The William Goodell Professorship of Obstetrics & Gynecology

William GoodellThe contributions of friends, colleagues, and grateful patients established the William Goodell Chair in the Department of Obstetrics at the Perelman School of Medicine in 1919 honoring William Goodell, MD (1829–1894).

Dr. Goodell already was nationally recognized in his field when he arrived at Penn in 1872. He was named Professor of Diseases of Women and Children and, early in his career, designed the “Goodell Dilator for the Cervix,” an instrument still in use. Dr. Goodell revolutionized the field of obstetrics, devoting his career to alleviating the risks of childbirth for both mother and child. His work in the identification and prevention of childbirth fever saved thousands of lives.

Lily A. AryaCurrent Chairholder
Lily A. Arya, MD, MS

Dr. Lily Arya, Professor and Chief of Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania, specializes in the care of women with urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. Dr. Arya completed a residency in Obstetrics & Gynecology at Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons, NY, and a fellowship in Urogynecology at Brown University.

Dr. Arya was one of the first surgeons in the North-Eastern United States to perform minimally invasive robotic pelvic reconstructive surgery.  She is regularly featured in the Top Docs of the Philadelphia Magazine.  Dr. Arya’s research interests include innovative treatments for the prevention and treatment of urinary incontinence and recurrent urinary tract infections.  Dr. Arya is the Principal Investigator of an NIH-funded grant to perform clinical trials for treatments for urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse.  Penn is one of seven centers across the country to receive such a grant through the Pelvic Floor Disorders Network.  She is the author of Urinary Incontinence in Women, written for the American College of Physicians. Dr. Arya also directs the fellowship training program in pelvic reconstructive surgery at the University of Pennsylvania.

Previous Chairholders

  • John Goodrich Clark, MD 1919–1927
  • Floyd Elwood Keene, MD 1927–1938
  • Howard Channing Taylor, MD 1939–1940
  • Franklin Payne, MD 1941–1964
  • Luigi Mastroianni, Jr., MD 1964–2006
  • Michael T. Mennuti, MD 2006-2017