Office of the Executive Vice Dean

Maria L. Soto-Greene, MD, MS-HPEd, FACP
Executive Vice Dean, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School
Professor of Medicine
Director, Hispanic Center of Excellence
Medical Science Building, C-671
Phone: (973) 972-3495
E-mail: sotogrml@njms.rutgers.edu

Dr. Maria L. Soto-Greene is Professor and Executive Vice Dean at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School (NJMS).  As a clinician educator, her administrative portfolio has evolved from the Director of the Medical Intensive Care Units, Associate Dean for Special Programs, Senior Associate Dean for Education, Vice Dean, to her current position.   Initially, Dr. Soto-Greene focused on the care of the critically ill patient, honing in on the significance of the physician/patient communication, and the impact on vulnerable patients and their loved ones.  In her current role, she oversees all aspects of undergraduate medical education (admissions, student affairs, education), faculty affairs, professional development, accreditation, and diversity affairs. 

Dr. Soto-Greene is committed to advancing the school's health equity and social justice education, and community service.  She has been funded by federal and private agencies since the early 1990's and has passionately worked to create unparalleled opportunities for thousands of individuals underrepresented in medicine and science.  These programs support students at the pre-college level through medical school faculty, contributing to career advancement and cultivating the next generation of social justice champions.  Equity, diversity, and inclusion is threaded into everything that she does. 

Equally important, Dr. Soto-Greene has been a leader in disseminating best practices to other medical schools.  She is a past Chair for the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Group on Diversity and Inclusion and a past President of the Hispanic-Serving Health Professions Schools.  As part of the AAMC Medical Education Senior Leaders group, she is currently on the Rapid Action Anti-Racism Taskforce.  Dr. Soto-Greene has been the proud recipient of numerous awards recognizing her contributions to advancing diversity in academic medicine including the 2014 Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine Diversity Award, the 2017 Edward J. Ill Physician's Award, and the 2019 Rutgers University Clement A. Price Human Dignity Award.  Most notably, the AAMC awarded Dr. Soto-Greene with the 2019 Herbert W. Nickens Award for her exemplary contributions to promoting social justice in medical education and health equities.

Dr. Soto-Greene received her B.S. degree in Medical Technology from Douglass College, M.D. degree from New Jersey Medical School, completed her internal medicine training at University Hospital in Newark, New Jersey where she also served as Chief Medical Resident, and obtained her Masters in Health Professions Education at the MGH Institute of Health Professions.  Dr. Soto-Greene's extensive educational portfolio includes completion of the Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine Program (ELAM) for Women in 2001, as well as the AAMC Council of Deans Fellowship Program in 2017.  She was also inducted as a faculty member into the NJMS Beta Chapter of the Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Honor Medical Society in 2001.  Dr. Soto-Greene is a board certified internist and currently serves as the LCME Faculty Accreditation Lead for New Jersey Medical School.

Our Commitment to Diversity is espoused in out DEI Policy

The Office of the Executive Vice Dean provides oversight for the following areas:

Office of Accreditation
and Professional Development

Petros Levounis, MD 
Associate Dean for
Professional Development
Phone: (973) 972-2977
E-mail: levounpe@njms.rutgers.edu

Office of Admissions
George F. Heinrich, MD 
Phone: (973) 972-4631
E-mail: heinrich@njms.rutgers.edu

Office of Diversity and Community Engagement 
Maria Soto-Greene, MD, MS-HPEd, FACP
Phone: (973) 972-3762

Office of Education 
Christin Traba, MD, MPH
Associate Dean for Education
Phone: (973) 972-4823
Email: morancm@njms.rutgers.edu         

Office of Faculty Affairs
Debra Pittman, MBA
Program Administrator
Phone: (973) 972-5500
Email: debra.pittman@rutgers.edu  

Office of Graduate Medical Education 
Neil Kothari, MD
Associate Dean for GME
Phone: (973) 972-6049
Email: kotharne@njms.rutgers.edu  

Office of the Registrar
Heidi Schwalb, BA
Registrar
Phone: (973) 972-4640
E-mail: schwalb@njms.rutgers.edu

Office of Student Affairs
James Hill, PhD
Associate Dean for Student Affairs
Phone: (973) 972-4783
E-mail: hilljm@njms.rutgers.edu