NEW ORLEANS – LSU Health New Orleans welcomes Janet Southerland as vice chancellor for academic affairs. She joins LSU Health’s leadership from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, where she was vice president for interprofessional education, institutional effectiveness and health education, a professor in the department of nutrition metabolism and rehabilitative sciences and a clinical professor in the department of surgery, division of oral and maxillofacial surgery.
“Dr. Southerland has led efforts at multiple institutions to transform the academic health sciences enterprise,” said Dr. Steve Nelson, interim chancellor at LSU Health New Orleans. “She brings a proven record of success in aligning academic programs to best prepare the next generations of health professionals while promoting a culture of innovation, excellence, diversity and inclusion.”
Southerland’s previous experience includes as a professor and dean of Meharry School of Dentistry, where she also served as chair of the Institutional Review Board and a co-investigator of the NIH-funded Meharry Translational Research Center and co-leader of two cores. At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Dentistry, she was the chair of hospital dentistry, chief of oral medicine, and director of the hospital dental clinic.
“My vision is to sustain and advance LSU Health New Orleans’ distinguished history as a leader in education, research, and clinical care in the state and globally,” said Southerland. “We will improve educational experiences for students, value for community partners, and care outcomes for patients. Helping future students acquire the knowledge and skill necessary to be competent and lead in a constantly changing health care environment while maintaining a compassionate touch is who we should aspire to be.”
Southerland earned a doctorate in dental surgery, an MPH in health policy and administration, and a PhD in oral biology, all from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has been funded by NIH, HRSA, the VA and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. She is widely published, has led transdisciplinary research and clinical teams and has served with numerous national, regional and state professional, accreditation, editorial and advisory organizations.
“Working with our administrators, students, faculty and staff, our team will build outstanding programs across all disciplines that are grounded in collaborative, evidence-based educational models while using innovative technology to deliver high-quality training to students, research, and care to communities, particularly those in most need,” said Southerland.
