Dr. James Armitage Named UNMC College of Medicine
Dean
James Armitage, M.D. — a world-renowned scientist and clinician and
a longtime administrative leader at the University of Nebraska Medical
Center — has been named dean of the UNMC College of Medicine. The announcement
was made today by UNMC Chancellor Harold M. Maurer, M.D. The appointment,
which is subject to approval of the University of Nebraska Board of Regents,
would be effective April 1.
“This is tremendous news for the Medical Center,” Dr. Maurer said. “Dr.
Armitage is a world-class individual who is outstanding in every respect.
He has been a key member of the Medical Center and the College of Medicine
for many years. In becoming dean, he will take on a larger role and become
even more of a key player in shaping UNMC’s future.”
The appointment of Dr. Armitage marks the third major hire by Dr. Maurer
in recent months. In August, Ken Cowan, M.D., Ph.D., a leading cancer researcher
at the National Cancer Institute, was named director of the Eppley Institute
for Research in Cancer & Allied Diseases and the UNMC Eppley Cancer
Center. Starting March 20, John Reinhardt, D.D.S., a key administrator
at the University of Iowa dental school, will take over as dean of the
UNMC College of Dentistry.
“The addition of Dr. Armitage as College of Medicine dean completes
the selection of three of four new members of our leadership team,” Dr.
Maurer said. “I’m absolutely delighted with all three of these individuals.
They are quality people who have the talents to move our Medical Center
to the next level.” He anticipates filling the fourth leadership position
— director of Information Technology Services — in the near future.
Dr. Armitage was selected by Dr. Maurer after a nationwide search resulted
in about 25 people applying for the post. From this field of candidates,
three were brought in for first round interviews, and then two were selected
as finalists last month. The other finalist was Michael Ebert, M.D., who
has served as chairman of the Department of Psychiatry at Vanderbilt University
for the past 16 years.
Dr. Maurer praised the work of the search committee, which was headed
by Byers W. Shaw Jr., M.D., professor and chairman of the Department of
Surgery. “The search committee did a first class job,” he said. “They brought
forward two outstanding finalists. I couldn’t have gone wrong regardless
of who I selected.”
Born in Los Angeles, Dr. Armitage, 53, grew up in Kearney, Neb. and
has strong Nebraska roots, having served on the UNMC faculty the past 18
years. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln
in 1969 and his medical degree from UNMC in 1973. He did his internship
and residency training at UNMC and a two-year oncology fellowship at the
University of Iowa. For the past decade, he served as the Henry J. Lehnhoff
Chairman of the Department of Internal Medicine before stepping down from
this position at the end of 1999.
Prior to coming to UNMC, Dr. Armitage directed the bone marrow transplantation
program at the University of Iowa from 1980 to 1982. In 1982, he started
UNMC’s bone marrow transplant program B a program that has since evolved
into one of the best in the country.
He was named associate professor in 1982 and professor in 1987. From
1982 to 1990, he served as vice chairman of the Department of Internal
Medicine and from 1986 to 1989, he served as chief of the section of oncology/hematology.
In 1996, Dr. Armitage served as president of the American Society of
Clinical Oncology, the largest association of cancer researchers and clinicians
in the United States. He is currently president-elect of the American Society
for Blood and Bone Marrow Transplantation. A prodigious researcher, he
has published more than 330 papers in scientific journals and serves on
the editorial boards of numerous scientific journals. Among his many honors,
Dr. Armitage received the University of Nebraska Outstanding Research and
Creative Activity Award in 1991 and was named a fellow in the Royal College
of Physicians in 1995. He served as king of Ak-Sar-Ben in 1998.
“I’m excited for this opportunity and excited about the future of the
College of Medicine,” Dr. Armitage said. “The college has been able to
realize a number of excellent accomplishments and build several world-class
programs, while at the same time strengthening its education and expanding
its research base.
“The merger, which created Nebraska Health System, provides us a huge
opportunity. Now we need to capitalize on our strengths and move the college
forward.”
Dr. Armitage will succeed James Linder, M.D., who has served as interim
dean of the College of Medicine since December 1998.
“Dr. Linder has done an exceptional job as interim dean,” Dr. Maurer
said. “He had to deal with a number of difficult issues during his tenure
and handled them all with great diplomacy. He was able to move the College
of Medicine forward and made many key contributions over the past 14 months.”
Dr. Linder, who was not a candidate for the dean position, said he will
now pursue his interests in computer-based cell imaging and the development
of advanced biomedical technologies at UNMC. As interim dean, he replaced
Dr. Maurer, who served five years as dean before being named chancellor.
“I have the utmost respect for Dr. Armitage,” Dr. Linder said. “He will
be an outstanding leader for the College of Medicine as we move forward.
I also want to thank Dr. Maurer for giving me the outstanding opportunity
to serve as interim dean.”
UNMC is the only public academic health science center in the state.
Through its commitment to research, education, outreach and patient care,
UNMC has established itself as one of the country’s leading centers for
cancer research and treatment and solid organ transplantation. Nearly $32
million in research grants and contracts were awarded to UNMC scientists
during the past fiscal year. In addition, UNMC’s educational programs are
responsible for training more health professionals practicing in Nebraska
than any other institution.