Roller named Associate Dean of SMHS Southwest Campus in Bismarck

Dr. Luke Roller, clinical professor of radiology with the UND School of Medicine & Health Sciences (SMHS), has been named Associate Dean for the School’s Southwest Campus in Bismarck.

In taking the new position, Roller is vacating his position as chair of the SMHS Department of Radiology and taking that of the recently-retired Dr. A. Michael Booth, who was associate dean in Bismarck for more than two decades.

“I love North Dakota, I love Bismarck, and I love being a doctor,” said Roller. “I am eager to bring my enthusiasm and expertise to the development of medical students in this region. I am humbled to succeed but definitely not replace Dr. Mike Booth. He has been a pillar of the Bismarck community for 30 years. On behalf of the people of Bismarck and western North Dakota, I thank him for his service.”

After earning his M.D. degree from UND’s SMHS in 2012, Dr. Roller went on to complete residencies in both diagnostic and interventional radiology at the University of Minnesota. An accomplished clinician and clinical educator, he is certified by the American Board of Radiology and a member of the American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America, and Society of Interventional Radiology.

“Dr. Booth has been a committed advocate for students and for quality of education in his role as campus dean,” added Dr. Marc Basson, senior associate dean for medicine and research at the SMHS. “He has helped students on the Bismarck campus navigate numerous personal and professional challenges and was instrumental in managing the Bismarck campus adaptation to the pandemic. Although I’m happy for him that he is retiring, he will be sorely missed. I also look forward to working more directly with Dr. Roller.”

As the primary representative of the SMHS and the School’s Office of the Dean in North Dakota’s state capitol, the associate dean in Bismarck develops and meets curriculum goals and objectives for the School, provides a resource for volunteer/clinical faculty, recommends campus physicians for clinical appointment, and serves as a student advocate who organizes third- and fourth-year student clinical rotations in the community.

The associate dean also functions as a liaison between Southwest Campus students and the SMHS; works with clerkship directors, chairs, and faculty to optimize education on the Southwest Campus; reviews Southwest Campus electives annually; and cultivates links between the SMHS and local hospitals/clinics to encourage their participation in the School’s educational mission.

For his part, the retiring Dr. Booth started as a clinical instructor in the SMHS Department of Surgery 32 years ago – in 1989 – having moved to Bismarck that same year. He joined the Heart and Lung Clinic in Bismarck in 1989, which is now part of CHI St. Alexius Health. He practices cardiovascular and thoracic surgery, with special interests in cardiac pacemakers and devices and endovascular surgery. He joined the SMHS clinical faculty in 1989 and rose to the rank of clinical professor of surgery. Prior to becoming the associate dean for the Southwest Campus in 2014, Dr. Booth served over a decade as the Southwest Campus Director for Surgery.

“If you looked up ‘Campus Dean’ in the dictionary you’d see Dr. Booth’s picture,” smiled Dr. Cornelius “Mac” Dyke, chair of the SMHS Department of Surgery and former Assistant Dean of the SMHS Southeast Campus in Fargo. “He knew all his students well, he cared for their well-being, and he helped each and every one fulfill their goal of becoming a physician and entering their field of choice. He will be missed by those of us who worked with him, but mostly he will be missed by his students.”

“I am delighted to welcome Dr. Roller into this important leadership position,” said Dr. Joshua Wynne, vice president for health affairs at UND and dean of the UND SMHS. “And I thank Dr. Booth for his years of service to the School and state.”

Dr. Dinesh Bande, chair of the SMHS Department of Internal Medicine, has agreed to serve as interim chair of the Department of Radiology until the position is filled. An internal search for a new radiology chair is open at the School effective immediately. Interested candidates should contact Heather Jensen (heather.jensen@UND.edu) for information on how to apply for the position.