In the hiring game, sometimes UVA scores top profs and administrators from other universities—as happened with incoming Arts & Sciences Dean Meredith Woo from the University of Michigan—and sometimes it sees its own faculty gutted by other institutions. One of UVA’s biggest losses this academic offseason is Dr. Cato Laurencin, chairman of the orthopedic surgery department, who is leaving August 11 to become vice president of medical affairs and dean of the School of Medicine at the University of Connecticut.
 Dr. Cato Laurencin, chair of the orthopedic department at UVA, is leaving to take over as dean of U.Conn.’s medical school. |
“I’m very excited, and this is a fantastic opportunity,” says Laurencin, who has been at UVA for five years as a professor of chemical and biomedical engineering. “The clinical and research enterprise, practice plan, and medical school will be under my leadership. I believe the U. Conn. Health Center community, and the greater regional community, will be making important changes over the next five years.”
A noted clinician and researcher named to America’s Top Doctors, Laurencin’s presence will be missed. Under his direction, the orthopedic clinic has grown more than 30 percent, and the program is in the top 20 in the U.S. for National Institutes of Health funding. Laurencin has also conducted groundbreaking research on tissue engineering and development of a synthetic anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), which helps with a common sports injury.
But in particular, Laurencin has focused on mentoring at UVA. “He has made a significant impact here at UVA and across the nation,” says Dr. Saadiq El-Amin, an orthopedic resident. “Our program is ranked as one of the highest in diversity, [at] almost 50 percent, when the national level is at 2 percent.”
The departure will have a domino effect on the medical school, as he will be taking several colleagues to Connecticut, though the exact number is still unknown. Those leaving include Dr. Lakshmi Nair, assistant professor in the department of orthopedic surgery. “As a biomaterial scientist, this gives me a good opportunity to expand my work,” says Nair.
The University will conduct a national search for a replacement. Dr. Francisco Caycedo, an orthopedic surgeon, says, “We will continue to follow in his footsteps to pursue excellence in both clinical [work] and in research.”
Laurencin isn’t the only senior faculty member departing from UVA. Kenneth Schwartz, architecture and planning professor, is leaving after 24 years to become dean of Tulane’s School of Architecture on July 1. And the Associated Press reported last week that Bill Harvey, UVA’s chief officer for diversity and equality, is a finalist for dean of the University of the District of Columbia.
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