Ira B. Lamster

INTELLIGENCE SUMMARY

Ira B. Lamster, former dean of Columbia University's College of Dental Medicine, facilitated the admission of Karyna Shuliak (Jeffrey Epstein's girlfriend) to the dental program in 2012 through an irregular admissions process. Lamster, who was introduced to Epstein in early 2012 by a well-connected alumnus, agreed to help Shuliak gain admission after Epstein indicated he was considering a multimillion-dollar gift to the university. Following Shuliak's admission in 2012, Epstein donated $100,000 to Lamster's public health initiative at Columbia's School of Public Health, and an additional $50,000 to the dental school in 2014. Epstein also paid $631,000 in tuition on Shuliak's behalf. After the Justice Department disclosed these documents in February 2026, Columbia University announced disciplinary actions; however, Lamster was not among those formally disciplined by the university. Lamster subsequently resigned from his position as a professor at Stony Brook University's dental school in February 2026, citing lack of regular teaching duties rather than the Epstein connection.