Retirement of Vicki Mulhern
April 16, 2021
To:Faculty, Students, and Staff
From:J. Larry Jameson, MD, PhD
Lisa M. Bellini, MD
We are writing to announce that Vicki Mulhern, one of our longest serving and most impactful administrative leaders, will be retiring on June 30, 2021. As Executive Director of the Office of Faculty Affairs & Professional Development (FAPD) since 1996, Vicki has had a transformative impact on faculty engagement and support in the Perelman School of Medicine. Her leadership helped establish the FAPD’s structure and approach to supporting faculty through the development of relationships that help them achieve the highest standards of excellence in academic medicine.
Vicki’s ties to Penn run deep. As a teenager, she began working summers and holidays in the University’s Payroll Department, where her mother was employed. After graduating from West Chester University and completing coursework for a Master’s in literature at Villanova, she was hired as a benefits counselor at Penn. She was recruited to the medical school by Dean Edward Stemmler in 1978 to establish a benefits office. She later worked for 8 years as Director of Human Resources at the Wistar Institute, returning to the School of Medicine in 1996 in her current role.
As Executive Director, Vicki has assembled an outstanding FAPD team. Under her leadership, the Office expanded in scope to oversee administration of all aspects of policies and processes relating to faculty recruitments and appointments, reappointment and promotions, and other employment actions, as well as managing all faculty data. A wide range of professional development initiatives implemented during her tenure support faculty careers from appointment through retirement. Vicki has also played an instrumental role in faculty recognition initiatives, supporting establishment of the Academy of Master Clinicians and administering the Awards of Excellence. Vicki has been an indispensable liaison with the rest of the University and a trusted advisor to senior leadership in PSOM on all faculty related matters.
Vicki will be missed. Always ready to help, she has formed close relationships with many people across PSOM and the University, who consider her a trusted colleague and friend.
While an announcement about a recognition event will be forthcoming, help us honor Vicki and her many contributions by recording a video tribute that will be an enduring message of gratitude from the Penn community. You are encouraged to share well wishes, memories, and funny stories. Upload your 30-second cell phone or web cam recording to Box by the end of April. Please note, you need to log into Box with your PennKey username and password before you upload your video. The log in button is located in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. If you do not have a PennKey or need assistance creating a recording or uploading your video, please contact Nicole Fullerton.