Student Affairs

In September 2019, AMS welcomed Dr. Roxanne Vrees as the Associate Dean for Student Affairs.  In her role, Dean Vrees oversees the Office of Student Affairs, working closely with the Offices of Faculty Professional Development (Emily Green), Student Development (Lorrie Gehlbach), Career Development (Alex Morang, Kelly Whalen, Janice Viticonte), and Psychological Support Services (Laurice Girouard) on student advising as well as issues relating to student life and wellness in both the preclinical and clinical years.  She came to Brown as a first generation college student through the Program in Liberal Medical Education and completed her residency training in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Women & Infants Hospital/Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Dean Vrees has over a decade of experience in student advising and mentorship at the undergraduate and graduate medical education level and is thrilled to be a part of this incredibly gifted student affairs team.  She looks forward to fostering personal and professional growth of our amazing cohort of students at AMS and is committed to addressing issues of structural racism, equity and inclusion.

In addition to her role at AMS, Dr. Vrees is an Academic Specialist in General Obstetrics and Gynecology at Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island.  She has been recognized for her work in caring for survivors of sexual assault and provision of trauma informed care.   She has received multiple teaching awards including the Association of Professors in Gynecology and Obstetrics (APGO) National Excellence in teaching awards and the Mentorship Award in Diversity and Equity in Medicine (MADE). Dr. Vrees credits her career achievements to her extraordinary mentors, her career satisfaction to her incredible colleagues and friends alongside the diverse patient population she serves.  She owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to her scholarship parents, Francis and Willis Reese, who funded her elementary education; and to Stephen and Maryann Ehrlich, who provided her with a scholarship for her undergraduate and medical school education, in addition to years of ongoing love and support.  Because of her hard work alongside a lot of good luck, she is where she is today and has dedicated her life and career to always paying it forward.   She credits her happiness to her two children, Jordan and Lucas, and her husband, Matthew Vrees, who is also a physician in Rhode Island and a fellow graduate of AMS.