Chair of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Position overview
Application Window
Open date: January 27, 2023
Most recent review date: Friday, Mar 17, 2023 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)
Applications received after this date will be reviewed by the search committee if the position has not yet been filled.
Final date: Sunday, Dec 31, 2023 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)
Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled.
Position description
UC Davis School of Medicine seeks a distinguished and visionary academic leader with a record of accomplishment in administration, clinical practice, research, and education to serve as the Chair, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (Pathology). This Chair will guide and implement a strategy of innovation and advancement of pathology and laboratory services, scholarly activity while enhancing the research and educational programs within a nationally recognized health system and medical school.
The Department of Pathology is comprised of over 40 faculty and 400 staff who provide comprehensive anatomic and clinical pathology services across 20 subspecialties. The Department delivers high quality clinical services, advanced educational programs and leading research discoveries through the Anatomic and Clinical Pathology Divisions and the Center for Diagnostic Innovation. As part of a complex academic health system, the Department collaborates across basic and clinical departments with colleagues at the Veterinary School, the University, the Cancer Center, and other matrix center. The Department operationally supports the health system as it continues to serve northern California.
Responsible for the delivery of pathology and laboratory services, the next Chair will be strategically and operationally focused on elevating the Department by advancing diagnostic, operational and technological capabilities. The Chair will understand and foster an academic environment that promotes scholarly activity and advances the Department's ability to serve as a wellspring and resource for research endeavors throughout the institution. They will embrace and progress the educational mission for medical and graduate students, residents, fellows, faculty and staff.
The successful candidate will possess outstanding interpersonal and communication skills with a demonstrated ability to promote the growth of others, inspire, manage and collaborate. They will establish and implement a vibrant and energizing vision of service excellence, contemporizing and distinguishing the Department on a national level. This leader will set forth uncompromising standards of professionalism and establish an institutional view, which is integral to the Department's and the Health System’s success. Candidates must possess an M.D., M.D./Ph.D. or equivalent degree and board certification in Anatomic and/or Clinical Pathology and warrant qualification for appointment at the Associate Professor level or higher at the SOM. A clinical and/or research focus in cancer is desired but is not required. As the senior physician executive leading the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, the Chair is responsible for the Department's continued evolution and success in its clinical, research and educational missions.
The Chair will work in partnership with administrative and scientific leaders across UCDH to strengthen the Department's financial position and operational efficiencies to advance clinical, research and educational programs. Working in the best interest of the Department, UC Davis School of Medicine and UCDH, the Chair will foster collaborations among basic science and clinical departments, the University, the Center for Diagnostic Innovation and the Cancer Institute.
Overseeing talented and passionate faculty, the Chair will catalyze the growth of a department that is built on the foundation of a patient-centric mission, high quality care, an advance and broad repertoire of diagnostic services and innovation while engaging faculty, residents, fellow and clinical and support staff. Key to this foundation is a focus on collaboration, quality and stellar customer service. The Chair will advance the Department's strategic plan, setting forth a unifying vision that leads to continuous progression of qualitative and quantitative diagnostic capabilities, sustained drive towards innovation and a unified culture within the Department.
The Chair will provide strategic vision and operational leadership for the clinical, research and educational programs, creating an inclusive environment and sense of community that supports the Department’s faculty, staff and trainees. This environment will lead to the recruitment, retention, development and support of outstanding and highly diverse clinical and basic science faculty and staff. Supporting the School of Medicine's missions, this leader will advance the scholarly activities of the faculty and expand the breadth and depth of NIH-funded and extramural research programs within the Department and beyond. They will work to fully develop key institutional partnerships and strategic relationships to define and acutely pursue interdisciplinary research goals.
As the educational leader for the Department, the Chair will continue the advancement of Pathology disciplines through expansion of fellowship programs and monitoring the progression of educational programs within the undergraduate medical curriculum. They will support an outstanding environment for all trainees within the Department: medical students, graduate students, residents, fellows and postdoctoral scholars. The Chair will ensure successful ACGME accreditation for the residency and fellowship programs. By fostering an excellent educationally stimulating environment with balanced service and education, the Chair will help in the recruitment of high-caliber residents and fellows.
The successful candidate will be comfortable operating in a highly matrixed environment to be an effective leader in the School of Medicine and UCDH.
Responsibilities
The following represent essential functions and responsibilities for the Chair of Pathology.
• Establishes strategy, business plans and the operating infrastructure necessary to ensure clinical operations are effective, service responsive and efficient.
• Expands high quality anatomic and clinical pathology services across UCDH that keep pace with advances in diagnosis and treatment, including molecular medicine, information technology, and digital pathology solutions, among others.
