Keck dean will step down from position to lead University’s geriatric efforts

Photo of the Keck School of Medicine, a tall gray building with a banner reading “Keck School of Medicine of USC.” There are stairs leading up to the building, surrounding foliage, another building, and a blue sky in the background.

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Photo of the Keck School of Medicine, a tall gray building with a banner reading “Keck School of Medicine of USC.” There are stairs leading up to the building, surrounding foliage, another building, and a blue sky in the background.
Laura Mosqueda has served as dean of the Keck School of Medicine of USC since 2018. She took the position following the resignation of Rohit Varma due to a sexual harassment allegation. Dr. Narsing Rao will become interim effective Sept. 15.

Laura Mosqueda will step down from her position as dean of Keck School of Medicine of USC next month to focus on expanding the University’s geriatric efforts, Provost Charles Zukoski announced Monday. Mosqueda will be replaced by Dr. Narsing Rao in the interim, who has served as the Grace and Emery Beardsley Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology. 

“Serving as dean of the Keck School of Medicine has been an honor,” Mosqueda wrote in a statement. “I had the benefit of an outstanding team, and together we made important strides for the school and the community that KSOM can build on for years to come.”

Mosqueda’s work will now focus on expanding the University’s existing geriatrics program, which USC aims to direct more resources toward, according to an email Zukoski sent to the Keck community announcing her departure.

“The devastating impact of the pandemic on older adults exposed existing vulnerabilities that only now are being widely recognized as important in their care, even unrelated to COVID-19,” he wrote. “Dean Mosqueda’s deep knowledge, innovations, and leadership skills will be invaluable to the University, the medical profession, and communities in reassessing and reshaping programs in geriatric health and elder justice.”

Most recently, Mosqueda has spearheaded several research initiatives and the development of programs within USC and the broader community focused on understanding the coronavirus and promoting safety and prevention. She will end her tenure as dean Sept. 15 and will work with Rao to ensure a smooth transition, she said.

Mosqueda stepped into the position of dean at Keck in 2018, following the resignations of both Carmen Puliafito for drug-related misconduct in 2016 and Rohit Varma for alleged sexual harassment in 2017. Over the last two years, she created the Office for Health & Biomedical Science Education to provide resources for faculty, students in both graduate and doctoral programs and postdoctoral scholars. She has also developed programming focused on addressing health disparities through new offices, such as the Office for Social Justice and the Center for Gender Equity in Medicine and Science.

“Dean Mosqueda has led with conviction, courage, and clarity, always with an eye on doing the right thing and treating people with fairness, candor, and respect,” Zukoski wrote in the email. “Her dedication to ensuring exceptional clinical care, education, and research are foundational to the school. Her willingness to step up at a time of great uncertainty is characteristic of the strong leader she is.”