Vanessa Carroll is Special Assistant to the Dean at the School of Dentistry. Prior to joining the School of Dentistry, Vanessa held the position of Director of Special Projects at the School of Medicine. Her career focus has been in advancing the missions of non-profit service enterprises. She has over 20 years of marketing, communications and strategic planning leadership in the health and education sectors, and has worked in international, national and regional organizations.

Vanessa is a graduate of Towson State University. She later earned a Master’s degree in Administrative Sciences from Johns Hopkins University. She is a graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, earning certification as an integrative health coach.  

Throughout her career, and personal life as well, Vanessa has demonstrated a commitment to advancing the interests of women and girls. As communications advisor with two United States Agency for International Development-funded programs, Vanessa traveled extensively to Southeast Asia, West and South Africa and Latin America promoting behavioral change communication partnerships to address adolescent and family reproductive health. She also served as Executive Director of the Orange-Durham (North Carolina) Coalition on Domestic Violence.  Vanessa is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., a national public service sorority.