Welcome to the Fall Semester

Dear VP&S community, 

With each new season comes renewed optimism and energy, and we very much look forward to the incredible work that will take place this fall across our pillars of teaching, research, and patient care. 

Over the past few weeks, we have welcomed a new class of medical students and trainees, including students from around the country and the world who have chosen to make Columbia and New York their home. We could not be more excited to embrace these new members of our community. They have joined us in our collective goal to advance knowledge and improve human health here and across the world; we know they are up to the task.

To our returning faculty, staff, and students: We thank you for your continued resilience and fortitude throughout this summer. The past year has been an ever-evolving, often uncertain and challenging environment at VP&S, and your dedication to excellence in your work and in your community has never wavered. We are deeply proud and grateful, and we aim that this semester will bring a renewed focus on our education, clinical, research, and service missions. 

We have growth on the horizon this fall. Just to name a few items: the expansion of our research footprint with the construction of the Vagelos Innovation Laboratories; the expansion of our clinical footprint with the opening of The One in Westchester; our work in advancing healthcare through AI innovation; and our development in partnerships and engagement with the Washington Heights community. 

VP&S is a very special place to work, live, and grow. We thank you for all that you do here, and we look forward to seeing you on campus this fall. 

All our best,  

Katrina Armstrong, MD
Dean of the Faculties of Health Sciences and the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons
Executive Vice President for Health and Biomedical Sciences 

James McKiernan, MD
Senior Vice Dean of Clinical Affairs
CEO, ColumbiaDoctors