Dr. Reece is the former Executive Vice President at the University of Maryland, and Dean Emeritus of the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM). He is currently the Endowed Professor and Director of the Center for Advanced Research Training and Innovation (CARTI), and Senior Scientist in the Center for Birth Defects Research. He is also a professor in the departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medicine, and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology. He is a member of the prestigious National Academy of Medicine (NAM), where he now serves as a Visiting Scholar-in-Residence and leads the NAM committee on the State of US Biomedical Research Enterprise.

He is an internationally recognized physician-scientist, scholar and a sought-after visiting professor and lecturer. He has had a transformative 16-year leadership tenure at the University of Maryland, where he has achieved great success particularly in the research and clinical enterprises, comprised of nearly 10,000 persons within the 42 academic units. The extramural research funding and clinical revenue more than doubled; research discoveries, commercialization and company formation grew exponentially. As a result, the UMSOM is now ranked (US News and World Report) among the Top 10 public medical schools.

In addition to his administrative responsibilities, he directs an NIH multimillion-dollar research laboratory group studying the bio-molecular mechanisms of diabetes-induced birth defects. They have identified key molecular signaling pathways, oxidative and ER stress, epigenetics and premature aging as key contributors to the etiology. He and his colleagues have also developed the technique of embryofetoscopy for early prenatal diagnosis and eventually for curative fetal therapy. He has published extensively in the scientific literature: more than 500 articles, chapters, and abstracts; 12 books including revisions and 5 monographs.

Originally from Jamaica, West Indies, Dr. Reece completed a Bachelor of Science degree with honors (Magna Cum Laude) from Long Island University; a M.D. degree from New York University School of Medicine; a Ph.D. degree in biochemistry from the University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica; and an MBA degree from the Fox School of Business & Management of Temple University. He completed an internship and residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Columbia University Medical Center, and a postdoctoral fellowship in Maternal-Fetal Medicine at Yale University School of Medicine. He remained on the full-time faculty at Yale for almost 10 years, and was promoted through the academic ranks. He served as the Director of the Yale Diabetes-in-Pregnancy Study Unit. Subsequently, he was recruited by Temple University to be the Abraham Roth Professor and Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences. Between 2001 and 2006, he was Vice Chancellor of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and dean of the College of Medicine. In 2006, he was recruited by the University of Maryland to serve as University Vice President and Dean of the School of Medicine. In 2010, he served as Acting President of the University of Maryland.

He was elected Vice Chair and Chair of the US Council of Deans of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). He serves or has served on many governmental and civic organizations and committees such as the FDA, the NAM Council, the NIH, the Secretary of Health & Human Services Committee on Infant Mortality, The March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation, the Massachusetts General Hospital Scientific Advisory Committee, the Board (Chairman) of the Nelly Berman Classical Music Institute, the Agnes Irwin School for Girls, and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Board.

He has received numerous awards and honorary degrees including, the NYU Distinguished Leadership Award in 2009; the 2010 Berson Medical Alumni Achievement Award in Health Sciences from his alma mater, New York University School of Medicine, and the 2010 Distinguished Service Award from Loma Linda University; the 2012 American Diabetes Association’s Norbert Freinkel Research Award; the AAMC David E. Rogers Award; the 2016 Maryland House of Delegates Speaker’s Medallion Award; the 2016 Doctor of Science Degree (Honoris causa) from Northern Caribbean University, and the 2018 University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine Doctor of Science Degree (Honoris Causa).

Dr. Reece is married to Sharon Reece, MA, JD, LLM, a visiting associate professor of Law at the University of Maryland School of Law. They have three daughters: Kelie (PhD), Brynne (DDS), and Sharon-Andrea (JD).