Dr. Melanie Dean serves as the Senior Director for LCME accreditation at ASU Health, where she is instrumental in developing the new medical school. In her role, Dr. Dean ensures compliance with evolving accreditation standards, oversees the preparation and submission of requirements for the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), and manages all related self-study processes and site visits. She advises the John Shufeldt School of Medicine and Medical Engineering leadership on accreditation, program evaluations, and continuous quality improvement initiatives while also developing short and long-range plans and conceptual designs.
Dr. Dean brings extensive experience from her 17-year tenure at The University of Arizona, College of Medicine-Phoenix, where she began her career in the curriculum office. There, she was involved in curriculum design and implementation, educational technology, student services and strategic planning. She later advanced to the role of Director of Accreditation, following her position as Assistant Director of Curriculum and Accreditation.
Specializing in mobilizing diverse groups and clearly communicating educational processes and policies, Dr. Dean has successfully led four institutional self-studies and site visits, contributing to the establishment of a new medical school in Phoenix. Her collaborative approach and focus on building trust within relationships have been key to her success.
Dr. Dean earned an EdD in Educational Leadership at Northern Arizona University, with a focus on gender within academic medicine leadership at medical schools. Her academic background and professional dedication reflect her commitment to advancing medical education and fostering inclusive leadership.