School of Medicine

The Pulse - December 2022

A Message from Interim Dean Dr. Richard DiCarlo

We are excited that the School of Medicine and the Health Sciences Center continue to recruit outstanding leaders. As you will read in this issue, Dr. Steve Nelson announced that Janet Southerland, DDS, MPH, PhD has agreed to serve as Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. I am pleased to announce that Katherine Diodene, MBA, has agreed to serve as the Associate Dean for Fiscal Affairs in the School of Medicine. Ms. Diodene has worked for the School of Medicine since 2005. Her initial position was Business Manager for the Section of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine followed by Assistant to the Dean, Director of the Alumni Affairs Office and Director of Fiscal Affairs for the Dean’s Office. Ms. Diodene has a detailed understanding of the school’s financial processes, administrative operations and policies, and budget reporting. Her dedication to the school has been evident for many years, and we are fortunate that she has agreed to serve in this important position.

Lastly, a search is underway for the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. Dr. Charles Hilton has held the position for more than 20 years, during which time he successfully led one of the largest General Medical Education (GME) operations in the country. Under his leadership, the school’s GME program has remained fully accredited for many years, and he has mentored countless program directors. Dr. Hilton was instrumental in bringing simulation to the campus with the creation of the Isidore Cohn Jr., MD, Student Learning Center in 2001 and the Russell Klein, MD, Center for Advanced Practice in 2007. He led the school’s remarkable restoration of resident education programs after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. We are indebted to Dr. Hilton for his dedication to student and resident education and his leadership.

As I reflect on all that I am grateful for this holiday season, I want to express my gratitude to each one of you for helping our school and its continued success. Thank you for all that you do.

Respectfully,

Richard DiCarlo MD (’87) Interim Dean