Open forums scheduled for two finalists to replace Dr. Nehad El-Sawi
A replacement is on the way for Dr. Nehad El-Sawi, who vacated her associate dean position with the College of Medicine earlier this semester.
Drs. Joel Lanphear and Linda Perkowski were named finalists on Tuesday in a national search for the associate dean for Medical Education and Faculty Development. El-Sawi tendered her resignation effective Jan. 25, according to an internal email sent by Provost E. Gary Shapiro.
Dr. Ernest Yoder, founding dean of the College of Medicine, said an associate dean will help the College of Medicine complete a curriculum, develop construction and receive accreditation. He said he is sure the search committee chose qualified finalists.
“I’m excited the process is coming to fruition,” he said. “I’m excited to meet them.”
Yoder said the appointment process won't be known until the associate dean is selected.
Lanphear is a professor of medical education and associate dean of Undergraduate Medical Education at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine in Thunder Bay, Ontario.
He also has held medical education management positions at Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine and Health Sciences, the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth, the University of Texas Medical Branch, United Arab Emirates University, the School of Medicine at the University of Nevada, the University of Wyoming and Michigan State University.
Lanphear will speak at an open forum from 1 to 1:45 p.m. on April 11 in the Health Professions Building room 2255.
Lanphear said one of his strengths is that he has developed three start-up medical schools, and CMU would be his fourth. He said he has a background in leadership and helping individuals meet their own goals.
At NOSM, Lanphear said he has helped create "innovative and responsive" programs to meet health care needs of the community and establish a "social accountability mandate." He said the new medical school at CMU is appealing because it engages in partnerships with other health care agencies.
"Engagement (with other health care agencies) can help us better understand the needs of the communities and the individuals in those communities," he said.
Lanphear said he is looking forward to meeting the individuals at CMU and discussing the hopes for the medical school.
Perkowski is the associate dean for Curriculum and Evaluation at the University of Minnesota Medical School. She also has held medical education management positions at the University of Texas-Houston Medical School, the University of Southern California and the University of Texas Medical Branch.
She will speak at an open forum from 1:30 to 2:15 p.m. on April 21 in the Health Professions Building room 2255.
Perkowski said she has extensive experience in curriculum and faculty development as well as assessment and evaluation. She said her experience at other universities has given her a good understanding of the challenges facing medical schools.
"I've seen different strategies for curriculums," she said, "and I've seen what works and what doesn't."
Perkowski said it would be "exciting and challenging" to be at a new college of medicine that will strategically address the physician shortage. She said the emphasis on the local community is also appealing.
"I think it's a wonderful opportunity," she said. "This has a very focused mission I find to be an engaging challenge."
El-Sawi's former job responsibilities have been reassigned to other associate deans of the College of Medicine until her replacement is hired.
Her departure was reportedly a personnel issue.
“We are limited in what we can say in these matters,” Director of Public Relations Steve Smith said in January after Shapiro announced El-Sawi's resignation.
Her position was originally announced by Shapiro on May 10, 2010, and was slated to have a yearly salary of $200,000.
El-Sawi said she enjoyed her time at CMU and the relationships she had established in her letter of resignation dated Jan. 24.
