Michael Verderame has been named associate dean for graduate studies in the Penn State College of Medicine.
Verderame will facilitate faculty efforts both to recruit the best possible students to the College of Medicine's graduate programs, and to help those students become the scientific leaders of tomorrow. He will ensure the graduate curriculum reflects the dramatic progress in biology and medical science over the last decade and continues to meet the needs of students. In addition, he will serve the needs of graduate students directly, including offering educational workshops and ensuring that graduation requirements are met.
Verderame, who earned his doctorate from Columbia University, came to the College of Medicine in 1989 after finishing a postdoctoral fellowship at University of California, San Francisco. Starting as an assistant professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, he retained a joint appointment there when he transferred to the Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism. He later was promoted to associate professor. In addition, he serves as co-director of the new Viral Vector Core, Penn State Cancer Institute.
Verderame has received a number of teaching and service awards, including the 2001 Class of 2004 Teacher's Award, Best Lectures. He has given numerous scientific and educational presentations, and has published numerous articles about his research, which investigates normal cell growth and development, and what goes wrong in cells when a person develops cancer.
Verderame's is one of four new appointments in the overall reorganization of research administration at Penn State Hershey Medical Center.
Alan Snyder was named associate dean for technology development. Snyder will expand the medical center's technology development capabilities, take faculty and staff discoveries to the marketplace, continue to build strategic partnerships and bring needed attention to the region's research infrastructure.
James Herman, who has served as associate dean for primary care for 10 years, now adds primary care research to his responsibilities. As associate dean for primary care and primary care research, Herman, who also is Hershey Foods Corp. professor and chair of the Department of Family and Community Medicine, will oversee and guide care delivery and primary care research efforts at Penn State Hershey Medical Center.
Sheila Vrana was appointed associate dean for basic research. She will enhance the medical center's efforts to support faculty and staff in their development and processing of grant proposals, and will oversee the efforts of the Office of Research Affairs, which is responsible for procurement and administration of grants and contracts, compliance, development of budgets, proposal review, award negotiation and more.
In addition, Kathryn Kaylor recently was named director of the Office of Research Affairs and Ernest Johnson was appointed director of research development.