Dr. Stanulis’ son Scot (CHM, 2022) is a PGY2 in an integrated vascular surgery residency at SIU-SOM where he is thriving because of their strong clinical learning environment and focus on good teaching. Her younger son, Alex, is an Assistant Community Director for Residence Life while pursuing his master’s in clinical social work at MSU. She lives in East Lansing with her husband, 3 dogs and a cat, and is grateful for fantastic friends who inspire and stand by her.

Publications