Elizabeth “Betsy” Ripley, M.D., M.S.

Women in Science, Dentistry, and Medicine Professional Achievement “WISDM” Award

Dr. Betsy Ripley has been at VCU since 1982 when she came to attend medical school, earning membership in AOA and moving to an internship and residency in Internal medicine and a fellowship in Nephrology and Clinical Pharmacology. Currently Professor of Medicine and a Nephrology Eminent Scholar, she also serves as Associate Chair for Faculty Development in Internal Medicine. In this role, “Dr. Ripley has been instrumental in the successful career trajectories of junior faculty across all ten divisions. Let me underscore her impact on the academic careers of women faculty here at VCU,” states Shin-Ping Tu, M.D., M.P.H., Professor and Chair, Division of General Internal Medicine.”

Dr. Ripley maintains board certifications in Internal Medicine, Nephrology, and Clinical Pharmacology and is a Certified Hypertension Specialist, and is an accomplished scholar. In 2004 she completed a Masters in Clinical Research and Biostatistics at VCU and her strong interest in promoting ethics in research led her to participate in an AMA Ethics Fellowship from 2004-2007. Dr. Ripley took these and other professional experiences and went to work to identify and support improvements in the research enterprise at VCU.

“Her selfless contributions have contributed immensely to the infrastructure needed to support clinical and translational research,” describes Francis L. Macrina, Ph.D., Edward Myers Professor of Dentistry and Vice President for Research and Innovation. “Bolstered by longstanding and signifi cant contributions to the research enterprise, Betsy has been a successful mentor and role model for other women faculty at VCU.”

Dr. Ripley serves as VCU’s Clinical Research Compliance Offi cer and has served on VCU’s IRB for over 10 years, currently serving as Senior Chair. To facilitate IRB training for community partners, she organized a “train the trainer” program for the CIRTIFication (Community Involvement in Research Training) program, now an accepted alternative to CITI training for community partners doing minimal risk social behavioral human subjects research. Dr. Ripley secured an American Recovery and Reinvestment Award from the NIH and led her team to develop a new model for partnering and communicating with the community regarding research, for which they were recognized with the VCU Currents of Change Award for Community Engagement. Continuing her professional development, she recently completed a Regulatory Affairs Certificate Program for Medical Devices and Pharmaceuticals through the Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society. Dr. Ripley has also held multiple key roles in VCU’s Center for Clinical and Translational
Research (CCTR).

Dr. Ripley teaches on the General Medicine, Renal Dialysis and Consult services as well as in the medical school curriculum, consistently receiving high marks from her students. “She is not someone who says ‘Do as I say, not as I do’ because she models the behaviors of an outstanding physician, educator, and clinical researcher,” explains colleague Susan DiGiovanni, M.D., Professor of Medicine and Associate Dean for Medical Education.

In her role as Associate Chair for Faculty Development, Dr. Ripley has developed a wide array of programs and resources for Internal Medicine faculty that she has also made available to all VCU faculty through a website: (http://www.intmed.vcu.edu/faculty/facultydevelopment.html). A writing club she developed to encourage scholarship and collaboration is frequently cited as increasing VCU’s scholarly presence through regional and national presentations and publications among faculty.

John E. Nestler, M.D., William Branch Porter Professor of Medicine, and Chair, Department of Internal Medicine, summarizes Dr. Ripley’s contributions well. “Often successful leaders and academic faculty are focused on their own growth and advancement without care for their associates or institution. Betsy has focused her career on helping others, our institution, and the community we serve to be the best that it can be.”