February 14, 2000

SIU Names Surgery Chair

Dr. Gary L. Dunnington has been named chairman of surgery at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. He succeeds Dr. J. Roland Folse, professor and founding chairman of the department, who will retire this month. (Note: He is the recipient of the J. Roland Folse, M.D. Endowed Chair in Surgery at SIU School of Medicine.)

Dunnington joined the SIU School of Medicine in 1997 as professor of surgery and chair of the general surgery division. With clinical expertise in surgical oncology focusing on breast disease, he founded the Breast Center at SIU in 1998. He serves as director of this multidisciplinary breast cancer team, which focuses on comprehensive, research-based, patient-centered care for patients with breast problems.

Dunnington came to SIU from the Kenneth Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles, where he was an associate professor of surgery (1991-97), founder and medical director of the USC/Norris Breast Center and served as senior associate dean for academic affairs (1996-97). He also was assistant professor of surgery at both Creighton University School of Medicine (1989-91) and the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center (1985-89).

Dunnington earned his medical degree at Indiana University School of Medicine (1980) and completed his residency at the University of Arizona (1985). He earned a bachelor's degree at Ball State University (1976).

He is certified by the American Board of Surgery and is a fellow of the American Colleges of Surgeons. He is a member of the Association for Surgical Education (ASE) and its foundation board, the Association for Academic Surgery as well as the Association of Program Directors in Surgery, the Society for the Study of Breast Disease, the Society of Surgical Oncology and the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract.

Dunnington received the 1999 Distinguished Educator Award from the ASE, an award presented to one surgeon annually in recognition of contributions to surgical education. He conducts faculty development workshops for surgeons nationally and internationally and directs a surgical fellowship at SIU, one of four in North America. He is a past president of ASE and becomes director of its educational clearinghouse this year, succeeding Folse.

His research interests include surgical education and breast cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment. He has published more than 60 books, book chapters, articles and abstracts.

A native of New Castle, Ind., Dunnington and his wife, Kim, have four children. His parents are Rev. George and Lucille Dunnington of New Castle.

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