Vanessa Riggins, MSOD

Vanessa Riggins, MSOD, is Director of Admissions at Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine (KPSOM), where she provides strategic leadership for admissions operations in support of the Senior Associate Dean for Admissions and Senior Associate Dean for Inclusive Excellence, Dr. Lindia Willies-Jacobo. She leads the development and execution of mission-driven admissions strategies and processes that support the recruitment and selection of future physicians dedicated to advancing community health.

Ms. Riggins is a higher education leader with expertise in strategic enrollment management, admissions operations, and organizational effectiveness. She has dedicated her career to designing mission-driven admissions processes that strengthen institutional effectiveness and support student success.

Prior to joining KPSOM, Ms. Riggins served as Executive Director of Enrollment Management at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, where she developed and implemented admissions policies, recruitment strategies, and enrollment initiatives that significantly increased student enrollment in medicine and the health sciences. Through collaborative leadership and strategic planning, she helped strengthen enrollment operations, enhance institutional visibility, and support sustained organizational growth. She also spent more than six years at Western University of Health Sciences in admissions, recruitment, and alumni relations, supporting students throughout the enrollment lifecycle.

Ms. Riggins is recognized for her collaborative leadership, strategic thinking, and commitment to continuous improvement. She has led initiatives focused on modernizing admissions operations through process improvement, technology, and data-informed decision-making to enhance operational efficiency, improve the applicant experience, and support consistent, mission-centered admissions practices.

She earned a Master of Science in Organization Development from Pepperdine University's Graziadio Business School, expanding her knowledge of facilitative systems leadership, organizational effectiveness, and change management. Ms. Riggins earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of California, Riverside.

Ms. Riggins is committed to designing mission-driven admissions systems that identify future physician leaders through thoughtful and evidence-informed practices while fostering innovation, organizational effectiveness, and continuous improvement.