IU School of Medicine to finalize new dean

The IU School of Medicine is currently in the process of choosing a new dean, and the selection committee has narrowed it down to the final six.

Finalists began on-campus interviews last week in Indianapolis, according to a press release.  

The new dean and vice president for university clinical affairs will succeed Dr. D. Craig Brater, who is retiring in June after 27 years with the school. Brater has been the dean since July 2000.

The chair of the search committee, IU School of Dentistry Dean John Williams, said the search began in September with the help of an academic search firm.

“We developed a job description, then broadly advertised the position in academic journals,” Williams said. “There was a wide invitation. Then applicants could apply, and the search committee looked over résumés and chose pools of people they wanted to talk to.”

After the résumés were looked through, the top candidates were narrowed down and invited to off-campus interviews, Williams said. Then the applicants were narrowed down to six, and their on-campus interviews will span the next few weeks.

Once on campus, Williams said the process of interviews will be intensive.

“The interviews will be two days long,” Williams said. “The applicants will meet with faculty, grad students and leadership of the IU Medical Centers. Then I will take the information and identify an even more reduced list that will go to [IU President Michael] McRobbie and the chancellor.”

The search committee hopes to have made a final choice on the new vice president and dean by this spring.

“It’s hard to know when the final decision will be made, because it all comes down to McRobbie and the chancellor,” Williams said.

The committee’s goal of choosing a new dean is to keep up with everything the School of Medicine has been doing in recent years.

“There are many dynamic changes facing medicine,” Williams said. “The leadership is very important. We want to keep momentum going, contribute to medical research and education and care.”