Marcia Firmani, PhD, MSPH, was appointed associate dean for health sciences, effective June 2026. She has served as interim associate dean since January 2026.
In a statement announcing the appointment, Andrew W. Artenstein, MD, MBA, interim vice president for health affairs and dean at GW SMHS, said, “Throughout her interim appointment, Dr. Firmani demonstrated a strong commitment to collaboration, operational excellence, and advancing the educational mission of SMHS.”
He added that Firmani’s “deep institutional knowledge, ability to build partnerships across programs and departments, and commitment to supporting faculty, staff, and students have been valuable assets to the Health Sciences community.”
As associate dean for health sciences, Firmani will continue to report to Senior Associate Dean for Education Lorenzo Norris, MD. She will lead the ongoing development, implementation, and evaluation of health sciences degree-granting programs within the SMHS education pillar, and will provide strategic oversight of health sciences academic programs and represent those programs in school-wide initiatives and collaborations.
Her responsibilities will include providing strategic leadership and oversight for health sciences academic programs while fostering collaboration across the school. She will also promote operational excellence across the health sciences by supporting effective administrative processes, resource management, and student support structures that align with the goals of the education pillar of the strategic plan. In addition, Firmani will partner with department chairs, program leaders, faculty, and staff to support the continued success and sustainability of health sciences programs.
Since joining the GW faculty in 2012 as an assistant professor and program director for the Clinical Laboratory Science program, Firmani has contributed to the department’s growth and success through her work in education, administration, program development, and faculty and student mentorship. She brings extensive experience in academic leadership and a strong understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing health sciences education.
Firmani will continue to serve as chair of the Department of Biomedical Laboratory Sciences (BLS), a position she has held since 2019, and as associate professor of BLS.
