Taniya de Silva Named Associate Dean for Student Affairs
Dr. Taniya de Silva has been named Associate Dean for Student Affairs.
Dr. de Silva completed her undergraduate education at Harvard University, received her master’s from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. in Physiology and Biophysics, and her medical degree from New York Medical College.
She completed a residency in Internal Medicine at Boston Medical Center and completed a fellowship in Endocrinology at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. Dr. de Silva joined the LSU faculty in 2011 and is now a Professor of Clinical Medicine and most recently served as the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs. She has also served as Section Chief of Endocrinology, Program Director for the Endocrinology Fellowship, Co-Course Director for the endocrine systems course, and Co-Director of the Clinical Sciences Curriculum.
Dr. de Silva has been very involved in medical education. As a member of the Curriculum Renewal Committee, she helped design the inaugural systems-based curriculum for second-year medical students. Her excellence in teaching has been recognized as the recipient of three Aesculapian awards, the 2020 LSU Alumni Association Henry M. Shelby, MD (’43) and David L. Bourgeois Award for excellence in teaching, the 2021 Henry Van Dyk Memorial Award for Teaching Excellence in Clinical Science, and the 2021 Allen A. Copping Excellence in Teaching Award. She also received the Best Clinical Professor Award by the Class of 2020, Class of 2021, and Class of 2022. As further demonstration of Dr. de Silva’s impact upon medical students she was selected to deliver the keynote address for the Class of 2023 White Coat Ceremony, administer the Hippocratic Oath at Pre-Commencement for the Class of 2020 and Class of 2022, and deliver the keynote address at the Match Day Ceremony for the Classes of 2021, 2022, and 2023.
As Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, Dr. de Silva enhanced pre-clinical career advising and provided training workshops in the AAMC Careers in Medicine program to all current first, second, and third-year students. She also introduced “Meet the Clinician” sessions within each block of the second-year curriculum and planned the White Coat Ceremony, Family Day, Match Day, and Pre-Commencement events. As Associate Dean, Dr. de Silva will continue to oversee and develop processes related to student academic performance, professionalism, personal wellness, mental health, and career planning. She will also work with many other offices in the School of Medicine, including Medical Education, Admissions, Diversity and Community Engagement, CAP and Student Health.