School of Medicine Welcomes New Associate Dean of Faculty Development
Pamela A. Lucchesi, Ph.D., FAHA, to focus on the continuous improvement of faculty skills, in which every faculty is encouraged to develop to their fullest potential as an educator and scholar.
New York Medical College’s (NYMC) School of Medicine (SOM) welcomes Pamela A. Lucchesi, Ph.D., FAHA, as associate dean of faculty development and professor of pharmacology. Reporting to both Jennifer L. Koestler, M.D., senior associate dean for medical education and associate professor of pediatrics and medicine, and Kathryn Spanknebel, M.D., FACS, senior associate dean for faculty affairs, director of undergraduate surgical education and associate professor of surgery, Dr. Lucchesi’s focus will be implementing programs for faculty development that meet the education and scholarship mission of NYMC.
“Faculty development is a major priority for the School of Medicine. As our new associate dean for faculty development, Dr. Lucchesi will be working closely with myself, Dr. Spanknebel and the rest of the leadership of the medical school, to expand the breadth and depth of professional development resources available for our clinical and basic science faculty to support the mission of the School of Medicine,” said Dr. Koestler.
“A key aspect of my new role with the College will be to develop an Academy of Health Science Educators that will provide infrastructure, resources, mentorship and recognition of all faculty who participate in NYMC’s educational mission,” Dr. Lucchesi explains. “I want to develop and enhance a model of continuous improvement of faculty skills, in which every faculty member is encouraged to develop to their fullest potential as an educator and scholar.”
Dr. Lucchesi says she was drawn to NYMC because of the College’s strong academics and research, and because of Dr. Nadler’s recent appointment as dean of the School of Medicine. “During my interview, I was impressed by the level of collegiality, commitment to student success and the faculty’s reputation as educators and researchers.”
Prior to joining NYMC, Dr. Lucchesi was chair of basic sciences and professor of physiology at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine where she was heavily involved in developing opportunities for translational research programs that resulted in improved patient care in her community. Prior to that, she served as the center director and professor of pediatrics at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Ohio State University, and was professor of pharmacology at Louisiana State University.
Dr. Lucchesi has 30 years of NIH-funded research in cardiovascular disease and 25 years of experience as a medical student educator. She is an expert in coronary artery disease and heart failure, and is a fellow of the American Heart Association. She is the author of 90 scholarly publications and five book chapters and has chaired several study peer review panels at the NIH.
Of her new role with the College, Dr. Lucchesi says this: “What excites me most is the opportunity to encourage collaborations between basic scientists and clinicians that will help to better integrate our M.D. program curriculum and promote interdisciplinary scholarship. I’m also very excited about implementing longitudinal mentoring programs between students, residents and faculty.”