SEDMAK TO BE INTERIM DEAN OF COLLEGE OF MEDICINE AND PUBLIC HEALTH
COLUMBUS -- Daniel D. Sedmak, M.D., chair of the Department of Pathology at The Ohio State University, will serve as interim dean of the College of Medicine and Public Health, it was announced today (8/4) by Edward J. Ray, executive vice president and provost.
Ray recommended Sedmak as interim dean to President William E. Kirwan, who will seek final approval of the appointment by the university's Board of Trustees at its next meeting on Sept. 1. Sedmak will succeed Bernadine Healy, who announced in July she will become president and chief executive officer of the American Red Cross.
"During her four years as dean of our College of Medicine and Public Health, Dean Healy elevated the quality of the college to new heights, recruited world-class faculty and researchers, and focused on the well-being of the people of Ohio and the nation. One colleague noted to me that Dean Healy showed us what we can be," Ray said.
"As a physician, teacher and researcher, Daniel Sedmak understands the changing medical care environment and the clinical concerns of faculty. He also understands the possibilities," Ray said. "I am confident that under Dr. Sedmak's leadership, the college will continue on this upward path, and I am pleased that he has agreed to serve as interim dean while we undertake a national search for a permanent dean."
Sedmak, 47, of COLUMBUS (43235), has been chair of the Department of Pathology since 1997. After earning his M.D. summa cum laude at the Ohio State University College of Medicine in 1980, he served a fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic before returning to Columbus in 1985 to join the Ohio State faculty as an assistant professor of pathology.
Kirwan said that Sedmak is well-qualified to assume the leadership of the college at this time. "Dr. Sedmak brings to these new duties a deep commitment to maintaining the College of Medicine and Public Health's strong momentum and an enthusiasm for the opportunity to raise the standard of excellence in the college even higher during this interim period," Kirwan said. "He will lend a steady hand and a clear vision during this time of transition."
Sedmak's scholarly interests focus on cytomegalovirus infections and renal diseases, particularly those associated with transplantation. The author of nearly 100 peer-reviewed articles, he is also director of the Nephropathology and Transplant Pathology Programs at Ohio State University Hospitals. Sedmak serves on the editorial boards of two prestigious publications and is the recipient of the university's 1998-99 Medical Student Teacher of the Year Award.
Sedmak's appointment comes at a time when the academic medical center is undergoing considerable change, including a proposed reorganization of its administration and the announced intention of Manuel Tzagournis, vice president for health sciences, to return to full-time teaching duties by the end of the year.
The College of Medicine and Public Health includes 24 schools and departments: Allied Medical Professions; Anatomy & Medical Education Anesthesiology; Emergency Medicine; Family Medicine; The Center for Health Outcomes, Policy, and Evaluation Studies (H.O.P.E.S.); Health Services Management and Policy; Internal Medicine; Medical Biochemistry; Medical Microbiology and Immunology; Neurology; Neuroscience; Obstetrics and Gynecology; Ophthalmology; Otolaryngology; Orthopedics; Pathology; Pediatrics; Pharmacology; Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation; Physiology and Cell Biology; Public Health; Psychiatry; Radiology; and Surgery. The college has 579 full-time faculty, affiliations with The Ohio State University Hospitals, the Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard Solove Research Institute, the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Columbus Children's Hospital, community and regional hospitals, and ambulatory and primary care settings, as well as the other health science colleges.
Contact: Daniel Sedmak, (614) 292-4692