PITT NAMES NEW SENIOR VICE CHANCELLOR FOR THE HEALTH SCIENCES

PITTSBURGH, May 21 -- University of Pittsburgh Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg has named Dr. Arthur S. Levine the University's new senior vice chancellor for the health sciences and dean of the School of Medicine. Levine currently serves as the scientific director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. His appointment at Pitt will be effective November 1.

"There are few universities in the world in which the health sciences, and particularly medicine, play a more important role than they do at the University of Pittsburgh," Nordenberg said. "We are extremely fortunate to have attracted such a talented and accomplished individual to this key position of academic leadership.

Dr. Levine is an internationally respected physician-scientist. He is known for his keen scientific judgment, his own capacity for hard work, and his ability to guide and inspire colleagues. It also is significant that much of his professional life has been devoted to research in molecular biology, the area that likely will produce many of the medical miracles of the future."

As scientific director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Levine has led an intramural research division of the National Institutes of Health that is widely recognized as one of the world's leading centers in developmental biology; molecular, structural and cellular biology; neuroscience, and clinical research. That research division comprises 100 basic and clinical research groups deployed among 20 laboratories and branches, with a total workforce of about 1,000 people. Levine also has played a leadership role in NIH-wide matters -- particularly those involving the education and training of young physicians and scientists, the development and allocation of research resources, and strategic planning.

Earlier in his career, Levine played a leading role in clinical research on childhood malignancies. More recently, he and his colleagues have studied the molecular mechanisms by which DNA damage is repaired or mutations are induced in bacterial and mammalian genes. Such work is an important source of insights regarding the causes of genetic disorders, birth defects and cancer.

In expressing his reaction to this new assignment, Levine said, "I hold a wonderful position at the NIH and would not have considered leaving except for the very special opportunities that exist at the University of Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh faculty includes truly outstanding teachers and researchers, and its tradition of excellence in the health sciences provides a strong foundation for future progress. It seems clear that the entire University is on the move, and I am pleased to be joining the leadership team that Chancellor Nordenberg has assembled. From our first visit, my wife and I also loved the city of Pittsburgh."

Levine will replace Dr. Thomas Detre, who was described by Nordenberg as "a legendary leader and the person most responsible for bringing world-class medicine to our region." Detre himself was delighted with the choice of his successor. "I applaud the University for having selected such an exceptionally talented individual to lead our health sciences schools into the next century," he said. "Dr. Levine is a highly creative and productive scientist, he has written extensively on the psychological and behavioral aspects of cancer care in children, and he is known by his peers to be a superb mentor whose many students and trainees have gone on to take leadership positions in academic institutions throughout this country and abroad."

Jeffrey Romoff, president of the UPMC Health System, also expressed his confidence in the selection. "I commend Chancellor Nordenberg on this outstanding choice. I am confident that Dr. Levine will continue to augment the excellent academic achievements that have come to characterize the health sciences at the University of Pittsburgh and, in doing so, will enhance the patient care services provided by the UPMC Health System to the people of our region," Romoff said.

Dr. Richard Klausner, director of the National Cancer Institute, praised Levine "as a leader of a complex biomedical research program that includes clinical activities, training, and a diverse portfolio of basic research." According to Klausner, "Dr. Levine has been aggressive and creative in pushing the envelope of what is doable in order to create programs that support training and science, and he constantly communicates an attitude of what can be accomplished. That attitude of accomplishment and the optimism that accompanies it are among his strongest characteristics as a scientific and administrative leader."

Levine joined the NIH as a clinical associate in the National Cancer Institute in 1967. He became a senior investigator in 1970, chief of the Pediatric Oncology branch in 1975 and scientific director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development in 1982. For much of his career, he was also a commissioned officer in the United States Public Health Service, reaching the ranks of rear admiral and assistant surgeon general.

The author or co-author of more than 240 scientific publications, Levine has chaired many national and international scientific meetings, has been elected to membership in a number of the leading research societies, and has held visiting professorships at many universities in the United States and abroad. He is a consultant to the Library of Congress, is chairman of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Children's Memorial Institute for Education and Research at Northwestern University, and is the NIH advisor to the Asia-Pacific Rim Molecular Biology Network. Levine often has spoken and written for general audiences on such topics as the doctor-patient relationship, AIDS, and scientific creativity. A former editor of The New Biologist, he has received the Meritorious Service and Distinguished Service Medals of the United States Public Health Service, the Surgeon General's Exemplary Service Medal, and the NIH Director's Award.

A graduate of Columbia University, Levine received his M.D. from the Chicago Medical School. After an internship and a residency in pediatrics at the University of Minnesota Hospitals, he served as a fellow in hematology and biochemical genetics, also at Minnesota, before joining the NIH.

Levine's wife, Ruth, until recently was on the staff of the National Endowment for the Arts. She currently is a full-time painter. The Levines have three adult daughters.

Nordenberg praised the search committee, which was chaired by Dean Emeritus H.J. Zoffer of the Katz Graduate School of Business, for its outstanding work. In doing so, he noted that this was the third time that the University had initiated a search for a new senior vice chancellor since Detre announced his intention to leave the position several years ago. Nordenberg, who had chaired the last search committee before being named chancellor, said, "This time, Jerry Zoffer and his colleagues really got things done in the right way."

The announcement of the search attracted nearly 200 applications and nominations. Fifteen candidates were invited to campus, and the committee presented Nordenberg with a list of five recommended finalists, including Levine.

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