Pediatrician and Epidemiologist Dr. Lynn R. Goldman Named Dean of the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services

WASHINGTON, May 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The George Washington University has named Dr. Lynn R. Goldman, pediatrician and epidemiologist, as dean of the School of Public Health and Health Services (SPHHS). Dr. Goldman will set a vision for the school and help enhance undergraduate and graduate educational and research programs. She will begin her tenure at GW in mid-August.

"With her breadth of experience in the field of children's environmental health, public health practice and chemical regulatory policy, as well as her distinguished career in government, Dr. Lynn Goldman is ideally suited to lead our rapidly emerging School of Public Health and Health Services," said GW President Steven Knapp. 

Dr. Goldman most recently served as a professor of environmental health sciences at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, principal investigator for the Johns Hopkins National Children's Study Center and dual principal investigator for the National Center of Excellence for the Study of Preparedness and Catastrophic Event Response (PACER).

"GW's School of Public Heath and Health Services is wonderfully positioned to be able to make an impact on public health and on public health education in this country," said Dr. Goldman.

As dean, Dr. Goldman plans to focus on building upon the connections GW already has in place with federal agencies and international institutions within the District. She also seeks to further advance policy development work that is already underway as well as develop training and support within scientific organizations.

"Washington, D.C., is a laboratory for public health practice," Dr. Goldman said. "It has all of the typical problems we see both across the country and worldwide, including a number of urban health issues and health disparities."

In 1993, Dr. Goldman was appointed by President Bill Clinton and confirmed by the Senate to serve as assistant administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances. Under her watch, EPA expanded right-to-know under the Toxics Release Inventory and overhauled the nation's pesticides laws. Dr. Goldman made significant progress on the issues of testing of high volume industrial chemicals and identification of chemicals that disrupt endocrine systems. At EPA she was successful in promoting children's health issues and furthering the international agenda for global chemical safety.

Prior to joining the EPA, Dr. Goldman served in several positions at the California Department of Health Services, including head of the Division of Environmental and Occupational Disease Control. She has conducted public health investigations on pesticides, childhood lead poisoning and other environmental hazards. 

Dr. Goldman is a member of the Institute of Medicine. She has served on numerous boards and expert committees, including the Committee on Environmental Health of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Centers for Disease Control Lead Poisoning Prevention Advisory Committee and numerous expert committees for the National Research Council. She currently is acting chair of the Institute of Medicine Roundtable on Environmental Health Sciences and member of the National Academy of Sciences Report Review Committee.

She holds a bachelor's of science degree in conservation of natural resources from the University of California, Berkeley and an M.P.H. from the Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health. Dr. Goldman also earned a master's of science in health and medical sciences from the University of California, Berkeley and an M.D. from the University of California, San Francisco. She completed pediatric training at Children's Hospital in Oakland, Calif.

"Dr. Goldman stood out for her broad, deep experience in public health, both in academic settings and with government agencies," said Donald R. Lehman, executive vice president for academic affairs. "She is the ideal dean to lead the School of Public Health and Health Services to the next level of academic excellence."

Josef Reum has served as interim dean of the School of Public Health and Health Policy since September of 2008, during a time of rapid growth in both faculty and research. Dr. Reum is a professor of health policy.

"The selection of Dr. Lynn Goldman as our new dean represents an extraordinary moment for the School of Public Health and Health Services," said Dr. John F. Williams, provost and vice president for health affairs. "On behalf of the entire medical center, I want to thank Interim Dean Josef Reum for his exceptional leadership during this critical time in the School of Public Health and Health Services' development. His vision, creativity and statesmanship were responsible for the school's remarkable growth. I look forward to his continued contributions."

The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services is the only public health school in the nation's capital and one of only 39 accredited schools in the U.S. Today, more than 1,100 students from nearly every state and more than 35 nations pursue undergraduate, graduate and doctoral-level degrees in public health. The school is home to more than 50 full-time faculty members and 52 research staff members.

The school has one of the fastest growing research portfolios of any school of public health in the nation, with a growing list of partnerships with state and federal constituencies, international organizations and other non-profit entities. It also serves as the home of the Commission for a Healthier America, the STOP Obesity Alliance, the Geiger Gibson Program for Community Health Policy and Aligning Forces for Quality, a major national program funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that aims to lift the overall quality of health care, reduce racial and ethnic disparities and provide models for national reform. These partnerships and programs provide pathways for the student body to work on the high-level public health initiatives that have impact on communities across the country and overseas. Research expenditures in the school for fiscal year 2009 were approximately $29.8 million.

GW also will break ground in 2012 on a new School of Public Health and Health Services building to be located on Pennsylvania Avenue. The 108,000-square-foot structure will include state-of-the-art research and classroom facilities and conference space. The new silver LEED certified building will provide a consolidated home for the school's students and full-time faculty, and it will serve as a central location for continued research and collaboration with a wide variety of government and non-governmental organizations. Construction is scheduled to be complete in the summer of 2014.

In the heart of the nation's capital with additional programs in Virginia, The George Washington University was created by an Act of Congress in 1821. Today, GW is the largest institution of higher education in the District of Columbia. The University offers comprehensive programs of undergraduate and graduate liberal arts study, as well as degree programs in medicine, public health, law, engineering, education, business and international affairs. Each year, GW enrolls a diverse population of undergraduate, graduate and professional students from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and more than 130 countries.

SOURCE George Washington University