For the last three consequential years, the University of Rochester has been fortunate to have Dr. Mac Evarts serve as its Senior Vice President and Vice Provost for Health Affairs and CEO of the Medical Center and Strong Health. With his term due to end on June 30, 2006, the search process must begin to identify his successor. Dr. Evarts will continue until June 30th or longer if a successor is not yet in place.
“Mac Evarts has done much to strengthen a great institution and brought wisdom and stability that has been lauded by all with whom he has worked,” President Seligman said. “He has been extremely thoughtful in the way in which he has worked with me to achieve a smooth transition.”
Seligman has recommended to the University Board of Trustees that Evarts be appointed Distinguished University Professor, affording him lifetime rights and privileges as a senior member of the University of Rochester faculty.
“Mac is a published academic scholar, an accomplished academic administrator, a gifted and compassionate clinician-teacher, and a graduate of this University,” Seligman said. “I can think of no more appropriate honor.” President Seligman will host a gala on May 19, 2006 to laud Evarts’ achievements.
“It has been a privilege and honor to lead the institution that is my academic and professional home,” Evarts said. “I am confident that this institution is poised for greatness and I look forward to continuing to be part of its march toward national prominence.”
About the Search
President Seligman will chair the Search Committee, which also will include Provost Charles Phelps, Ph.D., as Vice Chair; Vice President and General Secretary Paul Burgett, Ph.D.; Chair of Microbiology and Immunology Barbara Iglewski, Ph.D.; Director of the Center for Biomedical Genetics Hartmut Land, Ph.D.; Chair of Pediatrics Elizabeth McAnarney, M.D.; Director of the Center for Vaccine Biology and Immunology Timothy Mossman, Ph.D.; Associate Professor of Pediatrics Michael O’Reilly, Ph.D. (Medical Center equivalent to Faculty Senate); Chair of Neurobiology and Anatomy Gary Paige, M.D., Ph.D.; Dean of Engineering and Applied Sciences Kevin Parker, Ph.D.; Strong Memorial Hospital Chief Operating Officer Kathleen Parrinello, Ph.D.; Chair of Surgery Jeffrey Peters, M.D.; Professor of Nursing Bethel Powers, R.N., Ph.D.; Chair of Orthopaedics Randy Rosier, M.D., Ph.D.; and Chief of Cardiology Mark Taubman, M.D.
Assisting in the search will be four advisory committees. The University of Rochester Board of Trustees Advisory Committee will be chaired by William A. Peck, M.D.; the other Board members include G. Robert Witmer, Jr.; Robert H. Hurlbut; Louis G. Lange, M.D.; Ernest A. Bates, M.D.; Thomas S. Richards; Cathy E. Minehan; Roger Friedlander; and Nathaniel Wisch, M.D.
Three other advisory committees soon to be named will include community representatives and URMC patient care leaders; education and research faculty within URMC; and medical students, fellows, residents, and graduate students at the Medical Center. An outside search firm is also being retained to assist in the search.
The Search Committee will develop a position description for the Senior Vice President that will be posted and nominations invited. The position is being re-titled to Senior Vice President for Health Sciences in order to reflect the nature and scope of responsibilities.
“What I seek for the Medical Center is the strongest possible leader, whether an inside or outside candidate,” Seligman said. “I want a person of the highest integrity, a proven record of health care administration, with the ability to integrate the educational, research, clinical and community missions of URMC. The new leader will need to have the ability to complete and execute the new strategic plan, which, among other things, means he or she will need to be both a visionary and a consensus builder, someone able to work well within the University and within the Rochester community.”