An experienced clinician and leader, Kodjo will lead health care and wellness programs for students.
Following a national search, Cheryl Kodjo ’01M (MPH), University Health Service (UHS) physician and specialist in pediatrics and adolescent medicine, has been named vice provost and director of UHS. Kodjo will begin in the role on July 1, and succeeds Ralph Manchester, who is retiring at the end of June.
UHS delivers primary care and health and wellness services to students; occupational health services to employees; and counseling and mental health services to students through the University Counseling Center (UCC). The vice provost and director reports to the vice president for student life and oversees a large staff of health professionals, including nurses, physicians, counselors, health educators, and administrators; administers all facets of the University’s student health insurance program, including managing enrollment for students at all academic levels; and provides departmental leadership and clinical guidance to help keep the student body healthy and mentally well during the course of an academic year.
“Cheryl is a dedicated physician and positive force at UHS, and I am excited to work with her in this new capacity,” said John Blackshear, University vice president for student life. “I know our students and the University community will benefit from her passion, her drive, and her commitment to providing health care of the highest order.”
Kodjo currently serves as professor of pediatrics and associate dean of student advising at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry (SMD). She is board certified in pediatrics and adolescent medicine and joined UHS as a physician in July 2017. Kodjo received her medical degree at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and completed her residency in pediatrics at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx. Following her residency, she undertook an adolescent medicine fellowship and earned a master’s degree in public health with a concentration in clinical investigation from SMD. She then served as a faculty member in the Department of Pediatrics’ Adolescent Medicine Division for 16 years. Her areas of focus include cultural humility, interdisciplinary practice, and medical education.
“Throughout the past 25 years, I have gained the experience to prepare me for this role, through my clinical work with adolescents and young adults, leadership roles in medical education and advising, and working to advance diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives,” said Kodjo. “I am very excited about the opportunity to promote well-being across the University community as director and lead UHS staff in building on our health services infrastructure to serve students in new ways.”
The national search for this position was completed with Spelman Johnson, an executive search firm that focuses on education, advocacy associations, and social impact organizations.
