Elza Mylona, Ph.D., who is the senior associate dean for Faculty Affairs and Faculty Development at the Methodist University Cape Fear Valley Health School of Medicine, has received the 2026 Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Group on Faculty Affairs Carole J. Bland Phronesis Award, a national recognition honoring leaders whose work reflects wisdom, integrity and a deep commitment to supporting others in academic medicine.

The recognition reflects more than three decades of work that Mylona has dedicated to faculty development, mentorship and building strong academic communities. Throughout her career, she has helped institutions create systems that support faculty success while strengthening educational culture and long-term institutional growth.

At the new school of medicine, Mylona has played an important role in helping shape the institution during its formation. Her work has focused on creating a strong foundation for faculty support and engagement while helping establish the culture and structure of a new medical school.

“What has been most meaningful is the ability to intentionally establish a culture of faculty vitality, engagement, and excellence from the very beginning,” Mylona said in a press release. “In a new medical school, culture is not inherited. It is built.”

Drawing on decades of experience in academic medicine and faculty affairs, Mylona has helped lead the development of mentoring structures, faculty development initiatives and systems designed to support faculty growth and professional excellence. She said creating an environment where faculty feel valued and connected to a shared purpose has been one of the most rewarding aspects of the work.

“Equally important has been establishing a culture where faculty contributions are recognized and celebrated, where engagement is expected, and where faculty understand that they are building something meaningful together,” she said in a press release.

Mylona described the national recognition as both professionally affirming and personally meaningful.

“Professionally, this recognition affirms that faculty vitality, mentoring systems, and faculty development are not peripheral functions, but central to the success and credibility of academic medicine,” Mylona said in a press release. “Personally, this recognition is both humbling and grounding. It represents a career shaped by mentorship, collaboration, and a deep commitment to advancing others.”

Mylona was formally recognized during the 2026 AAMC GBA-GIP-GFA Joint Spring Meeting in St. Louis, Mo.