Who We Are

CU Anschutz Office of Professional Excellence

​Jeffrey Druck, Dr. Druck is an Associate Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine. He completed residency at the Denver Health Residency Program in Emergency Medicine, after which he took a position at Emory University. Returning to Denver in 2003, he has since served as Associate Residency Director in the Denver Health Residency Program in Emergency Medicine, as well as Director of the medical school Integrated Clinicians Course. Subsequently, he was appointed as Assistant Dean for Student Affairs and Co-Director of the Office of Professional Excellence.

He has won multiple awards for his teaching skills, including the American College of Emergency Physician’s National Faculty Teaching Award, the Academy of Medical Educator’s award for Excellence in Educational Leadership and Curriculum Development, and The Peter Rosen Leadership Award. His research interests lie in novel educational modalities, curriculum development, asthma, student support strategies, professionalism, wellness and evaluation strategies.

​Abigail Lara, Dr. Abigail (Abbey) Lara, along with Dr. Druck, is a Co-Director of the Office of Professional Excellence (OPE) and is a practicing pulmonary and critical care physician in the Department of Medicine and an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. She is the medical director of Medical-Surgical Progressive Care Unit and maintains an active outpatient clinic and attends in the Medical Intensive Care Unit at the University of Colorado Hospital. She served as the associate Program Director of the PCCM Fellowship training program for 4 years and as the Program Director for 2 years before stepping down to take the role of Co-Director of the Office of Professional Excellence in 2018. 

Dr. Lara received her B.A (psychology) and B.S. (Microbiology) from the University of California San Diego and her M.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She completed her internal medicine residency at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, followed by a research fellowship at the Lerner Research Institute in Cleveland. She completed her pulmonary and critical care medicine training at the University of Colorado and has been on faculty since 2008. She is married, is an avid outdoorswoman, an amateur archer and a certified scuba dive master. 

​Josette G. Harris, PhD, is Professor of Psychiatry and Neurology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and head of the Division of Psychology. She has been a certified mediator by CDR (Collaborative Decision Resources) of Boulder, Colorado since 2015. She is the Associate Director of the Office of Professional Excellence. She has extensive experience in clinical and research neuropsychology, and has lectured extensively as well as taught at all levels within the School of Medicine. She has had numerous grants and publications and received several honors and awards. In her role in the Office of Professional Excellence she has been involved in over 100 interventions leading to resolution of a variety of unprofessional actions by faculty, housestaff, students and staff.