Interim President Scott Cowen and Provost Ben Vinson III announced today that Interim Dean Stan Gerson has agreed to extend his term for another year, to June 30, 2022.
“We knew Stan’s deep familiarity with the medical school and its hospital partners would give him distinct advantages as he started in this role,” Interim President Scott Cowen said. “But his ability to apply them in such an engaging and inclusive way has far exceeded even our heightened expectations. We are delighted he will helm the school throughout the 2021-2022 academic year.”
A Distinguished University Professor and longtime Director of the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCCC), Gerson accepted the interim role after now-President Emerita Barbara R. Snyder announced she would step down to lead the Association of American Universities starting Oct. 1.
Given that the medical school is responsible for roughly 80% of the university’s research and about 43% of its revenues, she and Provost Vinson agreed that the university’s next president should have the opportunity to select its next permanent dean.
“Once we decided to appoint an interim dean,” Provost Vinson explained, “Stan quickly emerged as a top choice. Not only is he a renowned researcher in his own right, but he also has helped elevate our cancer center to distinguished prominence, making it among the nation’s most highly regarded programs.”
In 2018, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) for the first time awarded the CCCC its highest possible rating, along with a $31.9 million grant to continue its lifesaving efforts. The NCI review cited in particular the center’s transdisciplinary collaborations, establishment of an Office of Cancer Disparities Research and exceptional service to the Northeast Ohio region.
The CCCC is a consortium including Case Western Reserve, the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals. The center counts 400 investigators across the three institutions and supports roughly 15,000 people newly diagnosed with cancer each year. Gerson is continuing to lead the cancer center while serving as interim dean—with some additional assistance from key members of the center’s leadership team.
“I am honored by the confidence that the interim president and provost have shown in me by awarding this extension,” Interim Dean Gerson said, “and look forward to continuing to work with our faculty, staff, students and hospital partners to advance education, research and our community’s well-being during the next 20 months.”