UMKC Chancellor Mauli Agrawal has appointed a committee to lead a nationwide search for a new dean for the UMKC School of Medicine.
Barbara Bichelmeyer, provost and executive vice chancellor, will chair the committee. The search committee will work with Isaacson Miller, an executive search firm specializing in academic medical centers and healthcare institutions. The committee will begin the search process in October, considering local candidates and those from across the country, with the goal of holding interviews with final candidates in spring 2020. Conducting a search in this fashion is considered a best practice for senior leadership positions at a university.
Mary Anne Jackson, who has served as interim dean since July 2018, will continue to serve as interim dean during the search process. She was appointed the Special Advisor to the Chancellor on Health Affairs, and will assist in the search process. The American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Infectious Diseases will present Jackson with a Lifetime Achievement award on Oct. 28. Read a Children's Mercy article about her career.
The search committee represents campus and community leaders in the health professions – people who understand the vital role that the UMKC School of Medicine plays in the overall health of our community and region, and the importance of strong, visionary leadership for the school.
The committee is searching for a leader to build on the school’s reputation for innovative and highly effective medical education.
Founded in 1971, the UMKC School of Medicine is a docent model of medical education in which students begin training directly after high school, completing a combined baccalaureate/Doctor of Medicine program, which allows students to graduate in six years with their medical degree prior to beginning residency. The school’s innovative curriculum provides students with early and continuous patient-care experience and fully integrates liberal arts/humanities, basic sciences and clinical medicine. Students begin learning about medicine and interacting with patients from the first day of class. They also learn the skills and attitudes that foster compassion, honesty and integrity. Hands-on learning and clinical experience are integrated throughout all the years of the program.
Search Committee
Barbara Bichelmeyer, chair, provost and executive vice chancellor, UMKC
Jannette Berkley-Patton, professor, UMKC School of Medicine
Denise Bratcher, physician, Children’s Mercy, and professor of pediatrics, UMKC School of Medicine
Diana Dark, physician, and associate dean of Saint Luke’s Health Programs and professor, UMKC School of Medicine
Marc Hahn, president and CEO, Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences
Jani Johnson, CEO, Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City
Peter Koulen, professor, UMKC School of Medicine
Kamani Lankachandra, president, Truman Medical Centers medical staff, and professor and chair of pathology, UMKC School of Medicine
Chris Liu, vice chancellor for research, UMKC
Russell Melchert, dean, UMKC School of Pharmacy
Paula Monaghan Nichols, professor and associate dean, UMKC School of Medicine
Marion Pierson, physician, Village Pediatrics
Megan Roedel, chief operating officer, Center for Behavioral Medicine of the Missouri Department of Mental Health
Charlie Shields, president and CEO, Truman Medical Centers
Gary Salzman, professor, UMKC School of Medicine
Nathan Thomas, associate dean of diversity and inclusion, UMKC School of Medicine
Kevin Truman, dean, UMKC School of Computing and Engineering
Timothy Weber, student, UMKC School of Medicine