2024 CAP Pathologist of the Year Award

The CAP Pathologist of the Year Award honors a leader of the College of American Pathologists (CAP) for outstanding contributions to the field of pathology and to the programs and activities of the CAP.

The College of American Pathologists presents Emily E. Volk, MD, MBA, FCAP, with the CAP Pathologist of the Year Award in recognition of her long and distinguished career in pathology.

Dr. Volk is the immediate past president of the College of American Pathologists, serving in 2021 and 2022. She has been active on the CAP Board of Governors since 2013 and in the CAP at large for two decades. She has led numerous committees and councils, including the Council on Government and Professional Affairs, the Economic Affairs Committee Performance Assessment Subcommittee, and the Ad Hoc Committee for the Pathologists Quality Registry. Furthermore, Dr. Volk served on the PathPAC Board of Directors and on the CAP House of Delegates (HOD). Dr. Volk is committed to political advocacy on behalf of pathology, which is evident in her long-standing support of and attendance at the Pathologists Leadership Summit and, specifically, the Hill Day event.

While serving as president of the CAP, Dr. Volk led multiple initiatives placing the organization at the forefront of the health care community. She addressed issues of health equity in numerous forums including addressing the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust, promoting the importance of correct utilization of non-race based estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) testing and access to laboratory testing resources in underserved communities. In addition, she supported the adoption of modern blood donation protocols that removed unscientific bias and the exploration of more inclusive reference ranges to better meet all patients' needs.

Dr. Volk has consistently championed the role of pathologists as the foundation of modern medicine and the CAP as the pathologist’s professional home. She led the organization to establish the Council on Informatics and Pathology Innovation and the Ethics and Professionalism Committee. In addition, she laid the foundation for a pathway for innovation acceleration at the CAP. While CAP president, she made hundreds of media appearances. During her tenure, the CAP received national recognition for communication outreach, receiving the Profiles of Excellence Award in Communications by the American Association of Medical Society Executives (AAMSE). She actively supported the J1 Visa Waiver for international medical graduates and promoted advances in member learning opportunities. Her monthly President’s Desk column successfully engaged record numbers of CAP Today readers.

Dr. Volk is on the faculty of the University of Louisville (UofL) School of Medicine and serves as the vice president of system pathology and clinical laboratories at UofL Health, where she is also the chief medical officer of the newly opened UofL Health South Hospital.

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