Rebecca Cooke has been appointed Wayne State University's associate vice president for Finance and Administration for Health Affairs and Wayne State University School of Medicine's vice dean for Finance.
Dean Jack D. Sobel, M.D., announced the appointment Sept. 25.
Cooke replaces Rob Kohrman, who resigned his position as vice dean of Fiscal Affairs.
"Rebecca's extensive and integral leadership experience in higher education administration, research administration, physician practice management and hospital clinical program management will be essential to addressing the issues confronting the School of Medicine," Dean Sobel said. "Rebecca's experience and business acumen are welcome additions to our high-performing team leading our continued efforts toward excellence and charting the future success of the School of Medicine."
In her new position, Cooke will report directly to Dean Sobel, and to David Hefner, WSU vice president of Health Affairs.
Because she will also play a "vital role" in assisting with the financial and business operations of WSU's other health sciences schools and colleges, Cooke also will have specific reporting relationships to Lori Clabo, Ph.D., R.N., dean of the College of Nursing, and to Deepak Bhalla, Ph.D., interim dean of the Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.
Cooke comes to WSU from her most recent position as vice dean for Administration and Finance at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine, where she was the senior administrative leader and was responsible for the school's overall operational and financial management. Before assuming that position, she served as the chief operating officer at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, Ill.
She received her bachelor's degree with majors in Business Administration and Health Services Management in 1983 from Townson University, and her master's of business administration degree with a major in Health Care Management in 1988 from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.