banking industry . Most recently , he served as senior vice president for administration and chief financial officer at Carlow University , a 2,200-student private university in Pittsburgh , PA .
Drema Hill , PhD , MSP , WVSOM ’ s vice president for community engagement , will take on an additional role as the school ’ s chief operations officer . She will develop and implement protocols for cross-functional collaboration and the analysis of business processes that help WVSOM achieve its strategic objectives . Hill also will oversee the school ’ s Center for Rural and Community Health , Marketing and Communications Department , Audio Visual and Production Department , Information Technology Department , WVSOM ’ s rural health policy director and the school ’ s foundation relations and institutional grants officer .
As WVSOM continues to expand its research enterprise , Linda Boyd , DO , WVSOM ’ s vice president for academic affairs and dean , will replace retired vice president for administration and external relations Edward Bridges , PhD , in overseeing the school ’ s Office of Research and Sponsored Programs . Boyd , who serves as WVSOM ’ s chief academic officer , will oversee Dovenia Ponnoth , PhD , who joined WVSOM in 2020 as an associate professor of pharmacology and recently became the school ’ s interim associate dean for research and sponsored programs .
Additionally , Jeffrey Shawver , JD , WVSOM ’ s vice president for legal and governmental affairs , will add security and external affairs to his areas of oversight and will serve as the school ’ s chief legal officer . Along with his existing role of representing WVSOM in legal matters and providing legal guidance to the Office of the President , the WVSOM Board of Governors , and school employees , Shawver will develop and implement WVSOM ’ s government relations , legislative affairs , and policy agenda .
Machelle Linsenmeyer , EdD , the school ’ s associate dean for assessment and educational development , has been promoted to assistant vice president for institutional effectiveness and academic resources . Linsenmeyer will provide leadership for institutional effectiveness , strategic , tactical , and operational planning ; assessment ; accreditation ; and student learning outcomes . She also will manage resources such as WVSOM ’ s academic management system and library .
James W . Nemitz , PhD , president of WVSOM , said the organizational changes are key to the school ’ s continued success as a leader in medical education in West Virginia and in the osteopathic medical profession nationwide .
“ These changes will help us to refine our organizational efficiencies so that we can continue to offer the highest level of osteopathic medical education to our students and provide our state and nation with the next generation of physicians ,” he said .
West Virginia Medical Journal • December 2023 • 29