Dear Friends-Colleagues:
It is a pleasure and a privilege to announce, following a national search, the appointment of Betsy Ripley, M.D., M.S., RAC, as the medical school’s Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs.
Dr. Ripley has served in an interim capacity in this role since January 2017, having previously served as inaugural Associate Chair for Faculty Development for the Department of Internal Medicine. This year she completed a fellowship with the prestigious Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine, focusing on faculty affairs and faculty leadership development.
An alumna of our medical school, Dr. Ripley’s passion for all three missions of our medical school are evident in her long-standing commitment and service to the School of Medicine and to VCU. Dr. Ripley earned her medical degree in the Class of 1986 and elected as an AOA member. She remained on the MCV Campus to complete an internal medicine residency and nephrology fellowship. She is board certified in internal medicine, nephrology and clinical pharmacology and is a certified hypertension specialist. She also has a master’s degree in clinical research and biostatistics and a regulatory certification for U.S. drugs and devices.
The portfolio of faculty affairs at a medical school is broad and encompasses all academic missions as well as key aspects of personnel, regulatory and academic career development. Dr. Ripley brings experience and understanding in each of these domains to her role.
She currently serves as our Clinical Research Compliance Officer for our FDA-regulated research, although she will not continue in this role, she will continue with her work on responsible conduct of research. Dr. Ripley previously served as the senior chair of our Institutional Review Board and took on roles of increasing responsibility in clinical research as part of our CTSA award. She obtained an NIH K23 award, followed by two R21’s and an ARRA Challenge award. Through her K award, she was able to obtain a masters in clinical research and biostatistics (‘04) and an AMA ethics fellowship, which sparked her interest in research ethics and human subjects protection. Subsequent awards were in the area of Responsible Conduct of Research, mentoring and research ethics.
Her background also encompasses serving as a clinician educator who has taught students, residents and faculty in both nephrology and general medicine as well as medical director of the renal clinic and the dialysis unit.
Our thanks go to Dr. Sally Santen, Senior Associate Dean for Evaluation, Assessment and Scholarship of Learning, who led this national search and to the search committee members and all involved in the interviews.
Please join me in congratulating Dr. Ripley on her new role and in working alongside her as we collectively refine and advance our faculty affairs program in service to all of you.
With every good wish for your continued good work,
Peter F. Buckley, M.D.
Dean, VCU School of Medicine
Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs, VCU Health System