Research chief dons second hat as medical school dean
Gary Ostrander holds two University of Hawaii jobs, retaining his vice chancellorship while taking on the job as interim dean of the medical school.
But he won't be getting two paychecks.
Ostrander was appointed by the UH Board of Regents last week to succeed Samuel Shomaker as interim dean of the John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM). He began work yesterday.
He is also continuing as UH-Manoa vice chancellor for research and graduate education, but said he will be full time at the medical school initially.
He was scheduled to leave last week to meet with scientists and give lectures in Israel, Jordan and Egypt related to his research on the worldwide decline of coral reef systems. However, he canceled the two-week trip, saying his administrative responsibilities have priority.
The idea that he serve as the interim medical school dean "came from folks at JABSOM," he said. "Since Sam's departure, I have been involved in a lot of decision-making processes."
He began making some staffing changes and moving things around in anticipation of the second position so he could oversee both, he said.
"Mostly, what I want to do is to prepare JABSOM and the university for the arrival of a new dean," he said.
Dr. Edwin Cadman, previous dean of the medical school, resigned in June 2005 because of a neurodegenerative disorder and was succeeded by Shomaker.
Ostrander is co-chairman of the search advisory committee.
Beadie Dawson, president of Friends of JABSOM and member of the search advisory committee, said they hope Ostrander can provide leadership to maintain the school's momentum until a new dean is named.
"With Sam's departure, JABSOM really needs to continue the forward movement that Ed Cadman and Sam Shomaker have created for us," she said, stressing the "tremendous potential" of the school for the university and state.
"I'm sure Gary is going to help with that, and we are looking forward to the new dean, which definitely will happen early in the new year."
Ostrander said video interviews have been completed with prospective candidates, and he expects within a week or 10 days to announce finalists who will visit the Manoa campus.
"The caliber is outstanding," he said.
The candidates will be interviewed on campus and meet with people in the medical school, the medical community and the broader community, Ostrander said. "It has to be a collective decision."
He had proposed Dr. Joseph Silva Jr., infectious-disease specialist and former dean of the University of California-Davis School of Medicine, for the interim dean's job at the medical school. Silva, recipient of many awards, recently visited the Manoa campus and medical school and was interested in the interim position but could not get a leave from UC-Davis, Ostrander said.
"The good news is, people like him are very interested in Hawaii and will continue to be an advocate for us moving forward."