This new position in the department is exclusively devoted to faculty development. The focus of the Vice-Chair will be mentoring faculty members at all levels – instructor through professor – and in all tracks – clinician, research and investigator. Initial emphasis will be on the department’s newer faculty members. The goal is to maximize the impact of each faculty member’s work, point out opportunities for leadership and to aid in selection of career priorities that will facilitate promotion in the medical school. The Vice-Chair will coordinate with the Division Chiefs to best facilitate the promotion of faculty development and mentorship as a key department-wide priority.
The department is delighted that Gene Oltz, PhD, Professor of Pathology & Immunology, has accepted this position, as he is exceptionally well suited for these duties. He has excellent leadership experience both within and outside of the department. Importantly, he has been an advocate for enhancing the training of our more junior colleagues and has the respect of all who work closely with him. He has done an outstanding job heading the Immunology Graduate Program as well as the DNA repair and metabolism group through the Siteman Cancer Center. He recently received the Distinguished Service Award from the American Association of Immunologists and he is the Chair of the CBMI-B study section.
Dr. Oltz is a leading expert in genetic mechanisms that generate antigen receptor diversity and in the regulation of normal or oncogenic gene expression programs in human lymphocytes.
We welcome Dr. Oltz to this new role and encourage all of you to work with him to make this new position a success.