AROPA Presidents

Marlene Kromchad, C-TAGME, is the Associate Director of Medical Education at the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Pennsylvania. In her role, Marlene oversees the Radiation Oncology Medical and Medical Physics Residency Programs. Marlene also directs resident and fellow rotation operations and the medical student elective clerkship. Prior to that, Marlene spent four years as the Program Coordinator for Radiation Oncology at Thomas Jefferson University and 23 years as the Program Coordinator at Garden State Infectious Diseases for the Rowan School of Osteopathic Medicine. Marlene is also a Certified Training Administrator of Graduate Medical Education (C-TAGME). Marlene serves in multiple committees and is known at UPenn for her technological knowledge. Marlene is committed to nationally creating meaningful and positive relationships amongst the Radiation Oncology educational programs. Marlene is married to Andy Kromchad, and together they have three children and two grandsons.

Dr. Denise De La Cruz serves as the Director, Division of Education Radiation Oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and has built her career in research, grants administration, and graduate medical education. In her role, she oversees one of the largest radiation oncology residency programs in the country, as well as the Advanced Radiation Oncology Fellowship program and medical student elective and clerkship programs. Dr. De la Cruz also directs operations for postdoctoral and research training, resident and fellow rotations, the joint/preliminary transitional year program for PGY1s, visitors’ programs, and the divisions’ CME activities. Denise earned her doctorate in May 2021 with her Ed.D. dissertation focused on attitudes of radiation oncology physicians with respect to rural healthcare delivery, specifically in cancer care. Aligning with this, her professional and research interests include organizational culture impact, ethical leadership, social justice in academics, and equity, diversity and inclusion. Extrapolating her interests into tangible influence, Dr. De la Cruz is a founding member of the institution’s Lifelong Learners Education Committee, a group whose aim is to connect employees pursuing doctoral studies for resource sharing and support. She also serves on the Division of Radiation Oncology Diversity and Inclusion Committee, Grand Rounds Committee, Engagement Committee, and the Program Evaluation Committee for both residency and fellowship. Her footprint and expertise as program administrator extends beyond the fold of MD Anderson’s Radiation Oncology Education and Training and she currently serves as the Immediate Past President of the Association of Radiation Oncology Program Administrators, a national non-profit organization for education administrators in the specialties of radiation oncology and medical physics.

The Association of Radiation Oncology Program Administrators (AROPA) was founded by Ms. Cordelia Baffic, who is currently the Director of Medical Education at the Department of Radiation Oncology, of the University of Pennsylvania. Ms. Baffic, known by everyone as “Cordy”, has worked at UPenn for over 35 years and has graduated over 300 prominent radiation oncologists. She has served under four departmental Chairmen, five Designated Institutional Officials and five University Deans. In her role, Cordy identified the need to progress and establish the first national organization for program administrators in the field of Radiation Oncology (AROPA).  Cordy’s ongoing focus has been on the building of healthy organizational structures and cultivating a foundation of excellence in the medical education field locally, nationally and internationally. Cordy has been instrumental in pioneering several innovative organizations such as the Community Alliance for Development and Tommy’s Home of Camden. Cordy is married to Robert Baffic, and together they have four daughters and seven grandchildren.