UCLA alumna Professor Danielle Laraque-Arena (BS Chemistry ’76, MD ’81) has been appointed the first woman president of the SUNY Upstate Medical University.
Currently the chair of the pediatrics at Maimonides Medical Center in New York City and a pediatrics professor at Yeshiva University, Prof. Laraque-Arena will begin her role as president of the State University of New York (SUNY) medical school in January 2016. She is a nationally and internationally recognized expert in injury prevention, child abuse, adolescent health risk behaviors, and issues critical to health care delivery inunderserved communities and is the recipient of numerous academic, research, community and public service awards.
Prof. Laraque-Arena received her bachelor’s degree in chemistry from UCLA in 1976 and her doctor of medicine degree from the UCLA School of Medicine in 1981 where she received the Roy Markus Scholarship. She completed her internship and residency at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia at the University of Pennsylvania, where she also served as a Robert Wood Johnson Fellow in general academic pediatrics.
“Dr. Danielle Laraque-Arena is an accomplished professional with precisely the right balance of academic, medical, and community engagement experience needed to lead our esteemed SUNY Upstate Medical University,” SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher said.
Prof. Laraque-Arena will be taking over for interim president Gregory Eastwood who took the seat after David Smith resigned amidst controversy over his compensation in 2013.
Read more about Prof. Laraque-Arena’s appointment here.
