Title: Associate Dean, International Medicine
Executive Director, Office of International Medicine Programs
Background
Dr. Ayas is the Associate Dean for International Medicine at the School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS), founder and Executive Director of the Office of International Medicine Programs; Director of the global health scholarly concentration, Course Director of interdisciplinary medicine; and Professorial Lecturer of global health, in the Milken Institute School of Public Health at The George Washington University (GW).
As Associate Dean, Dr. Ayas serves as a member of the senior management group in implementing strategic planning and oversight of international health and medical and health-related education and training programs and projects. She represents the SMHS on all international projects, work groups and committees, both domestically and abroad.
As Executive Director, Dr. Ayas has formed more than 50 global strategic partnerships and affiliations, and she has developed and implemented several international medical education and research training programs. These programs include the MD Program for International Students; the International Observership Program; the International Residency Program; the International Clinical Electives Program; the International Clinical Fellowship Program, and most recently, the Medical Research Fellowship Program. Her educational initiatives include the formation of a global health track for residents; continuous global public health rotations; and interdisciplinary medical and surgical missions to include medical, public health, and physician assistant students.
Dr. Ayas led GW involvement in creating a pilot project to develop and implement a graduate medical education model in Asmara, Eritrea, working closely with non-profit Physicians for Peace, the Ministry of Health of Eritrea, and the Orotta School of Medicine. She has served as an advisor and site visits surveyor on the Medical Education Partnership Initiative (MEPI) and as a secretariat member on the two-year Sub-Saharan African Medical Schools Study (SAMSS). Dr. Ayas has traveled extensively throughout Africa, Asia, Middle East, Europe, the Caribbean and Latin American. Dr. Ayas is fluent in Arabic, French, and English.
Dr. Ayas received her BA, MHSA and MBA degrees from the George Washington University in 1990, 1993, and 1998 respectively. In addition, Dr. Ayas completed her Doctorate of Education degree from the GWU School of Education and Human Development in 2006.