Oregon Health & Science University has appointed Mark A. Richardson, M.D., M.Sc.B., M.B.A., interim dean of the OHSU School of Medicine. Richardson has served as professor and chairman of the OHSU Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery since 2001. He will begin his tenure as interim dean in mid-September 2006 when current School of Medicine Dean, Joseph E. Robertson, M.D., M.B.A., assumes his duties as OHSU's new president.

A committee will be appointed to conduct a national search to identify qualified candidates for the position of OHSU School of Medicine dean.

"I anticipate Dr. Richardson will be very successful in his role as interim dean. I have had the opportunity to work closely with him in the past years and can readily attest to his abilities to lead our clinical and basic science faculty," said Lesley Hallick, Ph.D., OHSU provost and vice president for academic affairs.

Richardson came to OHSU from Johns Hopkins University, where he was the Bordley Professor of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery. Prior to joining Johns Hopkins in 1995, he spent 15 years on faculty at the University of Washington in Seattle. He has received teaching awards at both institutions, including the "Driftwood Award" for best faculty teaching at the University of Washington and the "Faculty Teaching Award" from Johns Hopkins Department of Otolaryngology. He also is a recipient of the American Academy of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery's "Honors Award."

"Oregon and opportunity are two words frequently linked. As dean, I will work to ensure OHSU will continue to provide great opportunity for innovation in training physicians, providing the most advanced, quality health care, and conducting both basic and translational research," said Richardson. "Our new president has a vision of collaborative relationships throughout the region where the School of Medicine plays a vital role. My goals are to maintain and advance the excellence that exists in the School of Medicine's missions of research, training and excellent care provision, and to support the university in the process of doing so."

Richardson has been instrumental in guiding OHSU's Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery into the top five in National Institutes of Health (NIH) rankings of sponsored research. Since he became chairman, NIH funding for the department has tripled. Today, departmental funding priorities include research on hearing, particularly, the Oregon Hearing Research Center, the molecular biology of head and neck cancer, and translational research, bringing new treatments from the lab bench to the beside.

Richardson brings to the Office of the Dean a wealth of experience in both the daily operations and the long-term strategic goals of the school. He served on the OHSU Medical Board from 2001 to 2005 and was president from 2003 to 2005. He currently is secretary-treasurer of the OHSU Medical Group. He has served on the River Campus Building Oversight Committee as well as various search committees and special projects for OHSU Hospital and the university.

Richardson earned his medical degree at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. He completed his surgical internship at the University of South Florida in Tampa and his otolaryngology/head and neck surgery residency at the Medical University Hospital in Charleston. He completed a fellowship in pediatric otolaryngology at Children's Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, that included time in London, England, at The Hospital for Sick Children. Richardson earned a Master of Science in Business in 1998 and a Master of Business Administration in 2000, receiving both degrees from Johns Hopkins University.

Richardson is a member of numerous national organizations, including the American Academy of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, the American Broncho-Esophagological Association, the Triologic Society, the American College of Surgeons, and the American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology. He is a director of the Board of Otolaryngology and an examiner for certification of trainees. He is an active clinician, author and educator who consistently is listed among "The Best Doctors in America.

" Richadson and his wife, Ellen, have two children, one of whom lives and works in Portland. He describes himself as a typical Oregonian who enjoys the outdoor activities our state offers: fishing, golfing and exploring.