Howard University College of Medicine appoints first Black woman dean in 154 years

Andrea Hayes Dixon, M.D., has made history as the first Black woman dean of the Howard University College of Medicine in the institution’s 154-year history.

Howard University College of Medicine Dean Andrea Hayes Dixon speaks on her appointment

“I am truly honored and humbled to lead the outstanding Howard University College of Medicine,” said Dixon. “The responsibility of educating the nation’s next generation of leaders in medicine is an enormous responsibility that I take very seriously. I am excited to engender allies and friends to join me in the journey of moving Howard forward.”

This isn’t the first time the trailblazer has made history.

In 2006, Hayes Dixon became the first surgeon in the world to perform a high-risk life-saving procedure in teens with rare forms of stomach cancer. Then just last year, she became the first woman chair of Howard’s Department of Surgery.

Andrea A. Hayes Dixon (Photo Source: Howard University)

According to 2018 data by the Association of American Medical Colleges, only 16 percent of medical school deans in the nation are women.

With Hayes Dixon’s appointment, the number of women serving as academic deans at Howard University increases to 11.