Leadership Update to the VP&S Community

Dear VP&S community,

Katrina Armstrong, MD, shared with the Columbia community earlier this evening that she will be resuming her roles as Chief Executive Officer of the Columbia University Irving Medical Center and Dean of the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. We welcome Columbia Board of Trustees Co-Chair Claire Shipman to her new role as Acting President of Columbia University.

I would like to express my gratitude for Dr. Armstrong’s service as the Interim President of Columbia University. Faced with complex and difficult decisions, she led our university with incredible grace, sincerity, transparency, and a deep commitment to our values.

Since her appointment as Interim President in August, Dr. Armstrong continued to provide visionary leadership for our campus, and I know that she looks forward to fully re-engaging with our community. Over the upcoming weeks she and I will provide more information on this transition, as we continue to work urgently to navigate this challenging moment.

The work all of you do to train the next generation of leaders, care for our patients, and conduct groundbreaking science alleviates suffering and improves so many lives. It is imperative that we work together to preserve our academic, research, and clinical missions during this consequential time. Dr. Armstrong’s profound commitment to education, healing, and science is evident in all that she does, and it is with great joy and appreciation that I welcome her back to the helm of our school and medical center.

Sincerely,

James M. McKiernan, MD

Senior Vice Dean of Clinical Affairs

CEO of Columbia Doctors

John K. Lattimer Professor of Urology