Fall Faculty Meeting Held
School leadership shared important updates during the fall faculty meeting on November 18.
Associate Dean for Admissions Dr. Angela McClean announced that the school received more than 4,000 applications and admitted 7.2 percent of applicants. Of admitted students, 90 percent of those are Louisiana residents. The average GPA of applicants was a 4.0 and the average MCAT score continues to rise. A significant number of admitted students are first-generation.
Senior Associate Dean of Research Dr. Patricia Molina discussed recent challenges to the research enterprise, including the government shutdown and changing NIH priorities, and how the school is responding by self-investing in its research. Basic science faculty recruitment remains a priority. The Board of Supervisors approved a plan to create two new departments by merging some basic science departments: MGI (Microbiology, Genetics, and Immunology) and PBET (Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Experimental Therapeutics). Recent improvements include an updated website and revamped a Research Café program. The phased relocation of research labs back to the newly-remodeled MEB will be conducted in coordination with Dean Richard DiCarlo and Chancellor Steve Nelson.
Senior Associate Dean for Faculty and Institutional Affairs Dr. Stephanie Taylor announced that the search for the OB-GYN department head had been narrowed down to three strong candidates. She stated that the office had received useful feedback on the recently revised promotion guidelines from the surveys and listening sessions and that she anticipated sharing policy revisions by early 2026. Dr. Taylor also presented slides showing the 45 new faculty hired since the last faculty meeting in May. She reported that the Faculty Affairs Office website has been revamped and includes a robust Faculty Orientation section. This 11-part video series welcomes new faculty and provides important information to newcomers.
Dr. DiCarlo welcomed the new faculty members. The number of new faculty was a strong indicator of the school’s growth. He said there have also been some important faculty recruits who have signed letters of offer, but who have not yet started working at LSU. The school has focused on recruiting cancer clinicians and researchers as part of our NCI initiative. These very recent recruits include Dr. Patrick Ma from Penn State who will serve as the new section chief of hematology/oncology; Dr. Januario Castro from the Mayo Clinic Phoenix will lead the development of bone marrow transplantation and CAR T cell therapy programs for LSU and LCMC; Dr. Yasmin Odia from Miami Baptist Hospital who will develop neuro-oncology treatment and clinical trials programs; and Dr. Balveen Kaur from Augusta, Georgia, a researcher with multiple R01s investigating oncolytic virotherapy for brain tumors.
He indicated that UMC is reporting record number of admissions, surgeries, procedures, and clinic visits. This growth is largely due to the work of our faculty, and it is as important to the school as to the hospital.
Dr. DiCarlo announced that the MEB lab renovation on floors 5, 6, and 7 is expected to be completed in March. Before the space can be used, wiring and internet access points and AV systems will need to be installed, along with office furniture and lab equipment. The space will open in phases as installations are completed on each floor. The CALS walkway should be completed by August 2026, and plans are underway to address the need for more office space in CALS.
Dr. DiCarlo also presented on behalf of Dr. Robin English, Associate Dean of Student Affairs, who was unable to attend the meeting. He provided a brief update on the successful LCME site visit: of the more than 90 elements, there were only six findings, four of which were already identified in the self-study and were already being addressed. The remaining two findings will be very easy to remedy. The final report is expected in late February.
The meeting concluded with light refreshments and the opportunity to welcome newcomers.
The next General Faculty Meeting will be in the Spring of 2026.