From the Dean: Many searches coming to a close
This will be a brief update, as I just returned from some days with our family. Susan and I got to see all five of our grandkids, and it was a grand event (pun intended).
On the update front, the search for my replacement is in its final stages. As I’ve indicated, the list of finalists has been sent to President Armacost so we should be hearing more soon. Since I will be returning to the faculty ranks as a professor of medicine once the new Vice President for Health Affairs and Dean of the School is in place, I am happy to continue serving in those roles until my successor is on the ground at your UND School of Medicine & Health Sciences. Susan and I really enjoy living and working in North Dakota (well, maybe not in the middle of a snowstorm!) so I am quite flexible as to the changeover time.
The search for the next Director for the UND Center for Rural Health (CRH) is in its final stages too. I hope to make an announcement by the end of the month. Brad Gibbens, the acting director, has done yeoman’s service by stepping in and putting his steady hand on the tiller of the CRH now for the third time – but he deserves his well-earned retirement!
On the other hand, the search for the inaugural Wadhwani Chair of Translational Research has taken much longer than I ever anticipated. We have selected a new search firm to assist us, and I’m pleased to report that there now is significantly increased interest by candidates (plural!) in the position. I am hopeful that I will have real progress to report to you by the end of 2024. There are huge opportunities for productive work in the clinical and translational area, and the SMHS has many of the other needed ingredients to ensure the success of an expanded effort in this area.
Another ongoing search that we are excited about is one through the UND Alumni Association & Foundation for an additional development officer to assist Jeff Dodson with philanthropic development responsibilities for the SMHS. We have been grateful for the significant increase in philanthropic giving to the School that we’ve seen over the past few years, and this has enabled us to increase student scholarships and add additional endowed faculty positions like the Wadhwani Chair. This search too should be finishing up soon, so good news on multiple fronts.
As I’ve discussed before, the supply chain for human capital (people!) is one of the biggest institutional challenges we face, and I’m so pleased that the four important searches discussed above are progressing well. Both recruitment and retention are vitally important faculty and staff issues. Fortunately, both UND and the SMHS have among the lowest turnover rates in the entire higher education system, but we strive to do even better. I mentioned before that UND has contracted with Huron Consulting to study and make recommendations regarding UND’s salary structure and policy, so I hope that we will see our recruitment and retention numbers improve even more once more results and suggestions are forthcoming from Huron and implemented at UND. As I’ve said before, please stay tuned!
Joshua Wynne, MD, MBA, MPH
Vice President for Health Affairs, UND
Dean, UND School of Medicine & Health Sciences
