Reappointment of Maria A. Oquendo, MD, PhD, as Chair of the Department of Psychiatry
November 9, 2022
To:Penn Medicine Faculty, Students, and Staff
From:J. Larry Jameson, MD, PhD, EVP/Dean
Kevin B. Mahoney, CEO, UPHS
Re: Reappointment of Maria A. Oquendo, MD, PhD, as Chair of the Department of Psychiatry
We are pleased to announce the reappointment of Dr. Maria Oquendo for a second six-year term as chair of the Department of Psychiatry. The reappointment follows a review that included a survey of departmental faculty about their experiences and perspectives, followed by an internal committee review led by Dr. Richard C. Wender, chair of the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, and an external review by three leaders in the psychiatry field.
Under Dr. Oquendo’s impactful leadership, the department has strengthened its position as one of the premier psychiatry programs nationally and internationally in providing world-class patient care, innovative research, and rigorous educational programs. Dr. Oquendo successfully led the department on an impressive trajectory in each of its mission areas, expanding clinical capacity, supporting conditions for continued research prowess, appointing outstanding new management and residency education teams, strengthening its faculty in basic neuropsychiatry, and recruiting a stellar cadre of junior faculty.
The Department of Psychiatry provides superb patient care across a range of clinical services. In response to unprecedented need, under Dr. Oquendo’s strategic guidance the department has embraced new and innovative sites and models of care as its clinical footprint has grown and partnered with other medical services to increase access.
The department’s research mission continues to thrive under Dr. Oquendo’s leadership, with impressive productivity and academic strength that are among its hallmark attributes. The quality of the faculty is outstanding, and new early career investigators have infused the department with significant strength in innovative technology, new areas of research pursuit, and a strong collaborative and entrepreneurial bent.
The Department of Psychiatry is also recognized for its commitment to excellence in its consistently strong educational programs, with one of the most highly ranked and competitive residency training programs in the country. The program provides rich and diverse training opportunities and demonstrates great success in recruiting diverse trainees with an impressive 42% underrepresented in medicine in FY22.
We thank Dr. Wender and members of the review committee for their thorough work. The review provided important recommendations for sustaining and accelerating the Department’s considerable momentum to synergistically advance clinical care, research, and education. We look forward to working with Dr. Oquendo to further enhance this dynamic and innovative department. Please join us in congratulating her on her reappointment.