The Association for Surgical Education Foundation is pleased to announce the Deb DaRosa Scholarship! The Deb DaRosa Scholar is a member of the Association for Surgical Education who seeks to acquire knowledge or skills that will advance their career as a surgical educator. The DaRosa Scholar is passionate about surgical education and is committed to scholarly collaboration in surgical education science.
Preference will be given to applicants with the following qualities:
- Early to mid-career, or participating in a career “reset”
- Involvement at their home institution in an education leadership role
- Active volunteer and/or scholarly engagement with ASE
Dr. DaRosa has indicated that she would love it if the recipient will join her to celebrate your success at the conclusion of the year and going forward!
The DaRosa Scholarship is intended to defray the costs of participation in an advanced course of study that will increase the recipient’s capacity as a surgical education scholar and leader. A formal graduate program of study is appropriate, as is enrollment in coursework that provides a new skill set. Participation in a postgraduate certificate program or a time-limited course is also within the intent of the scholarship. The DaRosa scholar will have additional mentorship available to them from ASE Foundation board members. Trainees are not eligible for the DaRosa scholarship at this time.
Applications for this cycle will open on November 15, 2025 and close on January 15, 2026.
Applications must be formatted in Arial or Times New Roman font of at least 11 font size, single-spaced, and at least half-inch margins (top, bottom, left, and right) for all pages. Initial applications will be reviewed by members of the ASEF Deb DaRosa Scholarship Committee, and all awards will be announced at the 2026 Surgical Education Week. The value of the 2026-2027 DaRosa Scholarship will be $3000.00
Applications should include the following items, which should be assembled into a single PDF document. Brief essays should not exceed 3 paragraphs/ one page.
- Cover page: Download Template
- Brief Essay 1: How will you use this award to advance your career as a surgical educator?
- Brief Essay 2: How do you anticipate that this award will foster your engagement as an ASE member?
- Current CV and Education Portfolio
- A summary document of all activities and presentations for the Association for Surgical Education, including ASE meetings attended
- Letter of support from Department Chair, Division Chief, or Vice Chair of Education
Deliverables
- Mid-year and end-of-year written report to the ASE Foundation Board describing how the scholarship has been used and the benefits derived by the recipient. The end-of-year report will be included in the ASE Annual Report.
- A brief (< 3 minute) verbal report at Surgical Education Week 2027.
- A written viewpoint piece on the scholarship experience for Global Surgical Education
Application Deadline: 11:59 PM on January 15, 2026
Please contact Christelle Menetrier at christelle@surgicaleducation.com with any questions about the application or eligibility.
Contact membership@surgicaleducation.
Spotlight on Dr. Debra DaRosa Career Development Scholarship Awardees
2025-2026 Debra DaRosa Career Development Awardee
Minna Minsing Chen Wieck, MD
Dr. Wieck is a general pediatric surgeon offering patient care related to all aspects of general, thoracic, and fetal pediatric surgery at UC Davis and at Shriners Children’s Hospital, Northern California. Her clinical and research interests include pediatric trauma and injury prevention, congenital malformations, and pediatric aerodigestive and endocrine disorders. She is also an Associate Program Director for the General Surgery Residency and the Director of the Surgical Education and Simulation Fellowship at UC Davis. She is currently pursuing her Masters in Health Professions Education and is an active member of multiple surgical and educational professional societies.