HERSHEY, Pa. — Penn State Health and Penn State College of Medicine today announced that Robert Harbaugh, chief medical officer of Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and senior vice president for academic practice, will step down from his leadership roles effective Nov. 1. Harbaugh will continue to serve the institution as a University Distinguished Professor and Penn State Alumni Fellow, the highest honor bestowed by the Penn State Alumni Association.
A native of Red Lion, Pennsylvania, Harbaugh has dedicated his career to advancing neurosurgery, academic medicine, and health care leadership. After earning his undergraduate degree from Lebanon Valley College and his medical degree from Penn State College of Medicine, he completed neurosurgical training at Dartmouth, where he became a full professor and led several key programs, including the Cerebrovascular Disease Center and the neurosurgery residency program.
Harbaugh returned to Penn State in 2003 as the founding chair of the Department of Neurosurgery, becoming the first graduate of the College of Medicine to lead a department. Under his leadership, the department grew exponentially — from five faculty members and a probationary residency program to 34 clinical and research faculty, six accredited fellowships and a nationally respected residency program with 21 residents. By 2021, the department ranked 17th nationally in NIH funding.
Throughout his career, Harbaugh has authored more than 450 publications, edited seven books and served as a visiting professor at more than 75 institutions. His research has been supported by the NIH, NATO, USDA and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, among others. He also helped launch five business ventures and served on multiple editorial boards.
Nationally, Harbaugh held leadership roles in several prestigious organizations, including the Society of Neurological Surgeons, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and the American Board of Neurological Surgery. In 2021, he received the Cushing Medal — the highest honor in North American neurosurgery.
Among his many groundbreaking contributions, Harbaugh was the principal investigator for the first multicenter, double-blind randomized controlled trial in neurosurgery and published pioneering research on CT angiography for cerebrovascular disease.
“Dr. Harbaugh’s impact on medicine reaches far beyond Penn State. His groundbreaking research, national leadership and dedication to improving care have helped shape modern neurosurgery,” said Penn State Health CEO Dr. Michael Kupferman. “Please join us in thanking Dr. Harbaugh for his extraordinary contributions to our organization, and we look forward to his continued work in educating the next generation of neurosurgeons.”
Harbaugh and his wife, Kimberly S. Harbaugh, professor of neurosurgery at Penn State, have practiced neurosurgery for more than 60 years combined and are proud parents of five children. The couple has also generously given to establish or support several scholarship and educational funds at the College of Medicine, including the Curvin and Ida Kinard Scholarship in honor of Robert's maternal grandparents, the Alumni Fellow Student Scholarship, the Penn State College of Medicine Department Chairs Challenge Scholarship and the Dr. Robert E. Harbaugh Lectureship in Neurosurgery, which was established by colleagues and friends in his honor.
“Dr. Harbaugh’s influence as a researcher and educator has been nothing short of transformative,” said Karen Kim, dean of Penn State College of Medicine. “His unwavering commitment to academic excellence and scientific innovation has elevated our institution’s reputation and inspired countless learners and colleagues. We are deeply grateful for his leadership and legacy and welcome his continued contributions to the College of Medicine.”
As Harbaugh prepares to step down, Umar Farooq has been appointed interim chief medical officer. A board-certified nephrologist, Farooq currently serves as an associate chief medical officer at Penn State Health.