On October 24, 2024, the School of Medicine and UVA Medical Alumni Association hosted a ceremony in Pinn Hall Auditorium to unveil a portrait of Vivian W. Pinn, MD, honoring her life, leadership, and enduring legacy in the field of medicine. Over 200 family, friends, supporters, and UVA leaders attended the ceremony at 5 p.m. when the portrait was unveiled. Dean Melina Kibbe, MD, provided opening remarks, which also included an acknowledgement of the portrait artist, Jonathan Linton, for his incredible vision and artistry in capturing Dr. Pinn’s spirit and strength in the painting. Dr. Pinn’s portrait is now prominently displayed in Pinn Hall, near the link connecting Pinn Hall with the UVA Health University Medical Center and the Claude Moore Health Sciences Library. Watch the recording.
Dr. Pinn graduated from the University of Virginia School of Medicine in 1967 as the only woman and African American in her class. She completed her training in pathology at Massachusetts General Hospital in 1970, then joined the faculty at Tufts University where she was also appointed assistant dean of student affairs. In 1982, she was recruited to become the chair of the Department of Pathology at Howard University, only the third woman to chair a U.S. academic department of pathology and the first African American woman.
In 1991, Dr. Pinn was invited to be the first full-time director of the National Institutes of Health Office of Research on Women’s Health, a position she held until 2011. She was also named the NIH associate director for Women’s Health Research In 1994.
Dr. Pinn has received numerous honors and accolades throughout her lifetime. The UVA School of Medicine honored Dr. Pinn as the namesake of one of the medical student colleges and the Medical Alumni Association awarded her the Walter Reed Distinguished Achievement Award. In 2016, the UVA Board of Visitors paid tribute to Dr. Pinn with the naming of Pinn Hall in acknowledgement of her impact on medicine and research.
