“Paging Dr. Shapiro. Report to the Washington University campus immediately.”

Dr. Larry Shapiro has been named as the incoming dean of the WU School of Medicine.

Shapiro is a graduate of both the College of Arts and Sciences and WUSM. Additionally, two of his three children are alumni (his daughter, Jennifer, graduated in 1994; son Brian left in 2002).

William Peck, the current dean of WUSM, expressed unequivocal support for his replacement.

“[Shapiro] is in an excellent position to bring new ideas to the institution at this most important time in its history,” said Peck. “He trained here and knows us well and has had valuable experiences elsewhere that have relevance to our situation.”

WU Chancellor Mark Wrighton says that he is expecting great things from Shapiro’s return to the university.

“I look forward to working with Dr. Shapiro to build upon the considerable success of Dean Peck and his department heads and the faculty,” said Wrighton. “[Shapiro] will lead the School of Medicine in ways that build our impact in research, improve patient care locally, nationally and internationally, and he will enhance the educational mission of the school.”

Shapiro said that his familiarity with WU influenced his decision to return to the university.

“It certainly played a part in my thinking. I have very fond memories and have maintained both friendships and professional associations throughout the years,” said Shapiro. “But, it’s really the challenge of the future that excited me and got me here.”

WUSM’s reputation also played a role in Shapiro’s decision.

“This is one of the finest medical schools, associated with one of the best universities in the country,” he said. “In many ways, it’s a national treasure.”

Shapiro also said that he is excited about working with the staff in the medical school.

“The research accomplishments of this School of Medicine and its faculty are well known,” he said. Shapiro is no stranger to excellence. He is currently a professor and chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco, and he is also a member of the National Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Medicine and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Shapiro said he plans to use this extensive knowledge and experience to help WUSM. New changes and innovations are in the planning stages and improvements to the medical school are impending, said Shapiro.

“We’re going to have to find more effective ways to train students so that they can deal with the complex ethical and societal issues that modern medicine is generating and some of the practical and economic issues,” he said. “[I'm going to] try to help solve the problems of our healthcare system, which is badly broken.”

Peck, Shapiro’s predecessor who steps down from his position at the end of June, will have been dean for 14 years and will be almost 70 years old. His decision to retire was made in part because he wanted to open the door for someone new to guide WUSM.

“I feel that new leadership is very appropriate, and I look forward to new opportunities, including the establishment of a Center for Health Policy at Washington University,” he said.

Peck also commented that he is pleased with his replacement.

“I hold Dr. Shapiro in highest esteem,” said Peck. “He is an extraordinarily accomplished researcher and clinician who heads an outstanding [pediatrics] department at a fine medical school.”

On a more personal level, Peck said, “He is, in my view, a wonderful person with great integrity and communication skills,”

These qualities are part of the reason that Richard Gelberman, head of orthopedics, finally chose Shapiro. Gelberman, who led the search party for Peck’s successor, said, “Dr. Shapiro has a strong strategic perspective, one that will allow him to prioritize, to gain consensus and then to lead effectively in a number of different areas, simultaneously,”

In the midst of over 120 other nominees considered for the position, Gelberman noticed Shapiro because he “stood out as having the most exceptional leadership qualities, including a remarkable blend of humility and intense resolve… [and] he has the qualities of a statesman, those qualities needed to lead a major school in challenging times.”

Wrighton said that he was more than happy with the choice made.

“Dr. Shapiro is an absolutely outstanding person in every respect,” he said. “He is a gifted researcher, educator, physician and leader [with] a track record of achievement that is truly extraordinary, and he has the enthusiasm, dedication, intellectual ability, sensitivity, and wisdom to lead a premier medical school.”

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