• Maintains oversight of continuing medical education for faculty within the Department.
• Builds and maintains a well-balanced Department in education, clinical service and research.
• Promotes the continued integration of innovative pathology education and training in undergraduate and graduate medical education. Ensures excellence in teaching of graduate and medical students, post-doctoral fellows and pathology residents and fellows.
• Advances and leads continuous process improvement initiatives to further the Department's clinical laboratory and anatomic pathology capabilities.
• Establishes trust, alignment, and collaborative working relationships with physicians, staff, and administration in the pursuit of maximally productive inter-disciplinary and inter-professional partnerships.
• Supports the continued growth of the Center for Diagnostic Innovation and research initiatives.
• Promotes a culture that results in an increase in extramural research funding and publications.
• Promotes professional development among existing faculty members and attracts highly motivated and exceptional faculty, trainees, staff and students across the diversity spectrum to the Department. Ensures the Department is recruiting top faculty and staff to meet its strategic goals.
• Coaches, mentors and develops others to build internal capabilities and the talent that facilitates succession. Develops the next generation of physician and scientific leadership in the Department.
• Ensures the application of best practices, incorporating regulatory requirements at the local, state and national level; utilizes benchmarking and data analysis derived from the College of American Pathologists and other sources.
• Integrates the adoption of innovative diagnostic, analytic, technological and communication tools across the Department to differentiate the Department from the competition.
• Maintains and develops professional knowledge and personal competence through publications and professional organizations.
• Represents the Department on an institutional and national level.
• In addition, Academic Senate faculty member expectation and responsibilities include:
o Clinical service in the area of specialty, as applicable
o Teaching medical students, residents, and fellows
o Conducting bench/clinical/translational research leading to peer-reviewed publication
o Success in obtaining extramural funding, as applicable to faculty series
o University and professional service
Further expectations are determined by faculty series.
The School of Medicine has retained the search firm WittKieffer to facilitate this critical recruitment. Initial inquiries should be submitted to Linda Komnick and Kimberly Smith through the office of Imran Ali, preferably via e-mail, to iali@wittkieffer.com. Formal application materials must be submitted via the UC Recruit system, located at https://recruit.ucdavis.edu/JPF5481 prior to formal review by the search committee
The University of California is committed to creating and maintaining a community dedicated to the advancement, application, and transmission of knowledge and creative endeavors through academic excellence, where all individuals who participate in University programs and activities can work and learn together in a safe and secure environment, free of violence, harassment, discrimination, exploitation, or intimidation. With this commitment, UC Davis conducts a reference check on all first choice candidates for Academic Senate positions eligible for tenure or security of employment. The reference check involves contacting the administration of the applicant’s previous institution(s) to ask whether there have been substantiated findings of misconduct that would violate the University’s Faculty Code of Conduct. To implement this process, UC Davis requires all applicants for any open search for associate/full professor to complete, sign, and upload the form entitled “Authorization to Release Information” into RECRUIT as part of their application. If an applicant does not include the signed authorization with the application materials, the application will be considered incomplete, and as with any incomplete application, will not receive further consideration. Although all applicants for faculty recruitments must complete the entire application, only finalists considered for positions with tenure or security of employment will be subject to reference checks.
Qualifications
Education/Certification
• An M.D., M.D./Ph.D., or equivalent degrees from an accredited institution with board certification in Anatomic and/or Clinical Pathology.
• Eligible for licensure in California.
• Candidates must possess qualifications for appointment at the Associate Professor level or higher at UC Davis School of Medicine.
Experience, Knowledge, Leadership Skills and Competencies
• Proven track record as an outstanding physician-scientist or physician-educator and administrative leader with a vision to lead a contemporary academic department of pathology with strong scientific and scholarly capabilities.
• Understand the workings of a complex department of pathology relating to faculty affairs, operations, research, key hospital constituents, graduate and undergraduate education.
• A leader who is committed to growing and developing diverse faculty, staff and trainees, achieving prestige through the success of the department and its members rather than through their own clinical and research work.
• Demonstrate leadership and effectiveness in building research initiatives with clinical programs. Strong credentials with a proven ability to recruit research faculty, partner with external organizations and secure research funding.
• Ability to articulate a clear vision for growth, expansion and evolution of the Department of Pathology.
• Experience in maintaining and enhancing the educational standards for students, residents and fellows. Demonstrate a commitment to continuing education of faculty and staff and embrace innovation as clinical science, basic science and healthcare delivery evolves.
