Melanie Sion, MD, assistant professor of general surgery, trauma, and surgical critical care at Yale School of Medicine, has been appointed to the Board of Directors of the Association for Women Surgeons (AWS) Foundation following a unanimous vote of the board. The appointment marks the start of her three-year term.
A committed advocate for equity in surgery, Sion is an active leader in global surgery and has served on the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Committee on Global Engagement since 2022, where she currently serves as chair of the International Subcommittee. Through the ACS Health Outreach Program for Equity in Global Surgery (ACS H.O.P.E.), she contributes to initiatives that advance equitable access to surgical care and inclusive surgical education worldwide.
The AWS Foundation sponsors programs that advance gender equity in surgery through mentorship, scholarships, and professional development.
In December 2025, Sion represented both the ACS and the AWS Foundation at the College of Surgeons of East, Central, and Southern Africa (COSECSA) meeting in Burundi. Alongside Girma Tefera, MD, FACS, Director of ACS H.O.P.E., she presented awards to scholarship recipients of the Women’s Scholars Program, which provides financial support to women surgical trainees across East, Central, and Southern Africa.