Spring General Faculty Meeting Provides Updates on Match, Accreditation, More
Several important updates were discussed at the recent Spring General Faculty Meeting, with the annual presentation of Faculty Assembly Awards as the highlight of the meeting.
Results from the recent match process indicate that roughly 50 percent of the class will remain in Louisiana, and of those staying, about 80 percent matched with LSU School of Medicine. A re-emphasis on and specialty-specific career advising for students has been positively received.
Match data for GME was also promising: LSU Health had more than 15,000 applicants for the main residency match and all 222 positions in 35 programs were filled. Although the School of Medicine recruits internationally, 750 of the matched students come from the New Orleans area.
Dr. Robin English discussed the upcoming accreditation site visit in October and said the self-study is complete. A mock site visit was conducted on campus April 28-30.
Dr. Stephanie Taylor discussed recent changes to the IRB. Jessica Rivera, MD, PhD is the newly appointed IRB Chair and has extensive experience as an IRB Chair. Stephanie Sonnier is the newly appointed Assistant Director for Office of Research Services. IRB is in the process of recruiting a highly experienced IRB Director, has hired a temporary analyst, and is in the process of hiring three new IRB analysts and an administrative assistant. The IRB has increased the frequency of meetings and is developing new policies, procedures and workflows that will promote more efficiency.
Dr. Taylor also discussed changes to the promotion and tenure guidelines that now include criteria for faculty whose primary roles focus on clinical care, education, research, and team or core laboratory science.
Dr. DiCarlo said the MEB renovation is moving forward quickly and discussed the open floor plan allowing for plenty of natural light and new office suites. He said the CALS building is now open, and that the standardized patient center is scheduled to open in the upcoming weeks. Bids for construction of the new walkway will be accepted in May with an anticipated completion date of summer 2026.
Dr. DiCarlo mentioned that four department heads were retiring:
- Dr. Chris Winters – Urology
- Dr. Len Bok – Radiology
- Dr. Lisa Peacock – OB-GYN
- Dr. Kirk Varner – Pharmacology.
He noted that Drs. Winters, Bok and Varner had each served as department head for 19 years, and that Dr. Peacock had served as head for 11 years. He announced that Dr. Stephanie Taylor is now the permanent Senior Associate Dean for Faculty and Institutional Affairs, highlighting her focus on faculty development, which included the new roles for Drs. Michelle Moore and Amy Creel. He discussed Dr. Lucio Miele’s new role as the director of the Cancer Center, Dr. Fern Tsien’s transition to Interim Department Head of Genetics, and Dr. Patricia Molina’s transition to Senior Dean of Research. Dr. Molina will maintain her role as Physiology Department Head, but Dr. Nick Gilpin will now direct ADACE. Dr. Sheehan has been named the new department head of surgery, and Dr. DiCarlo expects to announce new leadership for the urology and radiology departments soon.
Dr. DiCarlo thanked everyone for their support of and participation in the strategic plan and noted that it is posted on the website. He said some themes came through loud and clear, including that the School does “a terrific job serving the state and providing the workforce, but that we also want to be known for advancing research and innovation.” He said the path to achieving this is continued investment in infrastructure, recruiting new faculty – especially in the basic sciences, and maintaining strong educational programs. These investments will translate into improved Blue Ridge NIH funding rankings. Clinical programs and revenue have begun increasing again since flattening during COVID. He is working closely with UMC leadership on new clinical contracts. There is agreement in many areas because growth benefits both parties. Growth of the clinical enterprise will improve patient access, enhance training opportunities, and drive revenue to fund the academic mission.
“Faculty are our most important resource,” Dr. DiCarlo said.