Eve Higginbotham

Vice Dean, Perelman School of Medicine and Professor of Ophthalmology, University of Pennsylvania

Vice Dean, Perelman School of Medicine and Professor of Ophthalmology| University of Pennsylvania

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What I Do

I am currently a Vice Dean for Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity at the University of Pennsylvania and a Professor of Ophthalmology. I spend much of my time advising faculty and students and strategizing to advance equity at our institution.
Why Engineering?

I chose engineering because I am a pragmatist and a problem solver. I am interested in making the world a better a place and engineering gives you the tools to make that dream a reality. Although I have pivoted to medicine, I still use my engineering skills when I see patients and as an administrator.
School Days

I received my bachelors and masters degrees in chemical engineering from MIT. I really enjoyed my days studying engineering, completing problem sets with my classmates, and learning how to think logically and problem solve. These are skills I use to this day.
Best Part

The best part about being an individual rooted in engineering is the orientation that engineering provides to learning how to solve problems. It has been a great bridge for me to becoming a physician, and has provided a path to being more analytical than others when it comes to solving problems or unpacking medical mysteries.
Proud Moments

One of the proudest moments of my life is when I was asked to serve on the MIT Corporation. It offered the opportunity for me to reconnect with my alma mater and reaffirm my love for engineers and the discipline.
Want to be an Engineer?

If you are interested in engineering, talk to as many people that you can find so that you can determine if this is the right choice for you and where the path may lead for you in the future. Engineering is really for me more of a way of thinking and approaching problems rather than a destination.

I am the inaugural Vice Dean for Inclusion and Diversity of the PSOM at the University of Pennsylvania, a position I assumed on August 1, 2013. I am also a Senior Fellow at the Leonard Davis Institute for Health Economics and Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Pennsylvania. I have been a member of the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) since 2000, serving on National Academies' (NASEM) consensus committees, the NAM Roundtable on the Promotion of Health Equity. I am a member of the Governing Board of the National Research Council. I have broad governance including serving as a Past President of the AΩA Honor Medical Society and previous membership on the Harvard Board of Overseers and the MIT Corporation. I currently serve on the Board of Directors of Ascension, a member of the Executive and Audit Committees, and I chairs the Quality Committee for the system. Ascension is the second largest private health system in the United States, with hospitals and clinical sites in 20 states. A graduate of MIT with S.B. and S.M. degrees in chemical engineering and Harvard Medical School, I completed my residency in ophthalmology at LSU and fellowship training at the MEEI in Boston. In 2020, I completed a Masters of Law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School. I list over 160 peer reviewed publications. I am a practicing glaucoma specialist and continue to remain active in scholarship related to glaucoma, ocular pharmacology, health policy, health equity, and organizational culture.