• Proven track record of a commitment to diversity and inclusion at all levels of the Department faculty, students, residents, fellows and staff, and the demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in a diverse environment.
• Empower, motivate and challenge staff, while holding them accountable, as an inclusive leader with outstanding interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence. Display the qualities of a team player who has an open and non-competitive leadership style that promotes partnerships.
• Ability to work effectively within a highly matrixed interdisciplinary environment.
• Uncompromising standards of professionalism and an ability to take a larger institutional view, inclusive of working collaboratively with other Departments, which are integral to Pathology faculty’s success.
• A record of peer-reviewed publications, success in obtaining extramural funding, excellence in clinical care and teaching, and a record of University and professional service, as appropriate to the faculty series.
Clinical or research focus in cancer is desired but is not a requirement.
Application Requirements
Cover Letter
Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.
Statement of Contributions to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion - Contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion documented in the application file will be used to evaluate applicants. Visit https://academicaffairs.ucdavis.edu/faculty-equity-and-inclusion for guidelines about writing a statement and why one is requested.
Authorization to Release Information - A reference check will be completed only if you are
selected as the first choice candidate. Download, complete, sign, and upload the form:
https://aadocs.ucdavis.edu/your-resources/forms-and-checklists/forms/ARF.pdf
- 5 required (contact information only)
References will only be contacted regarding those candidates who advance to final consideration for the position and will not be reviewed unless needed. Candidates will be notified prior to the university initiating reference contact.
Help contact: mchristensen@ucdavis.edu
Campus Information
UC Davis is a smoke and tobacco-free campus (http://breathefree.ucdavis.edu/).
We are an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer, and particularly encourage applications from members of historically underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, women, individuals’ with disabilities, veterans, LGBTQ community members, and others who demonstrate the ability to help us achieve our vision of a diverse and inclusive community. For the complete University of California nondiscrimination and affirmative action policy see: http://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4000376/NondiscrimAffirmAct
Under Federal law, the University of California may employ only individuals who are legally able to work in the United States as established by providing documents as specified in the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. Certain UC Davis positions funded by federal contracts or sub-contracts require the selected candidate to pass an E-Verify check. More information is available at: http://www.uscis.gov/e-verify
The University of California, Davis (UC Davis) is committed to inclusive excellence by advancing equity, diversity and inclusion in all that we do. UC Davis celebrates the multi-cultural diversity of its community by creating a welcoming and inclusive environment demonstrated through a variety of resources and programs available to academics, staff, and students. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are core values of UC Davis that are embedded within our Principles of Community and are tied with how to best serve our student population. Our excellence in research, teaching, and service can best be fully realized by members of our academic community who share our commitment to these values, which are included in our Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Vision, our strategic plan: “To Boldly Go,” our Principles of Community, the Office of Academic Affairs’ Mission Statement, and the UC Board of Regents Policy 4400: Policy on University of California Diversity Statement. UC Davis is making important progress towards our goal of achieving federal designation as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and an Asian American, Native American, and Pacific Islander-Serving Institution. The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion offers a plethora of resources on their website, and the Office of Health Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (HEDI) has outlined similar goals in their Anti-Racism and DEI Action Plan.” There are a plethora of links available on the About Us webpage where you can learn more about our Administration, Diversity and Inclusion, Rankings, Locations, Native American Land Acknowledgement, Sustainability, Visiting UC Davis, UC Davis Health, and Campus Safety.
The university is consistently ranked among the top institutions in the world for campus sustainability practices by the UI Green Metric World University Rankings. UC Davis is focused on achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and repeatedly shown its commitment to preserving a healthy and sustainable environment for generations to come.
As a condition of employment, you will be required to comply with the University of California Policy on Vaccination Programs - With Updated Interim Amendments. All Covered Individuals under the policy must provide proof of receiving the COVID-19 Vaccine Primary Series or, if applicable, submit a request for Exception (based on Medical Exemption, Disability, Religious Objection, and/or Deferral based on pregnancy or recent COVID-19 diagnosis and/or treatment) no later than the applicable deadline. All Covered Individuals must also provide proof of receiving the most recent CDC-recommended COVID-19 booster or properly decline such booster no later than the applicable deadline. New University of California employees should refer to Exhibit 2, Section II.C. of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Vaccination Program Attachment for applicable deadlines. All Covered Individuals must also provide proof of being Up-To-Date on seasonal influenza vaccination or properly decline such vaccination no later than the applicable deadline. Please refer to the Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Program Attachment.(Capitalized terms in this paragraph are defined in the policy.) Federal, state, or local public health directives may impose additional requirements.

