Lydia P. Howell, a professor of pathology and leader in the study of women's diseases at the anatomic and cellular level, has been named Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the UC Davis School of Medicine.

The first woman to serve at the associate dean level in Academic Affairs, Howell is responsible for overseeing a variety of personnel programs, policies, and procedures for physicians, scientists and other academic staff. She is primarily responsible for assessing promotion, merit-raise and appraisal processes, overseeing counseling and grievance-resolution programs, and developing mentoring programs. She will also continue to work with Executive Associate Dean Thomas Anders on other faculty affairs issues, including tenure definition, compensation plans, retirement and the reporting of faculty activities according to the academic mission that they support.

"Lydia's enthusiasm and innovative approach will significantly enhance our ongoing efforts to retain the best clinicians and physician educators at UC Davis," said Anders. "Her recent experience as a faculty assistant in academic affairs, first-hand knowledge of faculty promotion and tenure processes, and strong leadership skills make her an excellent choice. The faculty can look forward to her developing new programs to enhance career development and reward productivity at the school and medical center."

As a faculty assistant in Academic Affairs for the past three years, Howell took the lead in testing and implementing a new measurement tool to help department chairs assess departmental performance and evaluate faculty resources. Known as the Mission Based Reporting system, the Web-based tool enables individual faculty members to report their activities related to each of the health system's four missions: research, clinical service, education and community service missions. This information is then available to help department chairs better fulfill the missions of their departments and the school, plan for the future, and mentor and reward individual faculty members.

"My goal is to continue working with faculty and staff to develop accurate and effective programs that enable us to achieve our goals," said Howell. "Academic medicine has faced changes and challenges in recent years as part of the changes to the medical profession in general. Recruitment and retention of excellent academic physicians has become a priority nationwide. I am very interested in helping to bring the best faculty to UC Davis and helping them become successful in their careers so that they educate our future doctors, develop innovations in health care, improve our understanding of disease, and provide outstanding clinical care. Developing successful faculty is important to the future health of the people of California."

Howell joined UC Davis in 1990 as an assistant professor and became full professor in 1999. She served as acting director of anatomic pathology from 1995-98 and has served as director of cytopathology since 1990. During this time, she has brought leading-edge diagnostic cytologic testing procedures to UC Davis, including liquid-based thin-layer Pap testing, and led the laboratory through a three-fold increase in volume. Howell earned her medical degree from Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago in 1981 and worked as a staff physician at UC Davis and in the Sacramento area before joining the faculty in 1990.

"As the mother of two teenage daughters and the wife of a local physician, I know the challenges faculty members face when they are raising children and balancing two demanding careers," Howell said. "I am especially interested in helping faculty navigate these challenges so that they can find success in their academic careers and the other aspects of their lives."


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