NYU Langone dean, Tulane graduate joins Board of Tulane

Alexa Christianson, Associate News Editor

As his most recent step in an industrious career of medicine, research and education, Dr. Robert I. Grossman, Tulane graduate and dean and CEO of NYU’s Langone Medical Center, will serve on the Board of Tulane.

Grossman, who spent several years on the President’s Council at Tulane, is prepared to assume a position on the Board of Tulane, the university’s primary governing body. His experience with healthcare, education and university operations are admired by his contemporaries, and Grossman’s continuing fondness for his alma mater drives his contributions to the university.

“There’s no one who cares more about Tulane than Bob Grossman,” Tulane University President Michael Fitts said. “He loved his undergraduate education here and tells everyone how he got the best undergraduate education of anyone he knows and was better prepared for medical school of all of the students from other places.”

Grossman’s involvement with Tulane began as an undergraduate, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in biology and graduating with Phi Beta Kappa honors. Grossman was also elected to Alpha Epsilon Delta, a health pre-professional society, and participated in the Junior Year Abroad Honors Program which allowed him to spend a year at University College in London.

“[Tulane] is a unique institution and is positioned for tremendous upward growth,” Grossman said. “In my opinion, there was no other place like Tulane when I went to school. It allowed me to be part of a unique culture and associate with people from different backgrounds, and to ultimately leverage my education to grow personally as well.”

Since graduating from Tulane, Grossman has enjoyed extraordinary success as a physician, researcher and educator. Named a distinguished graduate from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, he spent time as a professor of radiology, neurology and neurosurgery at the university’s hospital. Grossman also received research awards for his work on multiple sclerosis, clinical neuroscience and magnetic resonance. He has authored over 300 publications and 5 books, including Neuroradiology: The Requisites, a best-selling textbook in neuroradiology. At NYU Langone, he also served as the Chairman of the Department of Radiology.

“[Grossman] speaks often about how grateful he is for the education he received at Tulane and the significant impact it has had on his life,” said Joseph Lhota, senior vice president, vice dean and chief of staff at NYU Langone. “He is deeply passionate about education, and has a keen understanding of what is needed to bring an already great university to new heights. Tulane is fortunate to have such a knowledgeable, committed and inspiring leader join their board.”

Previously, Grossman helped provide an endowment for study abroad programs, in which he had his own unforgettable experience.

“It really was an amazing time,” Grossman said. “It was a golden opportunity to see Europe and get a different perspective on science and on education, and on socio-political occurrences, forces that would shape people’s lives over the next 30, 40 years.”

As he takes his position on the Board of Tulane, Grossman still carries the different perspectives he gained during his time as an undergraduate and urges current students to do the same.

“The people who make the most of it are individuals who seize the moment, make no excuses [and] don’t worry about failing,” Grossman said. “In the end, you come out a much better educated person, and that’s much more important in your life experience. Enjoy every moment. It’s a fast four years.”

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