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January 5, 1995

Health Sciences search committee expects to meet March deadline

As of Jan. 1, approximately 130 nominations and applications have been received for the position of senior vice chancellor for Health Sciences.

Close to 70 members of that group have expressed serious interest in being considered for the position, according to search committee chairperson Mark Nordenberg.

The total number of applications and nominations is "very, very similar" to what was received during the last, unsuccessful search to fill the position, Nordenberg added.

"The committee is in the final stages of reviewing the written submissions received from those individuals interested in the position," he said. "We hope to bring that process to a close and bring at least a dozen individuals to campus for initial meetings with members of the committee within the next month." According to Nordenberg, the committee is on track to meet the March deadline set by Chancellor J. Dennis O'Connor for submission of the names of four or five finalists for the post.

"The committee has been very pleased with the level of interest shown in the position and with the accomplishments of some of those who have asked to be considered," Nordenberg said.

The current search for a new senior vice chancellor for Health Sciences was launched in October. It is the second search undertaken to fill the post since Thomas Detre announced plans to retire from the position more than two years ago.

Detre originally had planned to retire on Aug. 31, 1993. But, after the first search failed, he agreed to stay on in the position until a successor was found.

The first search ended in summer 1993, when the University was unable to reach an agreement with any of the four finalists for the position.

Nordenberg has said that the search committee is determined to do everything possible to fill the post of senior vice chancellor for Health Sciences this academic year.

Some members of the University community, however, feel that might be difficult to do because many qualified candidates may view the position as subordinate to that of the president of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC).

Since June 1992, Detre has overseen only academic programs in Health Sciences. UPMC president Jeffrey Romoff assumed administrative duties previously held by Detre when Chancellor O'Connor named him senior vice chancellor for Health Administration and president of UPMC in 1992.

Fears that the search could again stumble on that point were expressed during public forums conducted by the search committee in October.

–Mike Sajna

Filed under: Feature,Volume 27 Issue 9

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