Appointment of Cindy A. Crusto, PhD, as senior associate dean for program development, effectiveness, and evaluation

I am delighted to announce the appointment of Cindy A. Crusto, PhD as senior associate dean for program development, effectiveness, and evaluation in the Office of Faculty Affairs, Advancement, and Inclusion (OFAAI) at the Keck School of Medicine, effective July 1, 2024. She will report to the Vice Dean for OFAAI.

Dr. Crusto will have responsibility for professional development programming for faculty of the Keck School, including program creation, delivery, assessment, and continuous quality improvement. She will integrate professional and leadership development programming with best practices and initiatives for diversity, equity, inclusion, and well-being.

Dr. Crusto currently serves as professor of psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine and adjunct professor at the Kent School of Social Work and Family Science at the University of Louisville. She brings a wealth of experience to USC. Her current leadership roles are associate dean for gender equity; deputy Title IX coordinator; and director of the Office of Women in Medicine and Science which facilitates mentorship, sponsorship, and networking of women faculty, students, and staff to promote and track measures of inclusive excellence and advancement. Dr. Crusto also serves as deputy chair for diversity, equity, and inclusion for the department of psychiatry.

Dr. Crusto has more than 20 years of experience in developing, implementing, and evaluating preventive interventions in schools and community agencies, with a focus on children from racial/ethnic minority and low-income backgrounds and school-based behavioral health services. As director of program evaluation and child trauma research for The Consultation Center at Yale, her scholarly work examines the impact of family violence on children. Dr. Crusto’s research has been supported by extensive federal and other governmental funding, yielding more than 60 peer-reviewed publications and numerous invited works and practice guidelines.

Dr. Crusto earned a BA in psychology from Vassar College, an MA in clinical-community psychology from the University of North Carolina, and a PhD in clinical-community psychology from the University of South Carolina. She is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and a graduate of the Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) program and the Association of American Medical Colleges Healthcare Executive Diversity and Inclusion Certificate (HEDIC) program.

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Crusto to the Keck School.  We look forward to her experience and leadership.

Carolyn C. Meltzer, MD
Dean, Keck School of Medicine of USC