Malan Named Dean of Savannah Campus, Vice-Dean of Mercer University School of Medicine

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SAVANNAH — Mercer University School of Medicine Dean William F. Bina III today announced the appointment of T. Philip Malan Jr., M.D., Ph.D., professor of anesthesiology and pharmacology and former vice dean for academic affairs at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, as Savannah Campus dean and vice dean of the Mercer University School of Medicine. Dr. Malan’s appointment, which is effective July 1, follows a 10-month national search.

Dr. Malan has spent much of his academic career at the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson. He first joined the university in 1989 as a professor and practicing physician in the Department of Anesthesiology. In 2005, he was named special assistant to the dean for academic program development.  In 2006, he was named vice dean for academic affairs. He earned undergraduate degrees in chemistry and biological sciences from the University of California, Irvine, a Doctor of Philosophy from Harvard University in biochemistry and molecular biology, and the Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Massachusetts, Worcester.

“Dr. Malan has a deep commitment to the mission of the Medical School, one which sets Mercer’s School of Medicine apart as the leader in serving the state of Georgia’s medical needs in its small towns and rural areas,” Dr. Bina said. “He comes to Mercer with a strong record of leadership and an ability to work with complex issues facing medical schools today. He will be an outstanding addition to our team, and to the Savannah Campus as it grows and prospers.”

The Savannah Campus of the Mercer School of Medicine has been under the leadership of Interim Senior Associate Dean Wayne Glasgow, also the chair of biomedical sciences, since its opening as a full four-year program in 2008. Dr. Bina commended Dr. Glasgow for his groundbreaking work in leading the new campus over the past three years.

“Wayne Glasgow has made exceptional contributions to our four-year medical school program,” said Dr. Bina. “Without his steady presence and guidance, we would not be poised to achieve the next level of excellence in medical education and research on the Savannah Campus.”
 
Dr. Malan received post-graduate medical training in internal medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, Worcester, in 1985-1986 and in anesthesiology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, from 1986–1989.  During his career, he has served administratively as chair of College of Medicine curriculum, promotion and tenure, and dean’s faculty advisory committees, and as a member of multiple curricular planning and review committees.

Dr. Malan is internationally recognized for his research in pain biology and pain treatment. He has published more than 60 articles in prestigious scientific and clinical journals and is listed in Best Doctors in America.
Dr. Malan and his wife, Carole, have a son, Tim.

About Mercer University School of Medicine
Mercer University’s School of Medicine was established in 1982 to educate physicians and health professionals to meet the primary care and health care needs of rural and medically underserved areas of Georgia. The School only accepts Georgia residents into its medical degree program. Students entering Mercer University School of Medicine will graduate from a school that utilizes a problem-based medical education program that provides early patient care experiences. Such an academic environment fosters the early development of clinical problem-solving and instills in each student an awareness of the place of the basic medical sciences in medical practice. In the fall of 2008, the University expanded its two-year clinical program at Memorial University Medical Center in Savannah into a second full, four-year doctor of medicine program. The School also offers master’s degrees in public health, family therapy, family services and nurse anesthesia.

About Mercer University
Founded in 1833, Mercer University is a dynamic and comprehensive center of undergraduate, graduate and professional education. The University enrolls more than 8,200 students in 11 schools and colleges – liberal arts, law, pharmacy, medicine, business, engineering, education, theology, music, nursing and continuing and professional studies – on major campuses in Macon, Atlanta and Savannah and at three regional academic centers across the state. Mercer is affiliated with two teaching hospitals — Memorial University Medical Center in Savannah and the Medical Center of Central Georgia in Macon, and has educational partnerships with Warner Robins Air Logistics Center in Warner Robins and Piedmont Healthcare in Atlanta. The University operates an academic press and a performing arts center in Macon and an engineering research center in Warner Robins. Mercer is the only private university in Georgia to field an NCAA Division I athletic program. For more information, visit www.mercer.edu.

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Rick Cameron is senior associate athletic director for communications, overseeing athletic media relations, including management of mercerbears.com, the official website of Mercer Athletics, while also maintaining his broadcasting responsibilities as Voice of the Bears.