Deborah L. Cook, M.D.’90, professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, was invested as the inaugural holder of the Allison and Matthew S. Dinehart Green and Gold Professorship in Dermatopathology on May 30, 2025, in a formal ceremony at the Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine at the University of Vermont. A medallion honoring this achievement was presented by Debra Leonard, M.D., Ph.D., professor and chair of pathology and laboratory medicine, who praised Cook’s “outstanding accomplishments to date.”

“Dr. Deborah Cook is a highly respected researcher, clinician, teacher, and scholar,” Leonard said. “She has dedicated her career to improving the lives of patients and families who face complex and challenging journeys. Through her research, teaching, and leadership she will ensure that we constantly improve our ability to care for patients here in Vermont and around the world. Her presence brings great distinction to the Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine at the University of Vermont and to the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine.”

Cook completed her medical training at the Larner College of Medicine, followed by a pathology residency and fellowships in surgical pathology and cytopathology at the UVM Medical Center (UVMMC), where in her final year of residency she served as chief resident. After completing a dermatopathology fellowship at the Medical University of South Carolina, she returned to Larner and UVMMC as the founding director of the dermatopathology service—at that time, she was the only fellowship-trained and board-certified dermatopathologist in Vermont—and later founded the dermatopathology fellowship program at the Larner College of Medicine.

A Teaching Academy Expert Teacher, it is Cook’s enduring commitment to the teaching of trainees, mentoring at all levels, and dedication to the clinical service of dermatopathology throughout her 37-year career at the University of Vermont that earned her this honor.

“Dr. Deborah Cook has dedicated her career to improving the lives of patients and families who face complex and challenging journeys. Through her research, teaching, and leadership she will ensure that we constantly improve our ability to care for patients here in Vermont and around the world.” — Debra Leonard, M.D., Ph.D.

The Allison and Matthew S. Dinehart Green and Gold Professorship of Dermatopathology was established in 2023 by Scott Dinehart, M.D., and Sheri Dinehart in honor of their son, Matthew Dinehart, M.D., a dermatopathologist who completed his residency and fellowship in the Department of Pathology at the UVM Medical Center, and their daughter-in-law, Allison Hudgens Dinehart, M.D., a psychiatrist who completed her residency at the UVM Medical Center. This professorship provides support to expand dermatopathology training for pathology residents interested in pursuing a dermatopathology fellowship or career, and to enrich dermatopathology education—including international experiences—for residents with a strong interest in the field.

An endowed professorship is one of the highest honors the university can bestow upon a faculty member. At the Larner College of Medicine, named professorships are critical in marking the successful trajectory of high-achieving faculty members. By providing dedicated resources for research and scholarly opportunities, these positions enable the college’s most gifted faculty to excel and also help the college recognize its most distinguished researchers, scientists, clinicians, and physicians and recruit and retain leaders in medicine.