Medical school dean announces departure

Brandon Arcari, Breaking News Assistant Editor

The dean of the Robert Larner College of Medicine will be stepping down after 10 years.

Dr. Rick Morin announced his plans to step down Aug. 30, according to a UVM press release. Morin will leave after a successor has been named.

“I am proud of what this College has accomplished in the last 10 years across all of our missions,” Morin said in an Aug. 30 press release. He called the role “the capstone of my career.”

“Rick Morin’s accomplishments at UVM are truly extraordinary,” President Tom Sullivan said in an Aug. 31 press release.

“His creativity, persistence, and strong leadership have created a legacy for the Larner College of Medicine that will last for generations,” he said. “I will be forever grateful for his remarkable leadership of the College and his many contributions across the University.”

Morin was the dean of the college through many of its milestones. These include the College’s renaming in 2016 for late alumnus Dr. Robert Larner ‘42 due to $100 million in lifetime donations, hosting former Vice President Joe Biden for the Cancer Moonshot program and recruiting the most diverse student body of any college at UVM.

“I think he had a vision for the school that was more integrated with the hospital, and I wonder what direction the school will take under new leadership,” said senior and biochemistry minor Ethan Loo.

“I want to thank Dean Morin for his leadership in our shared goal of educating healthcare professionals to the highest standards in patient care, education and research,” said Dr. John Brumsted, president and CEO of the UVM Health Network and CEO of the UVM Medical Center. “He has been an important and steadfast source of support throughout a period of enormous change in healthcare, and we will miss having the benefit of his guidance.”

During Morin’s tenure, the medical school saw new programs, funding and physical improvements, such as the construction of the Larner Learning Commons and Given Courtyard, according to the University’s website.