Our History
ARANS traces its roots to a conversation that started in a hallway. In 2008, a small group of neurosurgery coordinators gathered at an ACGME Annual Educational Conference and discovered they shared a common idea: a dedicated meeting for Program Coordinators in Neurosurgery. Led by Kathy Guzman (University of Southern California) and Lois Hengenius (University Hospitals, Cleveland), the group turned that conversation into action, drafting a proposal and sending it to neurosurgery residency programs across the country.
The response was resounding. Program coordinators, directors, and department chairs alike expressed enthusiastic support, and the proposal was brought before the SNS Council for approval. In tandem with the SNS Annual Meeting, the inaugural coordinator gathering took place in Salt Lake City in May 2009, drawing 65 coordinators from across the country.
The Annual Meeting grew steadily in the years that followed. At the 10th anniversary meeting in 2018, attendees recognized that the community they had built deserved organizational recognition, and the Association of Residency Administrators in Neurological Surgery (ARANS) was officially established in May 2019.
Leadership
Available Officer Positions
President-Elect
One-year term, 2027-2028; successive year as President, 2028-2029
Secretary 2027-2029
Two-year term; 2027-2029
Member-at-Large
Two-year term; 2027-2029
Meeting Chair 2027-2028
Two-year term; 2027-2029
New Member Liaison 2027-2029
Two-year term; 2027-2029
Current Officers
President (2025-2026)
Samantha Phu
Residency Program Coordinator
Department of Neurosurgery
Cedars-Sinai
Vice President (2025-2026)
Shanna Selsor, MHS
Residency and Fellowship Program Coordinator
Department of Neurosurgery
Stanford University
Past President (2024-2025)
Rita A. Raio, C-TAGME
Training Program Administrator
Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell
Neurosurgery Training Program
North Shore University Hospital
President-Elect (2025-2026)
Margaret Minea, C-TAGME
Residency Program Administrator
Department of Neurosurgery
University of Kansas Medical Center
Secretary (2025-2027)
Kellie Devney, C-TAGME
Residency Program Coordinator
Department of Neurosurgery
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Treasurer (2024-2026)
Beth Battisti, MHA, C-TAGME
Program Manager
Department of Neurosurgery
Cleveland Clinic
Meeting Chair (2025-2027)
Courtney Gilligan, MHA
Education & Faculty Affairs Administrator
Department of Neurosurgery
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
New Member Liaison (2025-2027)
Tobi Cooney, C-TAGME
Residency Program Coordinator
Section of Neurosurgery
Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center
Member-At-Large (2024-2026)
Sophie White, MPH, C-TAGME
Senior Academic Specialist
Department of Neurosurgery
University of Maryland
Member-At-Large; Regional Groups (2025-2027)
Jose Gonzalez
Residency Coordinator
Department of Neurosurgery
Riverside University Health System
Professional Organization Liaison (2026-2029)
ACGME, ABNS, CAST
Kathy Guzman
Education Program Manager
Keck School of Medicine of USC
Professional Organization Liaison (2026-2029)
SNS, CNS, AANS
Lois Hengenius
Senior GME Program Administrator
University Hospitals of Cleveland
