Dartmouth names first woman to lead medical school

Starting on August 1, Dr. Jennifer Hunt will take on role as Dean of Dartmouth College’s Geisel School of Medicine.

Dartmouth College’s Geisel School of Medicine has selected a new dean, making history with the appointment of its first female leader. Starting on August 1, Dr. Jennifer Hunt, who is currently the interim dean at the University of Florida College of Medicine, will take on this role.

Dr. Hunt, a skilled pathologist, previously held the position of chair in the department of pathology, immunology, and laboratory medicine at the University of Florida. She has also managed over 2,000 staff members as chief of the hospital medical staff at UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville, Florida. Her collegiate and medical journey includes earning a medical degree and a master's degree in education from the University of Pennsylvania, followed by residency training in anatomic pathology and a fellowship in molecular genetic pathology at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital.

Her appointment occurs just a few years after Sian Beilock became the first woman to take the helm at Dartmouth College in 2023. The provost of Dartmouth highlighted Dr. Hunt's impressive background in academic medicine, emphasizing her dedication to mentorship and research with a focus on interdisciplinary and translational approaches.

Dr. Hunt's prolific career has resulted in over 160 peer-reviewed publications, showcasing her extensive contributions to medical literature through various roles at institutions such as the University of Pittsburgh, Cleveland Clinic, Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts General Hospital, and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

She succeeds Dr. Steven Leach, who has been serving as interim dean since September of the previous year. Dr. Leach took over after Dr. Duane Compton departed the deanship in summer 2022 after a six-year term. Leach, formerly director of the Dartmouth Cancer Center, plans to return to the Geisel School's Department of Molecular and Systems Biology to further his research in cancer genetics. Recently, Dartmouth Health announced the appointment of Dr. Roy Herbst as the new leader of the Dartmouth Cancer Center.

Dr. Hunt expressed enthusiasm for her transition, stating her eagerness to engage with the Geisel School community and enhance its legacy of excellence and innovation.