Robert N. Golden, dean of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH), announced Tuesday he will resign “once a successor is named,” according to a UW-Madison press release.
Golden will also be resigning as vice chancellor for medical affairs, a position he has held since 2006.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed serving as dean and vice chancellor for medical affairs, largely because of the people I have worked with,” Golden said in an email. “Our school is filled with inspired and inspiring students, incredibly bright faculty committed to advancing the public good and dedicated, talented staff.”
Golden graduated from Yale University in 1975 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. He remained in the Northeast, earning his M.D. from Boston University four years later. He interned and completed his residency at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he became chair of the Department of Psychiatry in 1994.
“I look forward to returning to life as a faculty member in the UW-Madison Department of Psychiatry after the leadership baton is passed,” Golden said.
Golden was named SMPH dean in 2006. Under Golden, the SMPH merged into the first unified school of medicine and public health. His 18-year tenure marks the longest of any dean at the University of Wisconsin and one of the longest in the country, according to UW-Madison.
Golden’s accomplishments include revamping the curriculum, establishing a residency training program in preventative medicine and altering the Master of Public Health degree by allowing recipients to pair their degree with other disciplines like public policy and law. The master’s program boasts over 650 graduates since its implementation in 2005.
According to UW-Madison, Golden’s influence spread beyond Madison. In 2007, he spearheaded the launch of the Wisconsin Academy for Rural Medicine (WARM) — a program for students who intend to practice in agrarian settings.
He also tackled medical inequalities in cities, instituting the Training in Urban Medicine and Public Health program in 2008.
Golden oversaw the construction of the Wisconsin Institute for Medical Research in 2006 to account for an increasing number of students, increasing the building space by 50%, according to the UW-Madison press release.
“His tireless dedication embodies the Wisconsin Idea and innovation for the public good,” Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin said in a press release.
