Press Release, Kansas Board of Regents
(Lawrence, Kansas) – Today the Kansas Board of Regents announced the appointment of Dr. Douglas A. Girod as the 18th Chancellor of the University of Kansas.
“I am honored to be here today to make this important announcement. Naming the next Chancellor is one of the most important jobs we undertake as the Board of Regents,” stated Zoe Newton, Chair of the Board of Regents. “Dr. Girod is the right person for this time of transition. His 23 years of service are a testament to Dr. Girod’s love and commitment to KU. He will honor KU’s traditions and history while leading this great university into the future.”
Douglas A. Girod, M.D., became executive vice chancellor of the University of Kansas Medical Center on Feb. 1, 2013, where he oversaw the educational, research, patient care and community engagement missions of the University of Kansas Schools of Medicine, Nursing and Health Professions, with their total annual enrollment of more than 3,300 students; a workforce of more than 2,100 faculty and more than 4,000 staff; and research funding of nearly $100 million.
“The number of top-tier professionals who wanted to be the next KU Chancellor was impressive,” said Dave Dillon, Chair of the KU Chancellor Search Committee. “Dr. Girod will certainly use his impressive credentials and abilities to carry out the mission of KU, furthering the aspirations we have for our state, and the hopes we have for generations of Jayhawks.”
In addition to serving as executive vice chancellor, Dr. Girod also served as interim executive dean of the KU School of Medicine until March 24, 2014. Prior to those roles, he served as Senior Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs and Chair of the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. A surgeon, Dr. Girod joined the University of Kansas Medical Center faculty in 1994 and quickly rose through the academic ranks, becoming chair of the Otolaryngology department in 2002. He was named Russell E. Bridwell Endowed Chair in 2008.
Dr. Girod earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of California at Davis and his medical degree from the University of California at San Francisco. He completed his residency and an NIH research fellowship at the University of Washington in Seattle. Prior to joining the University of Kansas Medical Center, Dr. Girod served as Vice Chairman and Research Director in the Department of Otolaryngology at the Naval Medical Center in Oakland, California. He served in the United States Navy Reserve from 1982, rising to the rank of Lieutenant Commander and later earning the Meritorious Service Medal.