Through the implementation of new programs and partnerships with the College, Souba hopes to make DMS the most "prestigious" and "unique" medical school in the country, DMS Associate Dean and Chief Operating Officer Charles Mannix said.
By working closely with College President Jim Yong Kim, Provost Carol Folt and various deans, Souba has forged "cross-institutional" links such as a joint bioengineering program with Thayer School of Engineering, according to Mannix. Unity with Thayer and the Tuck School of Business is important in order to take advantage of all the resources available at Dartmouth, Souba said.
"Our relationship with the business school and engineering school has improved dramatically [since Souba became dean]," Mannix said, adding that DMS' relationship with the College and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center have "never been better."
Souba has focused much of his attention on bettering the relationship between DHMC and DMS, which he said he would like to see "dancing in lockstep all the time." Although the two institutions currently work together, Souba's goal has been to create additional "synergies" between the two institutions that continue to foster collaboration.
Souba has also focused on modernizing the curriculum and creating a dual degree for medical students under which they can attain a medical and master's degree in four years, he said.
"When I was in medical school, we were just taught to be doctors," Souba said. "Now, we need health care, economics, population science, leadership, global health and pedagogy. We are dedicated to creating positions for scientists who can be dedicated to the world."
Souba will continue to revitalize DMS' "research infrastructure" by hiring new research faculty, improving the "lab situation" and increasing the number of grants it receives, according to Mannix.
In the eight months of his tenure, Souba has already created the positions of senior associate dean of research and senior associate dean of medical education, William Green, who served as acting DMS Dean for three years and resumed his position as chair of the microbiology and immunology department when Souba replaced Green on Oct. 1, said. Under Souba, DMS is also trying to increase its diversity and to establish programs that join alumni and students together "so that the two know what the other is doing," Mannix said.
Souba's leadership skills have been crucial for his success in implementing new initiatives at DMS and in bridging connections with other graduate schools, according to Green. "The ease with which he interacts with people fits so well with our culture," Green said.
Souba's background and experiences made him a perfect "fit" for the Dartmouth community, according to Alan Green, chair of the psychiatry department at DMS and chair of the search committee that recommended Souba. Souba formerly served as dean of the Ohio State College of Medicine. He called his transition to Dartmouth "very smooth" and said that the community has been inviting since his arrival.
"I've been in New England before and I love this part of the country," he said. "I've been welcomed by the faculty and community there have been no hiccups."
Although Souba's wife and daughter still live in Ohio, his daughter will relocate to Hanover this fall to enroll as a member of the Class of 2015 at the College.
