ROOTSTOWN NEOUCOM chooses first woman president

NEOUCOM's new president has degrees in medicine, law and business administration.
By RON COLE
VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER
ROOTSTOWN -- Dr. Lois Nora, a neurologist from the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, has been named president and dean of the Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine.
Nora, 47, who has advanced degrees in medicine, law and business administration, is NEOUCOM's fifth president and the first woman to lead the 419-student medical school.
Of the 125 medical schools in the United States, only seven are led by women, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. Ohio has seven medical schools. The Medical College of Ohio in Toledo is the only one with a woman at the helm.
Nora succeeds Dr. Robert Blacklow, 67, NEOUCOM's president since 1992, who retires June 30.
Dr. Mark Penn, NEOUCOM's interim vice president for academic affairs and executive associate dean, will serve as acting president and dean until Nora arrives in October.
"Dr. Nora's wealth of experience and her commitment to medical education have prepared her well for this position," said Dr. Mark Apte, chairman of NEOUCOM's board of trustees and head of the committee that conducted a national search for the job.
The board approved a five-year contract for Nora with an annual salary of $250,000.
NEOUCOM offers a combined bachelor's/medical degree program in partnership with Youngstown State University, Kent State University and the University of Akron.
Background
Nora earned a medical degree from Rush Medical College in Chicago, law degree from the University of Chicago and a master's degree in business administration from the University of Kentucky.
She is associate dean for academic affairs and administration at UK's medical school in Lexington. She also is a law professor at the university.
She was an American Council on Education Fellow at Ohio State University in 1999-2000 and received an American Association of University Women Research Scholar-in-Residence Award in 2001. Her scholarly interests include issues of law and medicine, including gender issues in medical education.
Nora was chosen from a list of three finalists that included Dr. James Herman, chairman of the family and community medicine department at Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine in Hershey, Pa., and Dr. Joel Kupersmith, past dean of the School of Medicine at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.