Dr. Vicki Rosen is honored with an endowed professorship

Dr. Vicki Rosen, professor and longtime chair of Harvard School of Dental Medicine’s Department of Developmental Biology, has been named the first incumbent of the Doctors Samuel and Ida Gelfand Professorship. The endowed professorship recognizes an eminent scholar whose work focuses on new or emerging areas of scientific inquiry.

“Dr. Rosen was the natural choice for this honor as a highly respected scientist, academic leader, and educator known for her work in the field of bone biology,” said Dean William Giannobile.

Since joining Harvard in 2001, Rosen has contributed significantly to HSDM by conducting important scientific research that explores the role bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) play in the development, maintenance, and repair of musculoskeletal tissues. She has the distinction of being the first female full professor at HSDM, and as department chair, she oversees the clinical specialties of pediatric dentistry and orthodontics. She served as interim dean of HSDM from January 2020 to September 2020, leading the School during some of the most challenging months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, she is a respected teacher and mentor to postdoctoral fellows and residents, students enrolled in the DMD program, and MD and PhD candidates, and is also a principal faculty member of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute.

The Doctors Samuel and Ida Gelfand Professorship was established this year with funds from a generous gift made years ago by Ms. Sara Gelfand Deutschmann. In 1968, Ms. Gelfand Deutschmann began giving to HSDM to support teaching and research. She named the School as a beneficiary of a trust in her estate plan which resulted in a gift of $3 million to HSDM—the largest in the School’s history at the time. The gift was made in memory of her parents, Drs. Samuel and Ida Gelfand, Jewish dentists who emigrated from Russia to the United States. Ms. Gelfand Deutschmann graduated from Radcliffe College in 1921 with a master’s degree in education. She passed away in 1983.

“I am so pleased that with the growth of the Doctors Samuel and Ida Gelfand fund, we were able to create this distinguished form of recognition from the fund’s endowment that will continue to bear the name of our most generous benefactress. The professorship is befitting of Dr. Rosen who has given so much of her insights and wisdom to the advancement of science at HSDM,” said Giannobile.