Leah Robinson, Ph.D., serves as the Associate Dean for Student Affairs at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville. She is also an Assistant Professor in the Biomedical Sciences department. A performance improvement specialist, Dr. Robinson arrived on campus July 2023 excited to share her expertise in student recruitment, community engagement, as well as science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) program development with a relatively new medical school.
In her previous role, Dr. Robinson served, from 2020-2023, as the Director for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access (IDEA) in the School of Medicine (SOM) at Wayne State University (WSU) in Detroit, MI. Major responsibilities included managing the oldest premedical post baccalaureate program in the country, coordination of K-12 STEMM initiatives in the greater metro-Detroit area, and overseeing recruitment, admissions, and retention efforts for the medical school. Previous appointments at WSU SOM include Director of Academic Support and Learning Specialist.
A native Detroiter, Leah Robinson earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in English and Education from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, a Master of Arts (MA) degree in Educational Psychology from Eastern Michigan University, an Education Specialist (EdS) degree in Instructional Technology and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Learning Design and Technology from Wayne State University (WSU). A lifelong learner, Leah has also completed advanced coursework in cultural anthropology, intensive Arabic, and Swahili.
Her career began at WSU as an academic advisor for a first-year retention program that led to 25 years of service at WSU in multiple roles-learning specialist, academic services officer, and program coordinator, rising through the leadership ranks while cultivating a well-rounded portfolio in academic affairs, student affairs, and research at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Specializing in retention and intervention initiatives, Dr. Robinson spearheaded the creation and launch of the inaugural McNair Scholars program (federally-funded) and the NIH-sponsored ReBUILD Detroit (Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity), a consortium of local post-secondary institutions focused on training the next generation of scientists, doctors, and researchers.
A globe trotter, Dr. Robinson has been able integrate her passion for education with overseas opportunities. As an academic advisor and instructor at the first all-women’s post-secondary institution, Zayed University in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, she assisted students transitioning from English enrichment courses to fulltime undergraduate studies. In addition, she co-created and co-directed the Summer Program for English Language Learning (SPELL), the first summer course at the university. SPELL focused on language skill retention as the summer break often leads to learning loss. In her role as the curriculum coordinator for Weill Cornell Qatar College of Medicine, she ensured the accurate duplication and delivery of the medical school curriculum, assessment, and evaluation to the Doha campus within two weeks of its launch from the New York campus.
Dr. Robinson leverages teaching, learning, and coaching experience with various student populations (first-generation, athletes, ESL, at-risk) to support the transition to graduate training and workplace professional development. New to USCSOMG and South Carolina, she is busy examining community engagement needs and its impact on medical student wellness and belonging, exploring social determinants of health in Greenville County, and extra-curricular integration of lifestyle medicine. Her major responsibilities include facilitating students’ successful transitions into medical school, through the phases of medical education, and into residency placement.
Additional research interests include parental leave among healthcare trainees, cognitive bias and medical errors, individualized learning plans, and the application of constructivist, metacognitive, and systems theory in medical education. During her off time, Dr. Robinson enjoys exploring the wide variety of farmer’s markets, parks, and dining options in Greenville County.