The creation of the Office for Professional Engagement and Development (OPED) represents an intentional effort to better align and sustain the work that supports Mount Sinai’s faculty, trainees, and staff, and the environments in which they teach, learn, and lead. As Senior Associate Dean for Academic Community and Culture, I lead the Academic Community and Culture Core. I focus on ensuring that this work remains coordinated, transparent, and responsive to the institution’s evolving academic needs.

The Academic Community and Culture Core brings together educational pathway programs, faculty and learner development, education-related community engagement, and innovation efforts across OPED. Building on the foundations of the Center for Multicultural and Community Affairs, the Center for Excellence in Youth Education, and the Discovery and Innovation Hub, the Academic Community and Culture Core supports a rigorous and inclusive learning environment, access to opportunity, and professional growth across the academic continuum.

Our work is grounded in how culture is experienced every day—through policies, learning environments, and relationships. In close partnership with the Departments of Medical Education, Graduate Medical Education, the Philips School of Nursing, the Dean’s Office for Faculty Affairs, and a broad range of internal and external partners, we focus on strengthening professional and educational environments, supporting professional identity formation, and fostering constructive relationships and partnerships to promote individual growth and expansion.

As OPED evolves, our goal remains the same: to ensure Mount Sinai is a place where faculty, students, and trainees do meaningful work, develop with integrity, and remain connected to the communities we serve.

Ann-Gel S. Palermo, DrPH, MPH, TIPC, ACC
Core Lead, Academic Community and Culture Core
Senior Associate Dean for Academic Community and Culture
Professor, Leni and Peter May Department of Medical Education
Director, Center for Multicultural and Community Affairs
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai