Dean of Dartmouth’s medical school will leave role next June

HANOVER — Duane Compton, dean of the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College, announced Monday that he plans to leave that post at the end of June 2025.

Compton, a professor of biochemistry and cell biology, has held the leadership position for the past decade and has been at the medical school since 1993.

He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Oklahoma and a doctorate from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. He completed his post doctoral training in cell biology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Compton led the school through financial challenges, a cheating scandal and a dispute over the way donations made to the cancer center were spent.

“As an essential part of the fabric of our broader institutions (Dartmouth and Dartmouth Health) we enrich this academic and local community immensely,” Comption said in a Monday message posted to the Geisel website. “I would encourage each of you to reflect on our many strengths and accomplishments as we prepare for an even brighter future for our school through the leadership of a new dean.”

In order to find Compton’s replacement, Dartmouth Provost David Kotz is preparing to launch a national search this fall, the message said.