Shout Outs
By Office of the President | Sep 23, 2025
Richard Miller Named to Becker’s “78 Academic Medical Center CFOs to Know”
Congratulations to Richard Miller, Ph.D., Downstate’s Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, who was named to Becker’s Hospital Review’s 2025 list of “78 Academic Medical Center CFOs to Know.” The list recognizes senior finance executives who guide the fiscal strategy of
academic health systems and medical centers nationwide.
Dr. Miller leads Downstate’s finance division, overseeing financial planning, budgeting, treasury, tuition revenue cycle, and reporting, supporting our education, research, and clinical care missions. His leadership has ensured Downstate remains well-positioned to serve Brooklyn and beyond. He has served as CFO since 2019, following several months in the interim role. He has held progressively senior finance positions at Downstate since joining in 2012. He previously spent nearly three decades in finance leadership at the University of Chicago Medical Center.
We are proud to see him recognized among his peers for the expertise, dedication, and vision he brings to Downstate daily.
Applied Behavior Analysis Program Earns ABAI Recognition
Congratulations to the School of Health Professions’ Master of Science in Applied
Behavior Analysis program on earning recognition as a Tier 2a program by the Association
for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI). The program is recognized through December
31, 2027.
From a student perspective, this recognition provides a clear pathway to board certification, ensures alignment with the 2027 certification requirements, and affirms the program’s commitment to rigorous, evidence-based training.
Led by Program Chair Jason C. Vladescu, Ph.D., BCBA-D, the program trains graduates to design and deliver interventions, conduct data-driven
assessments, and support individuals with autism and other neurodevelopmental and
behavioral needs in schools, clinics, and community settings. The ABA program establishes
SOHP’s behavioral-health offerings, strengthens interprofessional training with clinical
partners, and builds the workforce needed in Brooklyn, New York City, and across New
York State.
Kudos to Dr. Vladescu for spearheading the program’s rapid development and recognition.
SUNY Extends Dr. Marie-Claire Roberts Prestigious Simulation Fellowship for 2025–2026
Congratulations to Marie-Claire Roberts, Ph.D., MS, MPA, RN, Associate Professor and Executive Vice Dean for the College of Nursing, on her renewal
as a SUNY Nursing Simulation Fellow for 2025–2026. The Fellowship advances the recommendations from Chancellor King’s
Future of Healthcare Workers Task Force to expand access to highly trained, diverse,
and resilient care teams statewide. It also supports Governor Hochul’s goal to grow
the New York healthcare workforce by 20 percent.
Dr. Roberts helped launch the Fellowship’s inaugural year with hands-on collaboration and practical insights. In year two, she will help shape new components, including enhancing faculty simulation-skills development, expanding peer-to-peer learning opportunities, and broadening the Fellowship’s reach and impact. She will also refine and further develop the SUNY Shared Simulation Resource Library. In August, Dr. Roberts attended the Fellowship’s pre-kickoff engagement meeting and will join the in-person cohort kickoff at SUNY System Administration in October 2025.
Well done, Dr. Roberts. Your leadership is advancing simulation education across SUNY and preparing more nurses to deliver high-quality care.
Dr. Sydney Butts Co-Edits Lip, Palate, and Facial Cleft Care Special Volume
Sydney C. Butts, M.D., FACS, Interim Chair of Otolaryngology, is co-guest editor of Facial Plastic Surgery Clinics of North America’s special issue, “Preface: Foundation and Innovation in Lip, Palate, and Facial Cleft Care,” slated for release November 28, 2025. The issue highlights the latest knowledge on these complex conditions and the life-changing reconstructive procedures that address them. Dr. Butts was also the senior author of an article included in the issue, “Prenatal Diagnosis and Prenatal Counseling of Patients with Orofacial Clefts.”
Research by Dr. Edward V. Quadros Highlighted in TED Talk
Kudos to Edward V. Quadros, Ph.D., Research Professor of Cell Biology with primary appointment in the division of Hem/Onc.
His Downstate-developed FRAT (Folate Receptor Autoantibody Test) helps pinpoint children with autism who may respond
to folinic acid (leucovorin). The nonprofit Every Cure highlighted this approach in a recent TED Talk and is advancing next-step studies—another example of Downstate science informing
care.
More Information on Autism FRAT
Dr. Ashley Ramirez Elected to AAMC ORR Administrative Board
PGY3 Surgery Resident Ashley Ramirez, M.D., was elected to the Administrative Board of the Association of American Medical Colleges
(AAMC) Organization of Resident Representatives (ORR). The organization gives resident
physicians a direct voice in AAMC policy and develops leaders in academic medicine.
We applaud Dr. Ramirez’s leadership and look forward to her contributions on behalf
of residents and the academic medicine community.