MUSC vice president for academic affairs and provost Ray Greenberg, M.D., has announced the appointment of associate dean Valerie West, Ed.D., to serve as interim dean of the College of Health Professions (CHP).

The appointment follows the resignation of CHP dean John Johnson, Ph.D., who led the college since 1991. Since then, the college has grown to a predominantly graduate-level school with 70 percent of its students graduating with advanced degrees and its budget doubling as state funding remained level. Johnson resigned Dec. 31 to pursue his research and resume teaching following a six-month sabbatical.

Greenberg said that West was offered the position of interim dean at the recommendation of her colleagues in the College of Health Professions. Her appointment begins immediately and will continue while a national search is conducted and a permanent dean is in place.

“I met with the department heads and associate deans in the college to determine who they considered best for the job,” Greenberg said. “It’s clear to me that Valerie West is widely admired at the College of Health Professions and that her colleagues have the utmost confidence in her ability.”

West, who joined the college 20 years ago, served as interim dean before Johnson and has been the college’s director of strategic planning in recent years. She said the college is in a period of positive growth, expanding on initiatives that were begun under Johnson’s leadership and fueled by the hard work and innovation of the college’s faculty and employees.

She cited the development of new degree programs, such as the master of science in rehabilitation, the master of science in clinical laboratory science, the executive doctorate in health administration, and the physician’s assistant program. The college has expanded its use of distance education technology, offering both degree programs and continuing education in the Midlands, Pee Dee and Upstate. The college also has made substantial gains in research projects and in attracting external funding for its research.

“We’ve started some great things,” West said. “We need to make sure they stay great.”

West said her role as interim dean will be to promote communication, to implement strategic priorities, and to strengthen the college’s infrastructure for research, education and service.

Greenberg said that a search committee will be formed in the spring and that a new dean will be named by the summer of 1999.