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Jay Noren, M.D. |
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Keith Mueller, Ph.D. |
Dr. Noren will start at Wayne State on Aug. 1 and will continue as dean of the College of Public Health until that time. Upon Dr. Noren’s departure, Keith Mueller, Ph.D., associate dean for academic affairs in the College of Public Health, will take over as interim dean while UNMC conducts a national search for a full-time dean.
“Dr. Noren has provided excellent leadership and direction as the founding dean of the UNMC College of Public Health,” said UNMC Chancellor Harold M. Maurer, M.D. “While I’m sad to see him leave, I’m proud to see him receive this opportunity and am confident he will be very successful at Wayne State.”
As one of the leading rural health policy experts in the country and holder of the second-highest post in the College of Public Health, Dr. Mueller is well-suited to lead the college during the transitional period, Dr. Maurer said.
“Dr. Mueller understands what needs to be done to ensure the college continues on its developmental path,” Dr. Maurer said. “He is one of the brightest minds on campus and I’m very confident in his ability to oversee the college.”
Dr. Mueller said he was honored to be selected as interim dean and that he understands the importance of the task in front of him.
“I have enjoyed helping to start the College of Public Health as associate dean, and, as we move forward, I am aware of how important it is to sustain and build upon our momentum as the college continues to develop,” Dr. Mueller said.
Like Dr. Maurer, Dr. Noren said he was very confident in Dr. Mueller’s ability to lead the college.
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Dr. Noren’s appointment caps an extensive search that began in October 2007, following an announcement by current Wayne State president Irvin D. Reid, Ph.D., that he would step down.
Wayne State University is the 31st largest university in the United States with a student body of 33,000 students, including 14,000 graduate students. It also is home to the largest single-site medical school campus in the country and is considered the premier U.S. urban research institute.
“I think the presidency of Wayne State University is one of, if not the most, exciting leadership opportunities today in higher education,” Dr. Noren said. “This point in history for Wayne State poses unprecedented opportunities to confront immense challenges that have far-reaching impact not only regionally on Detroit and Michigan, but also nationally.”
Dr. Mueller has been a UNMC faculty member since 1990 and has served as professor and head of the section on health services research and rural health policy in the department of preventive and societal medicine. In addition, he serves as director of the Nebraska Center for Rural Health Research as well as the Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis. He also serves as an adviser on UNMC’s teams dealing with state and federal legislation.
A key national figure in developing rural health policy, Dr. Mueller served as president of the National Rural Health Association in 1996-97 and currently serves on the NRHA’s Quality Steering Committee. For the past five years, he has been a member of the Research Council for RUPRI. From 2000-04, he was a member of the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
In addition to his rural health expertise, Dr. Mueller also is well versed in national health policy. Since 2004, he has been a member of the Advisory Panel on Medicare Education for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.