New Education Associate Deans at VP&S
Dear Colleagues:
In keeping with our commitment to our students and ensuring their learning environment is filled with support and opportunity, we are excited to announce a trio of new associate deans within the Office of Student Affairs and the Office of Student Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging.
As Lisa Mellman, MD, steps down from her role as Senior Associate Dean for Student Affairs, two of our faculty members will take on new, complementary student-support roles as associate deans in the Office of Student Affairs. Jean-Marie Alves-Bradford, MD, will serve as Associate Dean for Student Affairs, Support & Services, while Salila Kurra, MD, will serve as Associate Dean for Student Career Development.
Following the retirement of Hilda Hutcherson, MD, from her role as Senior Associate Dean for the Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs, we are pleased to announce that David L. Bell, MD, MPH, will serve as Associate Dean for Student Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging in the newly renamed Office of Student Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging.
Together, Drs. Alves-Bradford, Kurra, and Bell will continue refining and cultivating a learning environment conducive to our students’ academic success and personal well-being. All three appointments are effective July 10.
Within the Office of Student Affairs, Drs. Alves-Bradford and Kurra will work collaboratively to support our students in their professional and scholarly pursuits. Dr. Alves-Bradford will serve as the primary contact for university issues related to student affairs and oversee the system of community support, class activities, and other services provided for students. She will continue to serve as the Associate Dean for Medical School Professionalism, spearheading the school’s training programs for departments, clerkships, and courses related to student mistreatment issues. Dr. Alves-Bradford will work as a conciliator to assist students in resolving personal and academic issues, as well as serving as a trusted point of contact for students seeking guidance and advice.
In concert with Dr. Alves-Bradford, Dr. Kurra will serve as Associate Dean for Student Career Development. In this role she will oversee career services to promote career exploration and guide students through the residency application and Match processes. Having served as an advisory dean since 2016 and a former endocrinology fellowship program director, Dr. Kurra has significant experience in mentoring, training, and educating students and trainees. She will continue her work in the curricular sphere, where she has been serving as the endocrine section director for “The Body: In Health and Disease” since 2011, and will continue as a member of the VP&S curriculum re-imagining creative workgroup. Drs. Kurra and Alves-Bradford bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to their respective positions, and we are grateful to have them serving our students in this complementary and highly collaborative capacity.
Within the Office of Student Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging, Dr. Bell will bring extensive experience, a remarkable track record of scholarly engagement, experience with admissions and promotion and proven administrative leadership to his role as Associate Dean for Student Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging. Dr. Bell has demonstrated a deep commitment to advancing health care and addressing the unique needs of diverse populations; he has presented his research on primary care for adolescent and young adult males at regional, national, and international forums. Dr. Bell's work has directly benefitted medical and public health students. He is deeply connected to VP&S students and pipeline programs, which will facilitate a seamless integration into this new role, and he is eager to continue and expand upon the college's commitment to diversity, inclusion, and belonging. Our thanks to Drs. Hetty Cunningham and William Turner for serving as interim Assistant Deans for Diversity and Multicultural Affairs in the leadup to this appointment and for their ongoing support in this space.
More information on Drs. Alves-Bradford, Kurra, and Bell and their new roles is available here. We are grateful for the years of service provided by Drs. Hutcherson and Mellman, who thoughtfully looked after our students and laid a robust foundation for the future of education at VP&S. Please join us in thanking Hilda and Lisa, and in congratulating Jean-Marie, Salila, and David on their appointments. With their leadership, we begin the academic year with renewed momentum in the MD program and a clear path for developing future leaders in science and medicine.
Sincerely,
Katrina Armstrong, MD
Dean of the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons
Executive Vice President for Health and Biomedical Sciences, Columbia University
Monica L. Lypson, MD, MHPE
Vice Dean for Education
Rolf H. Scholdager Professor of Medicine
Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons