NYU Long Island School of Medicine names dean

NYU Long Island School of Medicine in Mineola has named Dr. Gladys Ayala as its new dean and chief academic officer.

Ayala’s appointment follows the retirement of Dr. Steven Shelov, the school’s founding dean. Ayala was previously the school’s vice dean and chief academic officer.

“At NYU Long Island School of Medicine, we have a unique opportunity to train the next generation of primary care physicians with excellence in clinical skills, along with the skills to address healthcare disparities; and we do it in three years,” Ayala said in a statement.

“In this exciting new chapter, I will continue to work collaboratively with the faculty and educational leaders to advance medical education through innovation that will shape the physicians of tomorrow and enhance the care delivered to patients,” she added.

Ayala has led the medical school curriculum development and implementation and oversaw the areas of admissions and the Office of Students and Diversity at NYU Long Island School of Medicine since 2018. As vice dean, she led the school’s latest strategic planning process that will focus on four main goals. Those goals comprise advancing medical education, developing a diverse workforce, deepening community engagement to promote health equity and expanding population health and health systems research on campus.

Ayala’s career in medical education spans more than 25 years, and she has initiated numerous programs for medical students to enhance their medical school experience. She has taught medical students in New York State about the principles of primary care, history and clinical skills since 1994 and is passionate about the impact that primary care doctors who are trained in cultural competency can have on the health and wellness of communities denied health equity.

Prior to joining NYU Long Island School of Medicine, Ayala served as vice chancellor for university student affairs and interim vice dean at New York Medical College’s School of Medicine in Valhalla.

She received her doctorate in medicine from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in 1986 and her master’s in public health from Columbia University in 2007.