Founding Dean, School of Medicine

Isaacson, Miller, Inc.; Kingston (RI); On-site; USD 350,000 - 650,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Rhode Island invites applications for the Founding Dean of its new School of Medicine, Rhode Island’s first public medical school. The Dean will design, launch, and lead the school with a focus on addressing physician workforce needs and serving underserved communities.

The successful candidate will bring MD or MD/PhD credentials, a distinguished record in academic medicine, and proven leadership in accreditation, faculty recruitment, and philanthropic fundraising to build a

Qualifications

• Distinguished record of achievement in academic medicine.
• MD or MD/PhD with qualifications for appointment as a tenured full professor.
• Experience in LCME-accredited medical schools or academic health systems.
• Proven ability to lead large-scale institutional initiatives and secure philanthropic support.
• Experience with new program development, accreditation processes, physician workforce initiatives.
• Strong emphasis on community engagement and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Design, launch, and lead Rhode Island's first public medical school.
• Develop accreditation strategy, recruit and develop faculty, and shape curriculum.
• Foster clinical partnerships, research strategy, and long-term growth.
• Lead fundraising and development efforts with university leadership.
• Collaborate with partners across the university and state on workforce and educational initiatives.
• Represent the school to stakeholders and guide cultural and strategic transformation.

Skills

Leadership

Fundraising

Community engagement

Academic partnerships

Faculty recruitment

Strategic planning

Education

MD or MD/PhD

Job description

University of Rhode Island, School of Medicine | Kingston, Rhode Island

The University of Rhode Island (URI), the state’s flagship R1 land- and sea-grant institution invites applications and nominations for a visionary, entrepreneurial, and politically astute leader to serve as the Founding Dean of its new School of Medicine. This leader will have the rare opportunity to design, launch, and lead the state's first public medical school, an initiative born from a broad coalition of state leaders, healthcare providers, legislators, and community stakeholders seeking a long‑term solution to Rhode Island's physician workforce challenges.

Like much of the country, Rhode Island faces a growing shortage of physicians, particularly in primary care and underserved communities, at a time when demand for healthcare services continues to increase. In response, URI is creating a community‑focused medical school that will educate future physicians, expand the state's healthcare workforce pipeline, strengthen clinical and research partnerships, and improve access to care for Rhode Islanders. Currently scheduled to enroll its inaugural class of 50 students in 2029, the School will emphasize primary care, service to underserved populations, interdisciplinary education, and innovation in healthcare delivery.

The University of Rhode Island enrolls 18,000 students across eight colleges and one graduate school across four locations in the state. As Rhode Island's only public research university and a Carnegie R1 institution, URI provides an exceptionally strong foundation for this endeavor. The School of Medicine will build upon the University's established strengths in the health sciences, including nationally recognized Colleges in Health Sciences, Nursing, Pharmacy, and other disciplines including Engineering and Biomedical Engineering. The Founding Dean will have the opportunity to leverage these existing assets while fostering new collaborations across the University and with clinical partners throughout the state, creating a highly interdisciplinary environment for education, research, and patient care.

The Founding Dean will join the University at a formative moment. Working closely with University leadership, healthcare partners, policymakers, faculty, and community leaders, the Dean will shape every aspect of the School's development, from accreditation, faculty recruitment, curriculum design, and clinical partnerships to research strategy, culture, and long‑term growth.

Reporting to the Provost, the Founding Dean will play a central role in shaping the vision, strategy, and successful launch of the School of Medicine. The Founding Dean will build and ensure excellence in medical education, research, and clinical practice. The Founding Dean will be a crucial player in managing the School’s relationships with key clinical partners and will partner closely with University leadership and advancement colleagues to lead fundraising and development efforts to secure the philanthropic resources necessary to support the School’s growth, priorities, and long‑term success.

Qualified candidates should possess a distinguished record of achievement in academic medicine and will hold an MD or MD/PhD with qualifications for appointment as a tenured full professor. The successful candidate will bring substantial leadership experience within an LCME‑accredited medical school or academic health system, along with demonstrated success advancing medical education, building academic‑clinical partnerships, recruiting and developing faculty, and leading large‑scale institutional initiatives, including generating philanthropic support. Experience with new program development, accreditation processes, physician workforce initiatives, community engagement, and interdisciplinary collaboration will be particularly valuable as URI launches this transformative enterprise.

The University of Rhode Island has retained Isaacson, Miller, a national executive search firm, to assist with this search.