Spring Break
Dr. Paul R.G. Cunningham appointed new dean at ECU medical school
Welcomed with open arms by the faculty at Brody
Natalie Jurgen
Issue date: 7/16/08 Section: News
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For the past six years Cunningham has been the chair of the department of surgery at the
State University of New York Upstate Medical University in Syracuse.
Cunningham served at ECU for 21 years and will begin his new position on Sept. 15.
"Paul Cunningham is exactly the right choice to lead the Brody School of Medicine," said Chancellor Steve Ballard. "He is a highly accomplished, widely respected physician. He is familiar with the school's mission and with the health care challenges facing this region and state, and he is a former chief of staff of our teaching hospital."
Dr. Phyllis Horns, the interim vice chancellor for health sciences who has been serving as interim dean of the medical school, is also excited for Cunningham's arrival.
"I could not be more pleased to welcome Paul Cunningham as the fifth dean of the Brody School of Medicine," said Horns. "He is extraordinarily well-prepared for this leadership role and brings a wealth of experience that is needed for the school's future growth. His insights and partnership will be invaluable to the development of the Health Sciences Division at ECU at a time when the division's growth is unprecedented, including the addition of a new School of Dentistry."
Growth at the medical school, strong university leadership and the chance to further the medical school's mission - producing primary care doctors, educating minority and disadvantaged students and improving the health status of eastern North Carolina - are all reasons Cunningham is happy to return to Greenville.
"Based on all of the information that we received on each of our visits, and with the visible physical evidence of growth on the health campus, it is clear that there are exciting opportunities that will allow those stated missions to achieve their full evolution:
measurable positive statistics in the health indices for eastern North Carolina," said Cunningham.
Cunningham is a native of Jamaica and a medical graduate of the University of the West Indies in Jamaica. After training, Cunningham began his career as a surgeon in New York and then made the move to North Carolina.
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