Deborah German, founding dean of the College of Medicine and vice president for health affairs at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, has announced she will step down from her leadership role following two decades of service.
Dr. German will continue to serve in her leadership roles as the university searches for her permanent successor. Following that transition, she will serve one year as senior advisor for health affairs to the president and provost.
When Dr. German arrived at the University of Central Florida in 2006, she was the medical school’s only employee and was tasked with building the College of Medicine from the ground up. She soon helped secure more than $6.5 million in funding to provide full four-year scholarships and living expenses for the school’s inaugural medical degree class. Additionally, she integrated research requirements into the college’s curriculum, ensuring every medical student conducted original scientific research.
Over the next two decades, Dr. German established several academic programs, including residency partnerships with local healthcare organizations, an Academic Health Sciences Center, a clinical trials division, and an aerospace medicine program. She also led the development of new research centers and academic schools, as well as healthcare facilities supporting the local Orlando community.
“Watching our growth and our impact on so many people, including my own family, has been both humbling and deeply rewarding,” said Dr. German. “My goal in coming to UCF was to create the academic anchor of a new Medical City. That foundation is now fully in place; we have done a good job. Now it is time for new leadership that will take us to new heights.”
Dr. German earned her bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Boston University and her medical degree from Harvard University. After completing a residency at the University of Rochester, she completed a fellowship in rheumatic and genetic diseases at Duke University. She went on to hold research, academic, and leadership appointments with Duke, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Vanderbilt University, Saint Thomas Hospital in Nashville, and the Association of American Medical Colleges.