Temple University President Neil D. Theobald has announced the appointment of Laura Siminoff as the dean of Temple's College of Health Professions and Social Work, effective March 1, 2014.

An eminent public health social scientist whose leadership accomplishments included the establishment of an academic department, Siminoff is widely recognized for her work in treatment decision-making and communication, informed consent and health disparities in cancer outcomes and organ and tissue donation.

"One of Temple's core missions is fostering research that improves people's everyday lives," President Theobald said. "That mission is a passion for the faculty and staff of Temple's College of Health Professions and Social Work. Laura Siminoff shares that passion. It's a great match for the college, the university and the city."

"Laura Siminoff is a highly accomplished scholar in the study of public health issues related to cancer treatment. She has a tremendous research funding record, and she is an experienced academic leader and administrator." said Hai-Lung Dai, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. "She is keenly aware of the challenges facing higher education in a rapidly changing health care environment. She will bring the leadership and vision we need to lead our College of Health Professions and Social Work to continued growth."

"I feel extremely privileged and honored to be the new dean of the College of Health Professions and Social Work and have the opportunity to lead such an outstanding group of faculty, staff and students," said Siminoff. "Temple is undergoing an exciting transition under the leadership of President Theobald and I am looking forward to being a part of Temple's leadership team."

"We are entering a new era of health care delivery in the United States," Siminoff added. "This college has much to contribute in terms of improving the type of health-related services that are available and their delivery in addition to training a new generation of service providers. Moving forward, we will work together to push the boundaries of excellence in scholarship and education at the college."

Having served since 2006 as professor and founding chair of the Department of Social and Behavioral Health at the School of Medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University and associate director of Cancer Prevention and Control at the National Cancer Institute-designated Massey Cancer Center, Siminoff joins Temple with a funding record that is among the most outstanding in the nation. In 2005 she was recognized for ranking above the 95th percentile of all faculty with NIH awards for the past 25 years. In addition to her outstanding funding record, Siminoff is the author of more than 150 articles and the co-author of a text book on empirical methods in bioethics.

Before joining the faculty at Virginia Commonwealth, Siminoff held faculty appointments at Case Western Reserve University's School of Medicine (1996-2006) and the University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of Public Health (1989-1996). Siminoff earned a Ph.D. in public health from the School of Hygiene and Public Health at Johns Hopkins University in 1988 after receiving a master's degree in anthropology from the University of New Brunswick (1978) and a bachelor's degree in anthropology from McGill University (1975).

Temple's College of Health Professions and Social Work (CHPSW) is a global leader in the discovery, dissemination and integration of health-related research and practice. A front-runner in interdisciplinary collaboration across the college and the university, the faculty are also highly engaged with regional, national and global community partners, helping shape the direction of fields of inquiry and practice. CHPSW comprises seven academic departments and one school and offers fully accredited undergraduate and graduate programs, including nine bachelors, 14 master's and eight doctoral programs. In 2013, these programs enroll 4,034 undergraduate majors, 1,278 graduate students and support 143 full-time faculty. Programs in speech-language pathology, occupational therapy and physical therapy are ranked in the top 50 programs of their type by U.S. News & World Report. The college is also home to the Center for Asian Health, the Intergenerational Center, the Center for Inclusion of Persons with Psychiatric Disabilities, the Center for Social Policy and Community Development and the Center for Obesity Research and Education. In the last decade, the college has seen remarkable growth and organizational change in its programs, research profile, rankings and collaboration with other academic units. In FY 2013, the college brought in external funding totaling $15.8 million.